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

Lord Ernest · Aug 12, 2024

Oh yeah, I'm so interested on what this crossover could be. Wonder who else will get involved of the alternate SIs that didn't get pulled into the previous Crisis.

Hopefully, Pull and Krono get Power Batteries out of this adventure. Poor guys have been playing the game on a harsher difficulty than most, after all.

GigaVanguard · Aug 12, 2024

Lord Ernest said:
Oh yeah, I'm so interested on what this crossover could be. Wonder who else will get involved of the alternate SIs that didn't get pulled into the previous Crisis.

Hopefully, Pull and Krono get Power Batteries out of this adventure. Poor guys have been playing the game on a harsher difficulty than most, after all.

Frankly, the Pauls who got dumped in lanternless 'verses have quite valid cause to be upset - but, as Pull's reaction shows, an orange power ring with one full charge is still a power ring.

Chojin Patriarch · Aug 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
16th July 2014
21:23 GMT +5:30

Phh-tchhwuhwuhwah.

I lead the way through the ground bridge -or maybe that should be underground bridge, waving in the direction of our secure storage area as Arcee, Slipstream and Tailgate follow me through.

And back to Pull once more, but this time under the same header as OL and Krono? I foresee a gathering of Pauls soon. Regardless, I see the Autobots are following through with their 'check up on Slipstream's operations' goal.

"We didn't think keeping them on the surface was a good idea."

Tailgate isn't listening, his attention fixed on the walls and ceilings of Unicron's interior. Arcee in the meantime looks at me sceptically. "I thought you were selling parts."

You do realise that even the best operation can't just collect stuff and pass it straight on, right?

Pull's head nods. "Yes, and once we've delivered whatever we sold to a secure facility then it stops being our problem. But until then, we leave it down here."

I amble towards the chamber set aside for Unicronian storage.

I wager that particular one has multiple levels of redundant security. And lots of guns facing inwards...

"Since we're in Unicron, dark energon's not exactly in short supply."

I feel Slipstream's amusement at Arcee's visible disgruntlement. "Do you sell that, too?"

If it were possible to destroy it, I suspect they'd be doing that. Otherwise, I'd say collect it for safe disposal...

Slipstream shrugs nonchalantly. "You remember when Unicron started waking up? Or when Megatron used his dark energon crystal to raise an army of terrorcons on Earth?" Arcee nods cautiously. "That left… Quite a lot of dark energon on the surface. Terrorcons don't have much liquid dark energon in their systems, but there were a lot of terrorcons, and a lot of the ones we located were drained using human equipment before we got to them."

...Oh, that's not good. That means someone has the means to create killer zombie robot aliens.

"Scrap."

"And small dark energon crystals got recovered from at least one eruption site. The American government let us take some for disposal, but I'm sure that they've got more in storage somewhere."

No doubt refusing to take the very emphatic warnings about their danger seriously without checking first. Well, it'll be on their heads when things go skidplates up.

I nod as I turn back towards them. "We haven't wanted to draw attention to them, in case more countries start digging for them."

Tailgate returns his attention to his immediate surroundings, peering at Pull-. At Pull's optics. "Still.. can't.. get over you being in that guy."

Probably more than a little skeeved out by the idea of meaty bits inside someone's frame.

"There is no 'guy'. I'm a transtector, not a headmaster." Ah. "Unless you recognise him. I did sort of consider the idea that Shockwave might have used someone's body rather than build it from scratch."

"Creep-y."

Admittedly, there's probably only so many distinct 'models' of transformer. The details may vary, but the underlying framework probably is reminding him of someone.

I nod with Pull's head. "Yes. And on that note, here are the transformer corpses we're draining of fuel."

Axlegrease built up a system for assembling frames for them to hang from, battered bodies clamped in place at the chest, arms, legs and head, the frame supporting the draining tubes which feed into the pump system drawing out the dark energon. Most of what we're getting is sludge with just a little dark energon, so we've got filter tanks for that as well once a batch of draining is done.

At least it's better than hanging upside down with the tubes jammed into the neck or wrists.

Tailgate and Arcee both wince at the sight. I wave Pull's right hand in a circle.

"Yes, it's ghoulish, but they're literally ghouls. If you've got a better idea, I'm all auditory pickups."

At least they can't feel anything, being sparkless and all.

Tailgate girds his… Um. Girders, and takes a closer look at one of the inanimate revenants. "Couldn't you take them apart first?"

Slipstream shakes her head. "That would just make it take longer. And risk exposing whoever did it to dark energon. There's only one Decepticon immune to the effects of dark energon and that's only because the tox-en already in his system is worse. And I don't think that bringing Toxitron to Unicron would end well for anyone."

...He'd probably want to pour Tox-En into Unicron's spark chamber just to see what happens...

Tailgate turns his head to stare at her, baffled. "Tox-en? How is he still alive?"

Slipstream shrugs. "Shockwave."

And that one word can explain so many unusual cybertronians, really.

I nod Pull's head. "Tox-en was an early failed attempt to create synthetic energon. But Shockwave, being the logical being that he is, decided that if tox-en couldn't fuel transformers as they are, that didn't necessarily mean that he couldn't modify a transformer so they could be fuelled by it."

I suppose he succeeded in that, even if the results weren't as expected.

Acree nods. "That's Shockwave alright."

Tailgate looks discomported. "And it worked?"

Well, if 'walking environmental disaster' is your idea of 'worked', then yes?

Slipstream and I look at each other uncomfortably. Toxitron was one of Shockwave's surviving projects that Shockwave asked us to help. But he took exception to our 'shiny shiny chassis' and tried 'fixing' us… With acid.

As one, we raise our right hands horizontally and wiggle them back and forth.

I guess if nothing else, he'd be good at scrapping Terrorcons.

Tailgate smiles. "Heh. It really is like you've been bonded for gigacycles. I don't even know what that gesture means."

"It means 'kind of'." Arcee has moved to examine the wrecks more closely. "How old are these?"

Heh. That Earth knowledge coming in handy. Surprised there aren't briefing packages for 'bots visiting Earth now.

Pull's body shrugs. "We're not sure. Carbon dating doesn't work for materials from outside of this solar system. Based on the designs… Some of them are pre-War."

She turns back, looking puzzled. "Pre-War? I thought everything on Earth was from early-War caches?"

...That has interesting implications. Should they be checking the Great Pyramid of Khufu for ancient cybertronian technology?

"Well, Unicron certainly isn't. It's not impossible that some of these date from the Quintesson Occupation. Or earlier. If early transformers worked out where Unicron was and set up watchers to warn if he ever woke up…"

"Which we forgot about when the Quints took over. What killed them?"

That's a hell of a long time. Possibly longer than humans have had agriculture, at the bare minimum (using a more rational timescale than the usual 'Millions of years' long war.)

Pull's body shrugs again. "Unicron's defences? Starvation? It's just a theory. We're trying to identify as many of the bodies as possible, but the records aren't in good shape. We've had more luck asking old transformers if they recognise them than getting archive data."

Tailgate look down the rows of salvaged Terrorcons. "Have you found any who aren't Terrorcons?"

...Ooh, that would be a hell of a coup. I doubt a 'bot that ancient could remain in stasis lock all that time without its spark losing containment, but the idea of finding a primordial 'bot...

"That would be too easy." I lead the way between the rows of dead transformers. "Did you ever finish decoding the Iocon database? After the Star Sabre and the Forge of Solus Prime got discovered, I got the impression that it… Stopped being relevant."

Arcee glances at me suspiciously. "Why do you wanna know?"

Those were two of the biggest things in the files, I suspect. Artifacts of the Thirteen themselves would be hard to beat in terms of strategic value.

"If there were any stasis pods contemporary with these remains, it could clear up a lot of things." I give her a wan smile. "Don't worry. Even if we found something, we'd just trade it to you. We don't need bigger weapons or fancy technology to be happy here."

"For what?"

I'm impressed he can get that much emotion into Pull's face, but Shockwave probably did custom work on it...

I take a moment to… Unfocus, trying to hear Slipstream's feelings on the subject. Yes, that's what I thought, too.

"Depends what we find. If we actually get something valuable like the Requiem Blaster… Our own energon production plant? Earth has energon, but it never hurts to have reserves. A small or medium sized ship, maybe? There must be some smaller warships you don't really need anymore, now that the War's over."

Oh, that'd be a heck of a find. Moreso if they discovered it in the form of a minicon trio...

Slipstream nods. "Or if it's just an Autobot data module in a stasis pod, we probably owe Ratchet that much for our checkups."

"If it-."

The dim lights embedded in Unicron's internal walls flicker, winds gust out of nowhere as we all deploy our weapons, pointing them in all directions!

Uh-oh. Yeah, that sort of thing happening in the guts of the Chaos-Bringer isn't good.

"Lantern Pull." A translucent apparition I still just about recognise appears near Pull's feet. Humanoid, blank face and blue and red robes. Last time I saw someone like him they were picking a fight with Larfleeze. In a comic book. I don't think Controllers even exist in this universe, and I've certainly never met one. So where is this fellow from? "I have need of your service."

"I'm not really a Lantern." I switch Pull's guns back into hands and kneel before the Controller. "But I owe you a great deal already. What can I do for you?"

...Dun-dun-dun! The plot thickens! I wonder if Slipstream will insist on coming with him?

So, a 'Controller' of unknown name and dubious objectives is gathering alternates of OL, it seems? I expect Krono will be on their list at some point, or his interlude wouldn't be included in the episode. As for the Cybertronian-related stuff... Why do I get the feeling a lot of the Iacon Database just has Alpha Trion's notes as 'item concealed on Earth' repeated a lot?

Did you ever finish decoding the Iocon database?

Did you ever finish decoding the Iacon database?

Jirachi · Aug 12, 2024

Huuuuuuuuuuuuh!
Interesting to see that we're probably doing more crossover stuff now.
- You know, vanquishing Krona at Vanishing Point doesn't mean that we've seen the last of him - there's no reason in principle that he couldn't have done a bunch of time travelling beforehand, or for this to not just have happened 'before' in the normal sense due to parallel universes not lining up exactly - I don't think he nesscarily had to have gotten all of them via hand portal.
Not too sure what to think of the text being orange - Usually that would imply that it's coming from an orange light device or a maltusian bonded with that light. Maybe this is from controllers from something more like the legion of superheroes timeline, after the whole orange lantern corps mess blew over? But it really could be anything - there's lots of different versions of the maltusians, good and bad throughout.
Hope we get to see a violet lantern paul if this turns out to be a substantive crossover thing.

Bigking321 · Aug 12, 2024

Hmm...

Anyone think this is about the Paul that turned himself into a psychopath and decided mind controlling everyone was a absolutely fantastic idea?

And that one of the teammates will be the Paul that was on that track but took the paragon option against mind controlling people?

Mr Zoat · Aug 12, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
Did you ever finish decoding the Iacon database?

Thank you, corrected.

Should they be checking the Great Pyramid of Khufu for ancient cybertronian technology?

Coltsguy · Aug 12, 2024

Oh god, I'm going to be forced to read the Fallout stuff aren't I? I hate Fallout.

Vaermina · Aug 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
The dim lights embedded in Unicron's internal walls flicker, winds gust out of nowhere as we all deploy our weapons, pointing them in all directions!

"Lantern Pull." A translucent apparition I still just about recognise appears near Pull's feet. Humanoid, blank face and blue and red robes. Last time I saw someone like him they were picking a fight with Larfleeze. In a comic book. I don't think Controllers even exist in this universe, and I've certainly never met one. So where is this fellow from? "I have need of your service."

"I'm not really a Lantern." I switch Pull's guns back into hands and kneel before the Controller. "But I owe you a great deal already. What can I do for you?"

Wonder how they got past Vector Prime given I doubt he would be too fond of the Orange Light polluting their corner of the multiverse.

Lord Ernest · Aug 12, 2024

Jirachi said:
You know, vanquishing Krona at Vanishing Point doesn't mean that we've seen the last of him - there's no reason in principle that he couldn't have done a bunch of time travelling beforehand, or for this to not just have happened 'before' in the normal sense due to parallel universes not lining up exactly - I don't think he nesscarily had to have gotten all of them via hand portal.

Not disputing or anything, but as a reference: the last time we saw Krona was actually in the mod Fallout segments with Krono. So timeline wise, at least that one is definitely after the known version of Krona got killed.

It could still be an alternate Krona or a Time Trapper Krona, who knows. After all, the end result of that Crisis is that changes to timelines don't replace the original one, just create new branches.

Jirachi · Aug 12, 2024

Lord Ernest said:
Not disputing or anything, but as a reference: the last time we saw Krona was actually in the mod Fallout segments with Krono. So timeline wise, at least that one is definitely after the known version of Krona got killed.

It could still be an alternate Krona or a Time Trapper Krona, who knows. After all, the end result of that Crisis is that changes to timelines don't replace the original one, just create new branches.

Yeah - or I guess a result of conventional time travel earlier on during the whole tuning fork mess - since I think the changes to how time works weren't 'retroactive' in a weird sense.

LazySloth13 · Aug 12, 2024

I bet there's some greater being similar to Krona that needs to be stopped or some multiverse equivalent of the Anti-Life Equation or Black Light of Death is spreading, with the Pauls effective by this gathered together to deal with the problem with Paragon Paul acting as the leader. Or at the very least the most powerful member guided by the information of his alternate selves.

WereDragon · Aug 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Lantern Pull." A translucent apparition I still just about recognise appears near Pull's feet. Humanoid, blank face and blue and red robes. Last time I saw someone like him they were picking a fight with Larfleeze. In a comic book. I don't think Controllers even exist in this universe, and I've certainly never met one. So where is this fellow from? "I have need of your service."

Certainly more polite than the last guy.

"I'm not really a Lantern." I switch Pull's guns back into hands and kneel before the Controller. "But I owe you a great deal already. What can I do for you?"

Residual gratitude from thinking they gave him the Ring?

Would be a big change if SIs like Pull and Krono get Lanterns to go with their Rings. Both have managed a great deal with mostly just local resources.

The Froggy Ninja said:
I think he might just be vision questing, not universe hopping.

Note that in all previous cases of vision questing the AU chapters have been labelled separately. Contrast Fools Canon (Paul getting visions because of Ambush Bug) where each AU chapter got its own chapter title, with Duplication (the big Time Trapper crisis) where all chapters were under the Duplication title regardless of who was the POV character.

NightmareWarden · Aug 12, 2024

Lord Ernest said:
Oh yeah, I'm so interested on what this crossover could be. Wonder who else will get involved of the alternate SIs that didn't get pulled into the previous Crisis.

Hopefully, Pull and Krono get Power Batteries out of this adventure. Poor guys have been playing the game on a harsher difficulty than most, after all.

We might finally get a story which connects Transformers and WH40k if my hunch is right. 40k Tau!Paul was giving tips to Aethereals about what SEEMED to be a long-abandoned Controller/Maltusian ship. Is someone messing with the multiverse?

Also, do recall from the Crisis of Pauls that the universes don't have to be on the same year to connect- there was a green lantern Jade from the 30s/40s. So the year being 40,000 in one universe wouldn't be a problem.

hkim · Aug 12, 2024

What was the name of the previous crossover arc again? Looking to re-read but I can never manage to match titles to what they actually DO

Galler · Aug 12, 2024

The date for the latest update in the first post says that part 3 is for Fallout not Transformers.

Ardy · Aug 13, 2024

NightmareWarden said:
We might finally get a story which connects Transformers and WH40k if my hunch is right.

Aw man, I'd love to see Tau!Paul with a full Malthusian database. The imperium would shit bricks

WereDragon · Aug 13, 2024

hkim said:
What was the name of the previous crossover arc again? Looking to re-read but I can never manage to match titles to what they actually DO

The crisis was a two parter: Episodes 96 Repetition and 97 Duplication.
Story only starts here.

hkim · Aug 13, 2024

WereDragon said:
The crisis was a two parter: Episodes 96 Repetition and 97 Duplication.
Story only starts here.

Ta.

ShadowScion626 · Aug 13, 2024

Ardy said:
….lets hope that's not krona

Don't worry. He dead. Got shot straight through the skull when he fell in the, I think, Fallout universe.

Mr Zoat · Aug 13, 2024

10th December 2282
06:18 GMT -6

Banshees. Why did it have to be banshees?

Radiation makes everything bigger, stronger and more aggressive. Everyone in the wasteland -particularly those who've never studied physics- takes that as a truism. Or maybe it's pre-War mad scientists meddling in things they shouldn't, or post-War mad scientists sticking snake DNA into dogs, or post-War scientists taking stuff pre-War scientists made, and-.

There are a lot of nasty mutants around. So really I shouldn't complain about giant mutant bats -which technically aren't giant mutant vampire bats, it's just that their new size means that we're all food-sized- because they're just one amongst hundreds.

My saucer's disintegrator cannons traverse and fire, atomising the left side of one banshee and causing the rest of it to smash into the side of the canyon.

And then I hear the screech.

The saucer has optical stealth. That's not the same as being undetectable, as those mechaniods I fought with the ~~Enclave~~ Iowa National Guard showed. Sufficiently high resolution optical sensors can pick up the slight distortion in the air as the stealth field fails to perfectly replicate its environment. Electromagnetic sensors can detect the ion wake created by the thrusters.

And banshees can detect the sound of their shrieks being echoed-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

-off any object in range!

The sun's up! They should all be asleep by now! And it's not just that they can hear where I am, oh no, that would be far too easy! Their screech-. Agh! It hits the right frequency to stun most people, and-

I shoot another one through the head, but the swarm is already turning and while I'm resistant to their screeching I'm certainly not immune. Especially now that they're-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

-actually… Agh, facing me.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

My right arm seizes up and I'm forced to turn the saucer by pulling on the controls with telekinesis. It turns nose-up, inertia controls and thrusters allowing me to change vector far faster than the banshees which infest the canyons of Colorado. Traverse the cannon again, fire and-. And miss, because the flock isn't moving in the way I expect them to.

And I could get away like this, but that would defeat the objective.

**Tanya!**

Who said that?!

**The telepath leading the bats away. Can you-?**

**That crazy robot said there were ants around here-**

**Yes, good. I need you to-.**

**-but they're not East Coast ants! I don't have the right pheromones!**

Ah.

**Can you get the right-**

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Somewhere behind me, something bursts.

**-pheromones?**

**Oh, sure. I just need to find out where the colony keeps its queen, get to her, then rub her glands without getting eaten.**

**Ah.** There's a sudden cessation of humming as my ion thrusters shut down, a sound I didn't really notice until it wasn't there any more. **I assume that's as impossible as it sounds?**

**Ah, okay, I might… If I can get larva pheromones, I could get taken to the queen. She wouldn't attack a larva.**

I've still got gravity control, but I'm losing speed as the air drags against the hull. Which means that the banshees are gaining on me.

**Can you get larva pheromones?**

**No! Larva don't leave the nest until they're fully grown! [Deep breath] Okay, okay, if I can find an ant that's been to the nursery recently, I might be able to get enough larva pheromone to fake it. But I'll have to get the nest's regular pheromone so the warrior ants don't attack me first, and that-.**

**I trust you to handle that.**

I turn the saucer around on its central axis so that I'm facing down towards the gaining banshee flock and the ground beneath them. Disintegrator fire and gravity drive off.

And down I go, two banshees dropping out of formation with carbonised wings. The rest move away as I fire again which gives me just enough room to push through their formation-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

-and get a nose bleed as-.

Pchh!

As the disintegrator takes a hit on the unarmoured portion and the safety shutdown kicks in, because overloading disintegrator cannons are no one's friend. Optic camouflage is offline as well, but that doesn't matter because the banshees can't see well during the day.

**Why are you here?**

**That's the challenge! Ah, are ants telepathic?**

**Not as far as I know. And I thought the challenge was 'cooking'.**

**Cooking Catastrophe! We have to fight for our ingredients! The Brotherhood woman got dumped in the river with the river crawlers and the weird raider… I don't know what that thing was she's supposed to fight!**

**And you're fighting for bat meat?**

**No! Apparently their shit makes tubers grow real good! That.. Doki robot.. thing wanted a vegetarian option!**

Clunk.

I look the banshee that's just landed on my canopy directly in the eyes, and I'm pretty sure that it's looking back.

"kEE-kuh!"

I grip its vocal cords with telekinesis and pull! It staggers sideways, claws scrabbling at the hull of the saucer to keep its grip!

"Kkuh-! Kkuh-!"

No you-. Oh, the ground's getting rather close.

I grab the controls with my functioning hand and pull, the saucer shifting to apply its gravity repulsor behind and down. Immediately I feel the g-force and feel more than a little glad for my FEV enhancements. Shit, ah, aim like that towards the canyon because I'm still falling and I'm having to move the repulsor angle on a curve because the banshees are still after me and I can't afford to lose momentum..!

At least the one hanging on the front lost its-

A claw stabs through the underside gun cupola and into the flight compartment!

-grip?

Lazurman · Aug 13, 2024

Goddamn, Fallout. Your fukken wildlife is taking down an alien spaceship.

dw7thdoctor · Aug 13, 2024

I'm re-looking through this story and I was wondering if there was any time when Alan Scott's new blue lantern costume was described. If anyone could tell if there has been a time that would be appreciated.

Chojin Patriarch · Aug 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
10th December 2282
06:18 GMT -6

Banshees. Why did it have to be banshees?

Radiation makes everything bigger, stronger and more aggressive. Everyone in the wasteland -particularly those who've never studied physics- takes that as a truism. Or maybe it's pre-War mad scientists meddling in things they shouldn't, or post-War mad scientists sticking snake DNA into dogs, or post-War scientists taking stuff pre-War scientists made, and-.

Ah, 'comic book' science and its fascination with Radiation as anything but a instant-death beam or cancer provider... No surprise things get rather warped out here, with so many discreetly weaponised eugenics programs, then.

There are a lot of nasty mutants around. So really I shouldn't complain about giant mutant bats -which technically aren't giant mutant vampire bats, it's just that their new size means that we're all food-sized- because they're just one amongst hundreds.

My saucer's disintegrator cannons traverse and fire, atomising the left side of one banshee and causing the rest of it to smash into the side of the canyon.

Always with the goddamn bats... At least killing some of them might distract others looking for an easy meal.

And then I hear the screech.

The saucer has optical stealth. That's not the same as being undetectable, as those mechaniods I fought with the ~~Enclave~~ Iowa National Guard showed. Sufficiently high resolution optical sensors can pick up the slight distortion in the air as the stealth field fails to perfectly replicate its environment. Electromagnetic sensors can detect the ion wake created by the thrusters.

Heh. Still getting used to thinking of former enemies as allies, eh? Sadly, there's no such thing as perfect stealth. What's concealed still has to be able to interact with the outside world, whether to perceive or to move.

And banshees can detect the sound of their shrieks being echoed-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Because a big metal disc has a rather obvious profile to echolocation, eh?

-off any object in range!

The sun's up! They should all be asleep by now! And it's not just that they can hear where I am, oh no, that would be far too easy! Their screech-. Agh! It hits the right frequency to stun most people, and-

So something's got them all riled up. Why does it feel entirely correct to blame Doki for this?

I shoot another one through the head, but the swarm is already turning and while I'm resistant to their screeching I'm certainly not immune. Especially now that they're-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

I can only imagine it. Like nails on chalkboard multiplied a hundred times, eh?

-actually… Agh, facing me.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

I doubt they're any prettier up close, unlike some Banshees.

My right arm seizes up and I'm forced to turn the saucer by pulling on the controls with telekinesis. It turns nose-up, inertia controls and thrusters allowing me to change vector far faster than the banshees which infest the canyons of Colorado. Traverse the cannon again, fire and-. And miss, because the flock isn't moving in the way I expect them too.

Drawback of them having to work with conventional aerodynamics instead of anti-gravitational fields.

And I could get away like this, but that would defeat the objective.

**Tanya!**

Ah. I get it. Coming out to rescue one of the contestants, I see.

Who said that?!

**The telepath leading the bats away. Can you-?**

I doubt having someone else's voice in her head is making her day any better.

**That crazy robot said there were ants around here-**

**Yes, good. I need you to-.**

**-but they're not East Coast ants! I don't have the right pheromones!**

Because not all giant anthills are equal, of course.

Ah.

**Can you get the right-**

Can't believe you're even entertaining the idea of completing Doki's little competition. But I doubt she'd give up if you interfere.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Somewhere behind me, something bursts.

Hopefully not something you want to keep intact. Like your body.

**-pheromones?**

**Oh, sure. I just need to find out where the colony keeps its queen, get to her, then rub her glands without getting eaten.**

Oh, my. </takei> I doubt it would appreciate the massage, though.

**Ah.** There's a sudden cessation of humming as my ion thrusters shut down, a sound I didn't really notice until it wasn't there any more. **I assume that's as impossible as it sounds?**

**Ah, okay, I might… If I can get larva pheromones, I could get taken to the queen. She wouldn't attack a larva.**

The key part being 'if', I suppose, given that Larva aren't kept that far from queens.

I've still got gravity control, but I'm losing speed as the air drags against the hull. Which means that the banshees are gaining on me.

**Can you get larva pheromones?**

**No! Larva don't leave the nest until they're fully grown! [Deep breath] Okay, okay, if I can find an ant that's been to the nursery recently, I might be able to get enough larva pheromone to fake it. But I'll have to get the nest's regular pheromone so the warrior ants don't attack me first, and that-.**

Ah, the classic old 'chain of deals' sort of sidequest. Except in this case it's giant ant goo.

**I trust you to handle that.**

I turn the saucer around on its central axis so that I'm facing down towards the gaining banshee flock and the ground beneath them. Disintegrator fire and gravity drive off.

...And now you go from flying to falling. Not sure how that's an improvement of your situation.

And down I go, two banshees dropping out of formation with carbonised wings. The rest move away as I fire again which gives me just enough room to push through their formation-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Translation: 'Fuck this food is ornery! Get it!'

-and get a nose bleed as-.

Pchh!

As the disintegrator takes a hit on the unarmoured portion and the safety shutdown kicks in, because overloading disintegrator cannons are no one's friend. Optic camouflage is offline as well, but that doesn't matter because the banshees can't see well during the day.

Great. No thrusters, no gun, and anti-gravity alone isn't going to be much help here.

**Why are you here?**

**That's the challenge! Ah, are ants telepathic?**

Think he can take control of some, are you? I find that unlikely...

**Not as far as I know. And I thought the challenge was 'cooking'.**

**Cooking Catastrophe! We have to fight for our ingredients! The Brotherhood woman got dumped in the river with the river crawlers and the weird raider… I don't know what that thing was she's supposed to fight!**

At least they're halfway competent in physical combat. She's more like the player who maxed out multiple non-combat skills only to realise enemies scale to overall level...

**And you're fighting for bat meat?**

**No! Apparently their shit makes tubers grow real good! That.. Doki robot.. thing wanted a vegetarian option!**

...Of course she did. Seriously, a certain robot needs a good slap around the tubes...

Clunk.

I look the banshee that's just landed on my canopy directly in the eyes, and I'm pretty sure that it's looking back.

Bet it's one ugly mother...

"kEE-kuh!"

I grip its vocal cords with telekinesis and pull! It staggers sideways, claws scrabbling at the hull of the saucer to keep its grip!

Little hard to do a Force Choke in this sort of situation, but go for it.

"Kkuh-! Kkuh-!"

No you-. Oh, the ground's getting rather close.

Gravity is a hard mistress, and around here, she don't truck with flying saucers.

I grab the controls with my functioning hand and pull, the saucer shifting to apply its gravity repulsor behind and down. Immediately I feel the g-force and feel more than a little glad for my FEV enhancements. Shit, ah, aim like that towards the canyon because I'm still falling and I'm having to move the repulsor angle on a curve because the banshees are still after me and I can't afford to lose momentum..!

At least the one hanging on the front lost its-

Just because you can't see an enemy, Krono...

A claw stabs through the underside gun cupola and into the flight compartment!

-grip?

...That doesn't mean it's not dead.

Well, this saucer is going to need quite some time in the repair bay... Assuming he doesn't get splattered across the wasteland by these bats. At least if he manages to set down safely, he can deal with the remaining bats by hand (and brain.) And that's assuming a Controller doesn't pop out from somewhere to put the whole thing on hold while he drags Krono off for a crossover...

WereDragon · Aug 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
10th December 2282
06:18 GMT -6

Krono demonstrates the importance of using superior mobility to properly capitalise on superior range.
And the dangers of having a conversation while in the middle of a fight.

Mr Zoat · Aug 14, 2024

10th December 2282
06:20 GMT -6

"kEE-kuh!"

I get a telekinetic grip on its throat just fast enough to prevent it giving me a brain aneurysm, then stand and side-step to avoid its flailing claw!

Klang! Klang! Klang! Shing!

And there goes my chair, falling to the deck as its stem is severed! The only reason why I can't hear the air roaring through the hull puncture is because the banshee's body is blocking it. If I had time I could remove its control of its motor neurons or force it to fall asleep but I've got a canyon coming up-.

Faster than I was expecting! Darn it, these controls are not responsive when used like this! I'm too fast to be this wallowy! Left-straight, jink right, down a little because the pursuing banshees are trying to follow from above and I want to force them to fly around the obstacles too. Extend telekinetic sense forward-.

Agh, no, too fast and too confusing. I kick the chair into the rear of the cockpit as I try and focus-.

Up a little, hard-right to hard-left…

Klang! Klang!

I could draw my pistol and shoot it, but given how tough they are it wouldn't be a certain kill and it would mess up the saucer even more.

"Get-!"

I try kicking the claw and hit it more by accident than skill. The blow doesn't hurt it but it does confirm to it that-

Klangklangklang!

-there's something in here. I-

Shit-left-jinkright!

-am flying an aircraft and-.

I take my hand off the control for a half-second in order to switch the turret to 'rotate'. The motors strain to turn against the mass of a giant bat, but it's not as if the bat has good leverage. Not if it wants to keep trying to stab me with its claw.

Then back on the controls, and… Uh, 'feel the Force' and use Prescience.

And just like that I can feel what's coming and what I should do/will do. I feel it as the banshee's head turns away and I have time to focus on fixing the damage inside my right arm that's preventing me using it. I don't even need to look as I steer around a bend in the canyon with the newly repaired arm while simultaneously sidestepping the banshee's claw-stab. It's a useful ability, but-.

Then the expected confusion sets in as I see what's ahead from each position I could be occupying, and feel the proper actions to take from each of them. The range of possibilities is limited and I can work out which one is the real one, but-.

Turn it off turn it off aaaaagh..!

Project that confusion into the banshee and swing the saucer just so-.

The saucer shakes and then lurches slightly as the banshee gets knocked off, but I've got both hands on the controls and… Sensors are still working. The flock is still mostly following me-

**Are you in yet?**

**Yes! I think someone was feeding these ants. They're nothing like as aggressive as on the East Coast.**

This part of Colorado used to be controlled by the Canyon Raiders, descendants of the criminals housed in Tibbets Prison before the War. Apart from the small cul-de-sac that houses Vault 27, whose power armoured Ghost Divisions would have been perfectly happy to feed ant colonies to block the approach for their larger and more powerful neighbour.

**Do they have spitters?**

**Ah, I think so? Usually, only the Queen can do that, but some of the workers here look like they've got-.**

**Okay good. Find a place where they can muster, get them there and then tell me.**

**They're not that smart! I have to lay pheromone trails-.**

**Tell me once you've done it.**

The people of Vault 27 never built anti-air guns, because no one in this part of the world really used aircraft except Eagle Rock, and they only use blimps. And with banshees being big enough to pick up someone in power armour and fly away with them I doubt that they'd appreciate it if I bring the flock to them. Ants on the other hand… Lose some soldiers and workers, gain some food, and lack the intelligence to blame the man who made it happen.

Alright, that can-.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Woomp.

Darn it.

New banshees, coming from the caves-. No, just one, but the saucer's gravity drive-. Inertia shield into crash mode, aim down as best I can… That part of the canyon floor looks reasonably level. Vault 27 is some way ahead but I can probably pay them to haul the wreck to their exterior settlements until I can get a recovery crew over here… The people of Eagle Rock are on good terms with my soon-to-be father-in-law, so even if their blimps aren't exactly fast they'll get here eventually.

I really hope that no one mined-.

KCHHUCHHHHbngCKRRRRHHHHHH!

The inertia shield flares and fails immediately, and that takes care of what little downwards momentum I have left. Lateral momentum is partially absorbed, resulting in the saucer skipping like a thrown stone across the canyon floor. I'm thrown into the control panel at the second impact, not the first as I'd been braced for, and… Ah, I'm a little bruised but far less injured than I have any right to be thanks to West-Tek's finest biotechnology. Third hit-

CNCH!

-and we're sliding and I do not have time to waste! I pull the emergency canopy release-

Chngchngchng!

-and then brace myself and lift, shoving it out of the hull and sending it crashing to the ground.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

One banshee in close proximity with a flock to follow. I vault out of the saucer as I reach out telepathically, trying to feel for Tanya-. There she is. Okay, not-. Bend knees as I land and then sprint. Not great but manageable. Personal inertia shield to active, because that should absorb at least one physical attack from a diving banshee. Other options…

I glance up and back for a fraction of a second, then alter my direction so that I'm running towards a rock column jutting out from the canyon wall.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

I focus my telekinesis on my own body, adding a little oomph to my motions. Actual experts can use this ability for true super strength… For a while at least. I'm a lot more limited but then I only need to be fast enough-.

I feel the change it the banshee's mental state as it begins its dive, and at once I stop enhancing myself and implant strongly the idea that the air in front of me is clear. If it had more than a fraction of a second to think things through that wouldn't work, but as it is-.

I thrust my right leg down, throwing myself to the side as the banshee skims past me and slams into the rock pillar! I hit the ground, frantically drawing my pistol as-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

-it flails around in pain and confusion. Soon fix that. Pistol up, charge, two hands and aim-.

The banshee twists its head around to face me-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYY-!"

-and I fire, burning a hole through its skull and into its brain.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

And the flock are still coming. I really need to start prioritising training beastmasters. These things would be really useful if we could control them.

I holster my pistol and start running again.

Someguy Somewhere · Aug 14, 2024

Think of all the wastelander Batmen you could have with a few of these.....raiders are after all a superstitious and cowardly lot.

Chojin Patriarch · Aug 14, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
10th December 2282
06:20 GMT -6

"kEE-kuh!"

I get a telekinetic grip on its throat just fast enough to prevent it giving me a brain aneurism, then stand and side-step to avoid its flailing claw!

Ah, hand-to-claw combat with the wasteland's nastiest wildlife. All in a day for Fallout. Though generally, you don't want to be in a barely-controlled alien ship while doing it. After all, there's living dangerously, and then there's dying messily.

Klang! Klang! Klang! Shing!

And there goes my chair, falling to the deck at its stem is severed! The only reason why I can't hear the air roaring through the hull puncture is because the banshee's body is blocking it. If I had time I could remove control its motor neurons or force it to fall asleep but I've got a canyon coming up-.

Ah, yes, still sort-of falling. Albeit in a lazy fashion...

Faster than I was expecting! Darn it, these controls are not responsive when used like this! I'm too fast to be this wallowy! Left-straight, jink right, down a little because the pursuing banshees are trying to follow from above and I want to force them to fly around the obstacles too. Extend telekinetic sense forward-.

Only drawback is that while they're slightly less manoeuvrable, you're noticeably heavier. So the agility evens out...

Agh, no, too fast and too confusing. I kick the chair into the rear of the cockpit as I try and focus-.

Up a little, hard-right to hard-left…

And now you're having to manage the controls in either a kneeling position or a half-squat. That is gonna be hell on your legs.

Klang! Klang!

I could draw my pistol and shoot it, but given how tough they are it wouldn't be a certain kill and it would mess up the saucer even more.

Especially if you send a bullet ricocheting. Or a plasma bolt scorching across the floor, since last we looked, you aren't heat-proof...

"Get-!"

I try kicking the claw and hit it more by accident than skill. The blow doesn't hurt it but it does confirm to it that-

Just be careful you don't lose a toe or something. I have no doubt those claws are sharp.

Klangklangklang!

-there's something in here. I-

Man, most predators usually aren't this persistent. You'd think they'd give up sooner or later. Krono must smell extra-tasty.

Shit-left-jinkright!

-am flying an aircraft and-.

I take my hand off the control for a half-second in order to switch the turret to 'rotate'. The motors strain to turn against the mass of a giant bat, but it's not as if the bat has good leverage. Not if it wants to keep trying to stab me with its claw.

So now it's either pinned in place, or trying to hold on with the busted cannon prying to scrape it off.

Then back on the controls, and… Uh, 'feel the Force' and use Prescience.

And just like that I can feel what's coming and what I should do/will do. I feel it as the banshee's head turns away and I have time to focus on fixing the damage inside my right arm that's preventing me using it. I don't even need to look as I steer around a bend in the canyon with the newly repaired arm while simultaneously sidestepping the banshee's claw-stab. It's a useful ability, but-.

Great in the immediate term, but longer than that, and...

Then the expected confusion sets in as I see what's ahead from each position I could be occupying, and feel the proper actions to take from each of them. The range of possibilities is limited and I can work out which one is the real one, but-.

Turn it off turn it off aaaaagh..!

...The potential futures get too diverse to focus on.

Project that confusion into the banshee and swing the saucer just so-.

The saucer shakes and then lurches slightly as the banshee gets knocked off, but I've got both hands on the controls and… Sensors are still working. The flock is still mostly following me-

Probably lost the gun with it, but it was already broken.

**Are you in yet?**

**Yes! I think someone was feeding these ants. They're nothing like as aggressive as on the East Coast.**

I shudder to imagine who was feeding them, and what they were fed...

This part of Colorado used to be controlled by the Canyon Raiders, descendants of the criminals housed in Tibbets Prison before the War. Apart from the small cul-de-sac that houses Vault 27, whose power armoured Ghost Divisions would have been perfectly happy to feed ant colonies to block the approach for their larger and more powerful neighbour.

Ah, well, then. Their own private little war, I suppose.

**Do they have spitters?**

**Ah, I think so? Usually, only the Queen can do that, but some of the workers here look like they've got-.**

Probably acid that makes for easier tunnelling. And comes in handy when defending the nest.

**Okay good. Find a place where they can muster, get them there and then tell me.**

**They're not that smart! I have to lay pheromone trails-.**

**Tell me once you've done it.**

Remind me, why is she after the Ants? Distractions for the bats so she can grab the plants she needs? Why even go through with Doki's crazy game?

The people of Vault 27 never build anti-air guns, because no one in this part of the world really used aircraft except Eagle Rock, and they only use blimps. And with banshees being big enough to pick up someone in power armour and fly away with them I doubt that they'd appreciate it if I bring the flock to them. Ants on the other hand… Lose some soldiers and workers, gain some food, and lack the intelligence to blame the man who made it happen.

Heh. Turn one critter against the other. And you two get to sneak away while they're aggro'd.

Alright, that can-.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Woomp.

Darn it.

Oh, come on... Seriously, did Krono pick up a bad luck perk or something?

New banshees, coming from the caves-. No, just one, but the saucer's gravity drive-. Inertia shield into crash mode, aim down as best I can… That part of the canyon floor looks reasonable level. Vault 27 is some way ahead but I can probably pay them to haul the wreck to their exterior settlements until I can get a recovery crew over here… The people of Eagle Rock are on good terms with my soon-to-be father-in-law, so even if their blimps aren't exactly fast they'll get here eventually.

Too dangerous to get other saucers in with tow-hooks or tractor beams, of course, with those banshees.

I really hope that no one mined-.

KCHHUCHHHHbngCKRRRRHHHHHH!

Yeah, that would the perfect cap on an already annoying day. Crash-landing into a minefield.

The inertia shield flares and fails immediately, and that takes care of what little downwards momentum I have left. Lateral momentum is partially absorbed, resulting it the saucer skipping like a thrown stone across the canyon floor. I'm thrown into the control panel at the second impact, not the first as I'd been braced for, and… Ah, I'm a little bruised but far less injured than I have any right to be thanks to West-Tek's finest biotechnology. Third hit-

Hopefully nothing permanently damaged. Especially below the belt, if you catch my drift. The future missus probably wouldn't be happy about you making yourself a eunuch from this.

CNCH!

-and we're sliding and I do not have time to waste! I pull the emergency canopy release-

Damn, exiting the vehicle in style.

Chngchngchng!

-and then brace myself and lift, showing it out of the hull and sending it crashing to the ground.

Too awkward or heavy to keep in a telekinetic grip as a shield, I suppose...

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

One banshee in close proximity with a flock to follow. I vault out of the saucer as I reach out telepathically, trying to feel for Tanya-. There she is. Okay, not-. Bend knees as I land and then sprint. Not great but manageable. Personal inertia shield to active, because that should absorb at least one physical attack from a diving banshee. Other options…

Ah, images of a wanderer kiting whole swarms of mobs as they try to run past during a speedrun come to mind.

I glance up and back for a fraction of a second, then alter my direction so that I'm running towards a rock column jutting out from the canyon wall.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Any cover is good cover, after all.

I focus my telekinesis on my own body, adding a little oomph to my motions. Actual experts can use this ability for true super strength… For a while at least. I'm a lot more limited but then I only need to be fast enough-.

I feel the change it the banshee's mental state as it begins its dive, and at once I stop enhancing myself and implant strongly the idea that the air in front of me is clear. If it had more than a fraction of a second to think things through that wouldn't work, but as it is-.

People tend to forget about simple applications of mental tricks like that. Hoist yourself up so your steps can deliver more force against reduced weight...

I thrust my right leg down, throwing myself to the side as the banshee skims past me and slamsinto the rock pillar! I hit the ground, frantically drawing my pistol as-

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

...Or simply hauling your ass sideways.

-it flails around in pain and confusion. Soon fix that. Pistol up, charge, two hands and aim-.

The banshee twists its head around to face me-

Not gonna get a second shot this close, that's for sure. Time for VATS! ...Oh, wait, that's more of a game-only thing, right...

"kEEEEEEEEEYYY-!"

-and I fire, burning a hole through its skull and into its brain.

"kEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAH!"

Not quite the iconic sort of 'whole body part explodes' result, but a kill's a skill.

And the flock are still coming. I really need to start prioritising training beastmasters. These things would be really useful if we could control them.

I holster my pistol and start running again.

I suspect earplugs would be a desirable thing to develop too. Or at least some kind of sonic suppression system.

And now it's down to close-quarters gunfights with critters that can carve you like a turkey. Hope Krono's quick on his feet. Or that Tanya can get the Ants moving fast. Otherwise, this may come down to a last minute save by unexpected cross-dimensional visitor. Which will probably give Krono one hell of a 'What.' moment.

Vaermina · Aug 14, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
Not gonna get a second shot this close, that's for sure. Time for VATS! ...Oh, wait, that's more of a game-only thing, right...

Nope, it's real.

But he's 200 years too early to be able to pull it off since the only known actual user is The Ghoul.

moralrelativity · Aug 14, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
That part of the canyon floor looks reasonable level

reasonable -> reasonably

Mr Zoat · Aug 14, 2024

moralrelativity said:
reasonable -> reasonably

Thank you, corrected.

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

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