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

Darko · Dec 3, 2024

Chaoswind said:
Huh... I never made the connection that the black blur speedster the team encountered in Russia was Savitar and that the guy joined the Light. The question would be who was the silver blur helping Savitar? My initial answer would have been Godspeed, but he is supposedly faster than Barry and yet he was the one that got tagged by the power armor sergeant dude.

Sanitary apparently has some kind of cult in this universe.

Mr Zoat · Dec 3, 2024

1st May 2013
15:29 GMT

"…this time of year!"

I tilt my head slightly to the side as I watch a heavily built earth pony viciously yank on a wyvern's tail, causing it to fall on its face. An unusually tall pegasus pony then darts down and clamps one end of a set of oversized manacles around the base of its tail, just above the barbed stinger.

"RRRRRWWWWWGGGHHHHH!"

The pegasus pony clamps the other end of the set of manacles to a large ring embedded into the rocky ground, prompting the earth pony to release the tail and then jump onto its back. In a trice -and I have to admit that I'm impressed by this- there's a rope tied around the base of its wings. That won't stop it flying, but it will make it awkward and cause it to instinctively try and tear the rope off first.

"Should I get the speculum?"

"RRWWGHH?"

"No, far too much risk of damaging the eggs."

"RRWWGHH."

He jumps down from its back and approaches the base of the wyvern's tail. Then he raises his right forehoof.

"I'm gunna haff t'go right up its clacker."

The wyvern bends its neck around to look at him. "Rwgh?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Sheila." He pulls a rubber glove out of his saddlebags and puts it on his right forehoof. "It's the only way."

The wyvern blinks, then bends its neck towards the heavens and starts frantically pulling against its chain. "RRRRRWWWWWGGGHHHHH!"

"OhmygoshohmygoshohmyGOSH!" Next to me, Scootaloo's wings buzz excitedly. "I've never seen Mom and Dad at work before!"

I consider the scene before us, my mouth chewing imaginary cud as I consider what might be the best way to encourage her to look away from this particular part of their work.

"Ah…"

"Alright, I'm going in." He puts a… Sou'wester hat and coat on. And then a gas mask. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck, honey!"

Oh by the Source. NowNOW!

"Excuse me!" I raise my own right forehoof, then have a sudden urge to wash it. Down again. "If I might have a moment of your time?"

The pair look at each other for a moment, then the pegasus pony launches off in our direction while the earth pony… Prepares to do his job-.

I focus on the pegasus pony.

"Mom! MOM!"

She jerks to a halt in mid-air, blinks, and then smiles broadly as she darts down to wrap her forelegs and wing around her daughter. I focus on that as I try to ignore the soft squelching sound from below us and the quiet cry of 'Rwggggggggggggggggwh'.

"Scoots, baby! What are you doing here!?"

"Mister Grayven says he can fix my wings!"

I get a suspicious glare over her daughter's back-. Right until she spots the wings and properly accounts for my height.

"Oh."

"Don't worry, I'm not actually an alicorn. I just look like this because of a magic mirror. However-"

"Rwggggggggggwhhhh?"

"-improvements in our understanding of thaumaturgy mean that we now have the ability to transform just about anypony into an alicorn. We also managed to replace a horn broken about two thirds of the way up. I wanted to talk to you about it because while I'm perfectly happy to authorise Scootaloo's treatment, I thought it would be a good idea to run it by you and your husband first."

"Any..? Pony..?"

"As far as we know. You see, ascension works by creating arcane bonds between the magics of the three tribes. Various sort of bond work, and the raw magic can come from just about anywhere. Princess Cadance-. You've heard of her?" A small nod. "She used stolen love magic-. Someone else stole it." She nods. "Stolen from all three tribes and which discharged itself right into her special talent after she freed it from its containment vessel. Whereas for Princess Twilight, the magic came from a set of magic artefacts called the Elements of Harmony, and the bond came from the intense emotional connection between her and her closest friends. My own student Sunset Shimmer on the other hand managed to plug herself directly into the background magics of Equestria, maintaining the connection with her own magic while her body was reconfigured. And that technique is far more easily replicable."

The pegasus nods, then cranes her neck down to her daughter. "Your wings haven't gotten any better, baby?"

Scootaloo looks down, shaking her head. Her mother gives her a comforting nuzzle before returning her attention to me.

"We were hoping it was something she'd just grow out of."

I nod, shrugging. "She still might. Or it might be something that could be fixed with far less extreme measures. But the thing is… Ascension requires a magic-talent unicorn, but beyond that it's pretty simple and there's basically nothing that can go wrong with it. Any other medical intervention would be more difficult, and… I know this is theologically awkward for ponies, but being an alicorn is just… Better than anything else that we could do."

She nods. "How did you..? Get all the way out here?"

BOOM!

I nod back as the boom tube appears behind me. "I can open those-."

"Ping."

"Mother Box can open those to just about anywhere. So if you want to come back to Equestria for a few days to talk about this with a thaumaturgist and a physician, then come back here, I can make that happen."

"We'll need to get Marybelle settled back on her nest first-"

"RRWughP! Ghp! Ghp!"

"-but after that we should be free to come back."

Scootaloo's wings buzz excitedly. "Can I watch?! I've never seen you working up close before!"

Her mother looks regretful as she shakes her head. "Baby, it's a big wyvern."

I smile. "Oh, no problem. Watch."

I swing my left foreleg at Scootaloo-. Her mother's eyes widen and she prepares to dive forwards-.

My hoof hits Scootaloo and bounces off her kinetic barrier. The foal grins.

"Mister Grayven made me a magic shield!"

Her mother takes a deep breath as she gets her heart rate back under control.

"It's not actually magic, and it only works for physical impacts. But she doesn't have to worry about getting hit by a claw or a tail."

"Pllllllleeeeeeeease, Mom!"

"Okay, just… Stand back a little." She glances behind her. "And maybe give your dad a chance to wash off, first."

Darko · Dec 3, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Cadance-. You're heard of her?" A small nod. "She used stolen love magic

"You've heard"

Oglymogly · Dec 3, 2024

Still loving these Renegade in MLP stories, and I don't even like MLP. Thanks again for writing and sharing!

Mr Zoat · Dec 3, 2024

Darko said:
"You've heard"

Thank you, corrected.

Anderon · Dec 3, 2024

If anyone needs a visual reference - google constipated elephant treatment video.
There was a famous one, which i cannot find now, where a vet went inside an elephant, head first, all the up to his shins.

Chojin Patriarch · Dec 3, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
1st May 2013
15:29 GMT

"…this time of year!"

I tilt my head slightly to the side as I watch a heavily built earth pony viciously yank on a wyvern's tail, causing it to fall on its face. An unusually tall pegasus pony then darts down and clamps one end of a set of oversized manacles around the base of its tail, just above the barbed stinger.

And these would be Scootaloo's parents at work. And looking at their pictures, they also seem to be unusually outside the average Equestrian template. He's buff, she's tall. And apparently they 'explore' strange new lifeforms.

"RRRRRWWWWWGGGHHHHH!"

The pegasus pony clamps the other end of the set of manacles to a large ring embedded into the rocky ground, prompting the earth pony to release the tail and then jump onto its back. In a trice -and I have to admit that I'm impressed by this- there's a rope tied around the base of its wings. That won't stop it flying, but it will make it awkward and cause it to instinctively try and tear the rope off first.

From the looks of it, they are very good at their job.

"Should I get the speculum?"

"RRWWGHH?"

No need to translate that. I can just hear the unspoken 'Wait, what?'

"No, far to much risk of damaging the eggs."

"RRWWGHH."

Good to see they're considerate of their subject's safety. Fully-grown or unhatched alike.

He jumps down from its back and approaches the base of the wyvern's tail. Then he raises his right forehoof.

"I'm gunna haff t'go right up its clacker."

Oh, my... </takei> Getting real Steve Irwin vibes from this one. Right down to the faux-Aussie accent.

The wyvern bends its neck around to look at him. "Rwgh?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Sheila." He pulls a rubber glove out of his saddlebags and puts it on his right forehoof. "It's the only way."

,,,Sadly not an exaggeration of real-world animal husbandry. Dirty jobs.

The wyvern blinks, then bends its neck towards the heavens and starts frantically pulling against its chain. "RRRRRWWWWWGGGHHHHH!"

"OhmygoshohmygoshohmyGOSH!" Next to me, Scootaloo's wings buzz excitedly. "I've never seen Mom and Dad at work before!"

...Are you really sure you want to see it now? While he's hoof-deep in a Wyvern dam's business?

I consider the scene before us, my mouth chewing imaginary cud as I consider what might be the best way to encourage her to look away from this particular part of their work.

"Ah…"

Fat chance, Renegade. Little kids are way too into gross-out stuff to be put off by this.

"Alright, I'm going in." He puts a… Sou'wester hat and coat on. And then a gas mask. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck, honey!"

...To be fair, I would expect most of its bodily fluids to be somewhat acrid and acidic.

Oh by the Source. NowNOW!

"Excuse me!" I raise my own right forehoof, then have a sudden urge to wash it. Down again. "If I might have a moment of your time?"

Dear god, what you don't see is so much worse because now I'm imagining it...

The pair look at each other for a moment, then the pegasus pony launches off in our direction while the earth pony… Prepares to do his job-.

I focus on the pegasus pony.

Good choice.

"Mom! MOM!"

She jerks to a halt in mid-air, blinks, and then smiles broadly as she darts down to wrap her forelegs and wing around her daughter. I focus on that as I try to ignore the soft squelching sound from below us and the quiet cry of 'Rwggggggggggggggggwh'.

Presumably set down on a nice, safe distant ledge well out of the splash zone.

"Scoots, baby! What are you doing here!?"

"Mister Grayven says he can fix my wings!"

I get a suspicious glare over her daughter's back-. Right until she spots the wings and properly accounts for my height.

And no doubt she's wondering where a male Alicorn came from. Especially such a sinisterly-aspected one.

"Oh."

"Don't worry, I'm not actually an alicorn. I just look like this because of a magic mirror. However-"

"Rwggggggggggwhhhh?"

...Somehow, the background noises make this so much more awkward.

Especially with @Anderon's comment above...

"-improvements in our understanding of thaumaturgy mean that we now have the ability to transform just about anypony into an alicorn. We also managed to replace a horn broken about two thirds of the way up. I wanted to talk to you about it because while I'm perfectly happy to authorise Scootaloo's treatment, I thought it would be a good idea to run it by you and your husband first."

Since she is a minor still, and I doubt her aunts have that level of power of attorney over her.

"Any..? Pony..?"

"As far as we know. You see, ascension works by creating arcane bonds between the magics of the three tribes. Various sort of bond work, and the raw magic can come from just about anywhere. Princess Cadance-. You're heard of her?" A small nod. "She used stolen love magic-. Someone else stole it." She nods. "Stolen from all three tribes and which discharged itself right into her special talent after she freed it from its containment vessel. Whereas for Princess Twilight, the magic came from a set of magic artefacts called the Elements of Harmony, and the bond came from the intense emotional connection between her and her closest friends. My own student Sunset Shimmer on the other hand managed to plug herself directly into the background magics of Equestria, maintaining the connection with her own magic while her body was reconfigured. And that technique is far more easily replicable."

No doubt Sunset made sure it could easily be replicated by any Unicorn, affect any pony regardless of type, and was perfectly safe.

The pegasus nods, then cranes her neck down to her daughter. "Your wings haven't gotten any better, baby?"

Scootaloo looks down, shaking her head. Her mother gives her a comforting nuzzle before returning her attention to me.

"We were hoping it was something she'd just grow out of."

I mean, she may still have some growing to do, but... She feels bad now. And young'uns aren't known for patience.

I nod, shrugging. "She still might. Or it might be something that could be fixed with far less extreme measures. But the thing is… Ascension requires a magic-talent unicorn, but beyond that it's pretty simple and there's basically nothing that can go wrong with it. Any other medical intervention would be more difficult, and… I know this is theologically awkward for ponies, but being an alicorn is just… Better than anything else that we could do."

AS long as nothing goes wrong. Admittedly, Harmony is not likely to allow bad ends, but...

She nods. "How did you..? Get all the way out here?"

BOOM!

Not exactly the kind of distracting noise you want when her hubby might be up to his hocks in the Wyvern... One spooked muscle spasm and...

I nod back as the boom tube appears behind me. "I can open those-."

"Ping."

"Who can open then, mister?" Heh. Has any Equestrian really reacted to Mother Box yet? It's been a long time...

"Mother Box can open those to just about anywhere. So if you want to come back to Equestria for a few days to talk about this with a thaumaturgist and a physician, then come back here, I can make that happen."

"We'll need to get Marybelle settled back on her nest first-"

Well, with two extra pairs of hooves, that shouldn't be too hard.

"RRWughP! Ghp! Ghp!"

"-but after that we should be free to come back."

And I think the lady is quite willing to play nice now.

Scootaloo's wings buzz excitedly. "Can I watch?! I've never seen you working up close before!"

Her mother looks regretful as she shakes her head. "Baby, it's a big wyvern."

I'm picturing at least the size of an African Elephant. Not counting wingspan.

I smile. "Oh, no problem. Watch."

I swing my left foreleg at Scootaloo-. Her mother's eyes widen and she prepares to dive forwards-.

Good ~~motherly~~ instincts, at least.

My hoof hits Scootaloo and bounces off her kinetic barrier. The foal grins.

"Mister Grayven made me a magic shield!"

better make sure she doesn't keep that, or she'll get up to all kinds of trouble with the added resilience.

Her mother takes a deep breath as she gets her heart rate back under control.

"It's not actually magic, and it only works for physical impacts. But she doesn't have to worry about getting hit by a claw or a tail."

And with a little tweaking, could be adapted to let Scootaloo fly, Kinetic Belt-style? Not really a great option, but an option nonetheless.

"Pllllllleeeeeeeease, Mom!"

"Okay, just… Stand back a little." She glances behind her. "And maybe give your dad a chance to wash off, first."

...Riiiiiight up in Marybelle's business, huh?

Not gonna lie, I really did read all of Snap's lines in Steve Irwin's voice. Very strong aura of it in his overall character. Also, not a job I would want. Though I half expect him to geek out a little over the Renegade once he extricates himself from his current task. At any rate, parents consulted and soon to be involved with the decision-making process...

"No, far to much risk of damaging the eggs."

"No, far too much risk of damaging the eggs."

Mr Zoat · Dec 3, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
"No, far too much risk of damaging the eggs."

Thank you, corrected.

Good motherly instincts, at least.

No. Not when she took a job that means that she doesn't see her pre-pubescent daughter for years on end.

Khornelius · Dec 3, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Yeah. Sorry, Sheila." He pulls a rubber glove out of his saddlebags and puts it on his right forehoof. "It's the only way."

As someone that grew up on a ranch with breeding cows. I have a very good idea of what he's doing.
I do hope those eggs are okay. Given the context, it sounds like eggs maybe stuck and the wyvern isn't able to expel them properly. The resulting pressure and cramps are obviously causing her all kinds of discomforts and is likely fueling her aggressive behavior.

Mr Zoat said:
"We'll need to get Marybelle settled back on her nest first-"

No matter how intelligent or grateful Marybelle will be after they are done. You shouldn't stay to close to a Mother and her children after you help the mother…pass the babies… They get protective and can see you as a threat.

Mr Zoat · Dec 4, 2024

1st May 2013
07:57 GMT -8

Dust correspondence. Obvious, really.

Tracking a person by using a part of their body is old and analogue magic. Hair and blood are favourites, fresh blood resonating with their life essence and hair with all of their other hairs-.

"Would I be correct in assuming that tracking someone with their hair would be impossible if they were bald?"

Mr. Bierce looks around from where he's peering over Mr. Levi's shoulder at the screen of his laptop.

"No. Be a lot harder, though, unless the follicle was still alive. And they'd have to be completely shaved." He considers for a moment. "Could be why the Ancient Kahndaqi priests used to do it. Less complicated resonances."

I nod. I never took a tissue sample from Mr. Machin, because… That would be creepy, and I didn't think matters would come to a head with him for another five years at least. Maybe never. I didn't detect any skin or hair from him at the LexCorp office so that's no good, but we're as confident as we can be that the ritual was performed here. And we know the general shape he makes in the world and we know that he wasn't using one of the fetishes that the actual employees use. So hopefully we can use magic to make the local air and loose matter remember when something that shape was last here with an irregular permission necklace.

Mr. Bierce goes back to staring at the screen. "So this machine… Helps you caste the same spell thousands of times really quickly."

"It's… More that it lets us run them in parallel, which lets them reinforce each other to keep the whole thing going without needing constant input from the magician casting it. It's, ah… A really dumbed down version of what Professor Sephtian built in Poseidonis."

I nod. "Still, that's a major achievement, making something like that with surface world resources."

He smiles. "Thank you, but it-. There just aren't enough practitioners here to-. Advance."

I nod sympathetically. "Oh, I know."

"Oh, yes, you… Probably know better than me." He presses a few more buttons. "Okay, this is done. Ambrose, were you following well enough to handle the active casting?"

"I think so." He nods. "That bit seems pretty simple."

"That's the thing, isn't it? Magic isn't that hard or complicated. You just have to know… How."

Mr. Bierce looks mildly mulish. "There's a little bit more to it than that. Using a little magic can attract the wrong kind of attention."

Mr. Levi rolls his eyes. "If anyone in a Christian country actually makes a deal with a demon, they've only got themselves to blame."

Mr. Bierce gives his head a little shake. "Yeah, but they can do a lot of harm before the bill comes due. Right." He rolls up his sleeves and walks over to a circle of metal set into the floor. "Here?"

Mr. Levi nods. "Whenever you're ready."

Mr. Bierce stretches his hands out, wiggles his fingers and then laces them together to stretch his finger joints. Recognising the bit, I look away to see if he's enchanted anything to act while his showmanship is holding their attention. And then I remember that despite his appearance he's not actually John Constantine after a month living homeless and probably wouldn't do something like that.

I look back at him, and he flashes me a small grin before returning his attention to the circle. "Right. Here we go. Starting small…"

I pull out my runestone and hold it out. It isn't a precise guide to levels of arcane force, but the glow is increasing very slightly. As I watch, thin wisps of dust start dancing around the containment circle.

"Huh. Bloody good, this." Mr. Bierce glances at Mr. Levi, nodding approvingly. "Could have come in handy more than a few times over the last couple of decades."

"That's progress for you. Not feeling any resistance?"

"Not as such. I can feel the existing spells sticking around… That's odd, but it's not… Making it harder."

"Would you like a job?"

Mr. Bierce snorts. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I'm… I can cast that spell, but I can feel that your casting is faster and… Cleaner. We'd make more progress with someone who understands the subject better than I do. And… I imagine that you have a library of your own."

"Heh. Yeah." Mr. Bierce glances at me for a moment. "I am actually between projects. What are house prices like around here?"

"The state government is giving out renovation grants to people who find unoccupied properties, as long as they sort out the bodies."

Seriously? "There are still bodies?"

Mr. Bierce shrugs. "It's only been three months. Takes a bit longer than that for a human body to decay."

"No, I mean, three months and they still haven't organised a house-to-house? Or their neighbours haven't?"

I'm-. Okay, I'm not a tax payer but the League and Co. are effectively paying to keep the government apparently solvent. I think that the State of California may be abusing our generosity.

"Message to Mister Atom. Medium priority task. When you get a moment, please audit the California State Government."

"Mister Atom." Mr. Levi thinks for a moment. "Isn't he the robot that tried taking over the world a few years ago?"

"Yes, but he fully understands that brute force is an inefficient way to do that."

"And he can audit the state government?"

"Oh yes. A.I.s are very good at anything involving numbers-."

Mitchell said that the fake couriers were trying to do something with Enginehead. Lonnie… Probably hasn't been able to build that brain enhancer that he had in the comics. He's intelligent, but using something like that on his own brain with no way to reverse it… No, I don't think so. If he-.

I never asked about Enginehead's network architecture. I assumed that his core intelligence was housed in the LexCorp building in Metropolis, but I didn't… Check.

Ring, contact Enginehead.

Compliance. … Working.

Oh dear.

"There." Mr. Bierce steps back as… A patch of dust and distorted air roughly in the shape of 'Anarky' takes shape. "Done, and it looks solid too."

"Alright." Mr. Levi presses another button, and the apparition steps out of the circle and… Collapses, flowing towards the door before assuming its shape again. "It should be moving in reverse from the moment he left."

Unable to comply.

Contact Lex Luthor.

Compliance.

We watch as the spectral Anarky walks backwards into the room, then pulls some sort of mat out of his satchel and lays it on the ground. Then… Something…

Mr. Bierce takes a closer look. "He's writing something. Can't really tell what."

Mr. Levi shrugs regretfully. "That's the best resolution we're going to get, I'm afraid."

Something leaps into his hand, and he pulls a match away from it. Mr. Bierce nods as our assumption is proven. "Might be able to track him with the remaining ash, but it won't be precise or easy."

"Orange Lantern, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

I raise my right hand to my ear. "Not a social call, I'm afraid. What did Anarky do to Enginehead?"

"Ah." There's a pause as he thinks. "We're not sure. He appears to be in working condition, but he won't reactivate. I take it that something exotic is happening?"

"It looks like it. Can we take a look at his server?"

"Of course. Occupational health is everyone's concern. I'll expect you within the hour."

Darko · Dec 4, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Would I be correct in assuming that tracking someone with their hair would be impossible if they were bald

I mean, the human body has hair in other places aside from the head.

Mr Zoat said:
I nod. I never took a tissue sample from Mr. Machin, because… That would be creepy

You've done creepier

Mr Zoat said:
nod sympathetically."Oh, I know."

Add a space between Paul's sentence.

Mr Zoat said:
"The state government is giving out renovation grants to people who find unoccupied properties, as long as they sort out the bodies."

Seriously? "There are still bodies

Hey, everyone was hit with a massive dose of super depression.

Mr Zoat said:
Mr. Bierce shrugs. "It's only been three months. Takes a bit longer than that for a human body to decay

Plus it's possible that a lot of people have committed suicides even after Anti-Life went away.

Mr Zoat said:
I'm-. Okay, I'm not a tax payer but the League and Co. are effectively paying to keep the government apparently solvent. I think that the State of California may be abusing our generosity

Or they're too preoccupied with other things that make body disposal a low priority.

Chojin Patriarch · Dec 4, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
1st May 2013
07:57 GMT -8

Dust correspondence. Obvious, really.

Tracking a person by using a part of their body is old and analogue magic. Hair and blood are favourites, fresh blood resonating with their life essence and hair with all of their other hairs-.

'Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust'. And what is dust if not sticky bits of human skin and hair and loose dirt and grains slowly accumulating? The trick with using it for Sympathetic magic would be targetting only the one spiritual signature, not all the ones comprising the dust...

"Would I be correct in assuming that tracking someone with their hair would be impossible if they were bald?"

Mr. Bierce looks around from where he's peering over Mr. Levi's shoulder at the screen of his laptop.

"No. Be a lot harder, though, unless the follicle was still alive. And they'd have to be completely shaved." He considers for a moment. "Could be why the Ancient Kahndaqi priests used to do it. Less complicated resonances."

Humans have hair everywhere, not just the head. That includes a somewhat patchy coat of not-quite-fur, for example, beyond the obvious places.

I nod. I never took a tissue sample from Mr. Machin, because… That would be creepy, and I didn't think matters would come to a head with him for another five years at least. Maybe never. I didn't detect any skin or hair from him at the LexCorp office so that's no good, but we're as confident as we can be that the ritual was performed here. And we know the general shape he makes in the world and we know that he wasn't using one of the fetishes that the actual employees use. So hopefully we can use magic to make the local air and loose matter remember when something that shape was last here with an irregular permission necklace.

Hindsight is 20/20, OL. And this little trick definitely makes it even sharper.

Mr. Bierce goes back to staring at the screen. "So this machine… Helps you caste the same spell thousands of times really quickly."

"It's… More that it lets us run them in parallel, which lets them reinforce them to keep the whole thing going without needing constant input from the magician casting it. It's, ah… A really dumbed down version of what Professor Sephtian built it Poseidonis."

And an impressive interpretation of that theory, certainly. Once academic institutions start worrying about actual scientific progress again, maybe you should write a paper or two?

I nod. "Still, that's a major achievement, making something like that with surface world resources."

He smiles. "Thank you, but it-. There just aren't enough practitioners here to-. Advance."

Ah, stonewalled by the need for actual thaumaturgic practicalities, eh? Lack of raw power, lack of training...

I nod sympathetically. "Oh, I know."

"Oh, yes, you… Probably know better than me." He presses a few more buttons. "Okay, this is done. Ambrose, were you following well enough to handle the active casting?"

Considering OL basically initiated the big push for scientific analysis of magic, yes, he would.

"I think so." He nods. "That bit seems pretty simple."

"That's the thing, isn't it? Magic isn't that hard or complicated. You just have to know… How."

Fortunately, most of the people wanting to learn who shouldn't be anywhere near it haven't had much opportunity to gain that knowledge... Until OL started his projects.

Mr. Bierce looks mildly mulish. "There's a little bit more to it than that. Using a little magic can attract the wrong kind of attention."

Mr. Levi rolls his eyes. "If anyone in a Christian country actually makes a deal with a demon, they've only got themselves to blame."

Also fortunately, such problems tend to be self-correcting.

Mr. Bierce gives his head a little shake. "Yeah, but they can do a lot of harm before the bill comes due. Right." He rolls up his sleeves and walks over to a circle of metal set into the floor. "Here?"

Mr. Levi nods. "Whenever you're ready."

at least America has plenty of superheroes to help contain the mess.

Mr. Bierce stretches his hands out, wiggles his fingers and then laces them together to stretch his finger joints. Recognising the bit, I look away to see if he's enchanted anything to act while his showmanship is holding their attention. And then I remember that despite his appearance he's not actually John Constantine after a month living homeless and probably wouldn't do something like that.

He is a bit shabbier than John, isn't he? Side effect of the Foglio art style in his appearances, mostly.

I look back and him, and he flashes me a small grin before returning his attention to the circle. "Right. Here we go. Starting small…"

I pull out my runestone and hold it out. It isn't a precise guide to levels of arcane force, but the glow is increasing very slightly. As I watch, thin wisps of dust start dancing around the containment circle.

Pity they can't be made with gauges that slowly light up as they field increases. Perhaps folks like Eli there can offer suggestions, once Atlantis is accessible.

"Huh. Bloody good, this." Mr. Bierce glances at Mr. Levi, nodding approvingly. "Could have come in handy more than a few times over the last couple of decades."

"That's progress for you. Not feeling any resistance?"

Why do I foresee this kind of thing ending in smartphone magic apps? With curated spell lists, of course.

"Not as such. I can feel the existing spells sticking around… That's odd, but it's not… Making it harder."

"Would you like a job?"

Heh. That would be a sensible idea. Ambrose isn't the most powerful hedge wizard, but he knows his stuff.

Mr. Bierce snorts. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I'm… I can cast that spell, but I can feel that your casting is faster and… Cleaner. We'd make more progress with someone who understands the subject better than I do. And… I imagine that you have a library of your own."

Bet he's feeling eager to look that over, even if Ambrose might have to write some of them out first.

"Heh. Yeah." Mr. Bierce glances at me for a moment. "I am actually between projects. What are house prices like around here?"

"The state government is giving out renovation grants to people who find unoccupied properties, as long as they sort out the bodies."

Huh. Suspiciously generous. Or possibly lazy.

Seriously? "There are still bodies?"

Mr. Bierce shrugs. "It's only been three months. Takes a bit longer than that for a human body to decay."

That's not what he meant, Ambrose, though that idea is still 'Eww...'

"No, I mean, three months and they still haven't organised a house-to-house? Or their neighbours haven't?"

I'm-. Okay, I'm not a tax payer but the League and Co. are effectively paying to keep the government apparently solvent. I think that the State of California may be abusing our generosity.

And not putting in due diligence in search and recovery.

"Message to Mister Atom. Medium priority task. When you get a moment, please audit the California State Government."

"Mister Atom." Mr. Levi thinks for a moment. "It's he the robot that tried taking over the world a few years ago?"

And now he's kind of gotten his wish, albeit via a different route. After all, if he wants to take over something, it behooves him to make sure it survives long enough to be conquered.

"Yes, but he fully understands that brute force is an inefficient way to do that."

"And he can audit the state government?"

"Oh yes. A.I.s are very good at anything involving numbers-."

Probably take five minutes tops, assuming all the needed records are digitised. And most of that just double-checking his figures.

Mitchell said that the fake couriers were trying to do something with Enginehead. Lonnie… Probably hasn't been able to build that brain enhancer that he had in the comics. He's intelligent, but using something like that on his own brain with no way to reverse it… No, I don't think so. If he-.

One would hope he's wiser than that. Then again, nine-year-old boy.

I never asked about Enginehead's network architecture. I assumed that his core intelligence was housed in the LexCorp building in Metropolis, but I didn't… Check.

Ring, contact Enginehead.

Ooh, yes. Centralised servers, decentralised software, schizotech brain unit... there's many ways for synthetic minds to exist.

Compliance. … Working.

Oh dear.

Enginehead would have responded instantly if he were able to, wouldn't he? That's not good.

"There." Mr. Bierce steps back as… A patch of dust and distorted air roughly in the shape of 'Anarky' takes shape. "Done, and it looks solid too."

"Alright." Mr. Levi presses another button, and the apparition steps out of the circle and… Collapses, flowing towards the door before assuming its shape again. "It should be moving in reverse from the moment he left."

Like snapshots tracking backwards. Not quite real-time resolution, but hopefully enough to follow.

Unable to comply.

Contact Lex Luthor.

Compliance.

Not a great plan, but Lex is already involved in this, since the League found out about Enginehead's abduction via Mitchell...

We watch as the spectral Anarky walks backwards into the room, then pulls some sort of mat our of his satchel and lays it on the ground. Then… Something…

Mr. Bierce takes a closer look. "He's writing something. Can't really tell what."

So, he did something there first to erase his tracks, or similar, on the way in. I'm betting it's something he does often out of paranoia.

Mr. Levi shrugs regretfully. "That's the best resolution we're going to get, I'm afraid."

Something leaps into his hand, and he pulls a match away from it. Mr. Bierce nods as our assumption is proven. "Might be able to track him with the remaining ash, but it won't be precise or easy."

Looks like magic isn't viable to locate him, then. Not without ludicrous brute force.

"Orange Lantern, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

I raise my right hand to my ear. "Not a social call, I'm afraid. What did Anarky do to Enginehead?"

A necessary admission of the League awareness of the matter, of course. Though I imagine Lex know they knew already.

"Ah." There's a pause as he thinks. "We're not sure. He appears to be in working condition, but he won't reactivate. I take it that something exotic is happening?"

"It looks like it. Can we take a look at his server?"

"Of course. Occupational health is everyone's concern. I'll expect you within the hour."

How gracious. But then, refusing would be even more suspicious.

Now, then. Why won't Enginehead boot up, I wonder? Did Anarky manage to steal his central core, the bits that allow him to function? Or perhaps there's some undiscovered restriction about multiple instances or something in his code. that's the problem with evolved General Synthetic Intelligences - Every one is unique, and often too fragile to decompile for study...

Ngamer11 · Dec 4, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Mister Atom." Mr. Levi thinks for a moment. "It's he the robot that tried taking over the world a few years ago?"

That should say "Isn't".

Coltsguy · Dec 4, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
then pulls some sort of mat our of his satchel and lays it on the ground.

Should be 'out'.

Mr Zoat · Dec 4, 2024

Darko said:
Add a space between Paul's sentence.

Ngamer11 said:
That should say "Isn't".

Coltsguy said:
Should be 'out'.

Thank you, corrected.

Clell65619 · Dec 4, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
1st May 2013
07:57 GMT -8

I raise my right hand to my ear. "Not a social call, I'm afraid. What did Anarky do to Enginehead?"

"Ah." There's a pause as he thinks. "We're not sure. He appears to be in working condition, but he won't reactivate. I take it that something exotic is happening?"

"It looks like it. Can we take a look at his server?"

"Of course. Occupational health is everyone's concern. I'll expect you within the hour."

Oh oh. Any time Lex is reasonable and let's other people get a look at his things without standing over their broken bodies while gloating, I get worried.

Ardy · Dec 4, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I look back and him

I look back AT him

Clell65619 said:
Oh oh. Any time Lex is reasonable and let's other people get a look at his things without standing over their broken bodies while gloating, I get worried.

you know, you've got a point

Lazurman · Dec 4, 2024

Time to go meet your ex-crush.

BartlettMagic · Dec 4, 2024

great update, i'm looking forward to where this may be going.

Silveraith · Dec 4, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
which lets them reinforce them to keep the whole thing going

themselves?

Mr Zoat said:
Not as such

Much? Or is this a British thing...

Mr Zoat said:
"Orange Lantern, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

I raise my right hand to my ear. "Not a social call, I'm afraid. What did Anarky do to Enginehead?"

"Ah." There's a pause as he thinks. "We're not sure. He appears to be in working condition, but he won't reactivate. I take it that something exotic is happening?"

"It looks like it. Can we take a look at his server?"

"Of course. Occupational health is everyone's concern. I'll expect you within the hour."

Should the third and 5th line in Orange or the first not be in orange? Or did the ring change communication method because of the hand movement...

Mr Zoat · Dec 4, 2024

Ardy said:
I look back AT him

Silveraith said:
themselves?

Thank you, corrected.

Much? Or is this a British thing...

Apparently.

Should the third and 5th line in Orange or the first not be in orange? Or did the ring change communication method because of the hand movement...

Thank you, corrected.

ShadowScion626 · Dec 4, 2024

Hey @Mr Zoat would you ever consider doing a story about a Paul variant in the universe of Arcane? I'm really curious about what Paul could with Hextech, Chemtech, Shimmer and the Arcane as a whole. Plus I imagine he would righteously rage over Zaun's condition.

Mr Zoat · Dec 4, 2024

ShadowScion626 said:
Hey @Mr Zoat would you ever consider doing a story about a Paul variant in the universe of Arcane? I'm really curious about what Paul could with Hextech, Chemtech, Shimmer and the Arcane as a whole. Plus I imagine he would righteously rage over Zaun's condition.

I know nothing about the setting, so not really.

Getting angry is seldom useful with an orange power ring. If you don't like it then just fix it.

Mr Zoat · Dec 5, 2024

17th January 2000
23:47 GMT -5

"Lord Mammon." Colonel Frank Cromwell looks mildly puzzled at my arrival. "Good to see you again."

They didn't even bother putting a full squad in their gate room when I signalled that I wanted to visit. I wonder if I should be insulted.

"Colonel, this is a little urgent, and I suggest that you send someone to wake up General Hammond."

He doesn't look impressed. "You mind telling me why?"

"I have been notified by SG One that Sokar was assassinated and that Apophis has taken over his domain. My Queen then tasked me with assassinating him. I spent several days getting into position only to find out that he wasn't on Delmak any longer."

Cromwell frowns. "Then where is he?"

"He's just found out that his son -whom he trusted to rule his core territory is his absence- has been captured and is being held on Tollana. Sokar's Jaffa have gone over to him and they've brought their fleet with them. He's heading there now. I haven't seen Tollana myself, but based on records-."

He half-turns. "Go wake the General up!"

"Thank you." I smile at him. "So, uh. How have you been?"

"I'm experiencing the passage of time normally, which is nice."

"No sign of radiation damage or stress fractures?"

He shakes his head. "Not according to Doctor Fraiser. I suppose I was only there for a few seconds, effectively."

"Quite true, but I find it's always best to check how those things work in practice. Just curious, but do you think that a robot duplicate of you would be interested in working for me?"

He regards me levelly, without much expression. "No. I think he'd be pissed about having to leave his whole family behind."

"Ah." I nod. "Worth knowing."

"I'm grateful, but I'm not betray-my-country-and-leave-my-whole-life-behind grateful."

"I understand. I wouldn't have expected otherwise. Though should the worst come to the worst and the Earth be invaded, I would be delighted to shelter as many of your soldiers -and your families- as could make it through the gate."

He looks uncertain for a moment, then decides to accept it in the spirit in which it was intended. "I'll be sure to pass that on."

17th January 2000
23:59 GMT -5

I'm just glad that he didn't go home for the night.

"And you're sure that's where he's taking his fleet."

I shrug. "That's what the Jaffa I spoke to on Delmak said."

"And how many ships does he have?"

"He took one flagship and six other Ha'tak with him from Delmak's system defence fleet. But all of Sokar's domain swore allegiance to him; he may well have picked up other ships after leaving."

General Hammond nods tiredly. "And you think that's enough to shoot his way through whatever defences the Tollan have protecting their homeworld."

"It might be. But if there's no rush, I imagine that he'd settle for throwing asteroids at the planet from out of their effective range. Apophis isn't an idiot."

"Thank you for letting us know, but I'm not sure what you expect us to do about it."

"My Queen has assigned me the task of assassinating Apophis. That would be a good deal easier if I was on Tollana. And of course I would very much like to make diplomatic contact with them myself."

He thinks for a moment. "And what is your Queen's intention toward Klorel?"

"We would like the goa'uld back. You can keep Skaara."

"For what reason do you want him? You told us that Bastet wanted Apophis and Heru'ur to keep fighting each other."

"My Queen's intent is to use him as a puppet ruler for his father's domains, crush Heru'ur and bring an end to the current period of chaotic warfare."

"With herself as Supreme System Lord."

"No, no. Her alliance with System Lord Kali would make that quite unpalatable. Just… Joint first amongst equals. And I wish to emphasise that the people mostly getting the sharp end of the fighting at the moment are the human populations of the worlds being fought over. The United States of America isn't in any position to uplift the human populations of this galaxy. My Queen on the other hand is."

"Do you have some way of stopping Apophis's fleet?"

I smirk confidently, letting my eyes flare. "I'm a god."

He glares at me, unamused.

"I intend to get onto the hull of his flagship and put a large shaped charge onto the hull of the pel'tac, get out of the way and then detonate it once I'm sure that he's there."

He shakes his head. "How? If you use a ship he'll detect it."

"I thought I'd steal something stealthy from the Tollans themselves, use that, and then put it back before anyone noticed. Phasing would make killing one man trivially easy."

"Then what happens to his fleet?"

"Don't know. How good an actor is Skaara?"

"Not good enough to pretend to be Klorel."

"Good enough to assign command to First Prime Roboneil and then retire to his quarters?"

General Hammond considers the suggestion. "After being a host for so long, I doubt it. Not without time to prepare. And our understanding of how to remove goa'uld isn't good enough to guarantee that Klorel was gone."

"Mine is, but, very well. Why do the Tollan even want Klorel?"

"They're debating the morality of freeing Skaara."

I frown. "I.. don't understand. I have a use for Klorel, but why wouldn't they just kill him if they can do it without harming Skaara?"

Off to my left, Colonel Cromwell can't quite suppress a smile.

"They.. have a procedure to follow."

"Oh." I nod. "They're one of those civilisations. No wonder they lost their original homeworld." I stand up abruptly. "Well, come on. No sense in delaying further. The sooner I'm in place the sooner Apophis gets his."

General Hammond frowns. "Gets his what?"

"Huh." I frown back. "I never really considered it. His just deserts, presumably."

He nods, then turns to Colonel Cromwell. "Colonel, take Lord Mammon through the gate and give him every assistance. Killing Apophis would make all our lives a good deal easier."

"Yes sir."

I smile at him. "Thank you. Oh, but while I'm here… You haven't been able to get that legal opinion updated, have you?"

Idkusername · Dec 5, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"It's… More that it lets us run them in parallel, which lets them reinforce each other to keep the whole thing going without needing constant input from the magician casting it. It's, ah… A really dumbed down version of what Professor Sephtian built it Poseidonis."

it -> in

Mr Zoat said:
"I understand. I would have expected otherwise.

wouldn't?

Broken italics tag in the latter part of the update, too.

Darko · Dec 5, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Oh." I nod. "They're one of those civilisations. No wonder they lost their original homeworld

That was mostly because the other type of civilization, the warring type, blew up their own homeworld and the explosion also damaged the Tollan world.

Mr Zoat · Dec 5, 2024

Idkusername said:
it -> in
wouldn't?
Broken italics tag in the latter part of the update, too.

Thank you, corrected.

Neruz · Dec 5, 2024

Darko said:
That was mostly because the other type of civilization, the warring type, blew up their own homeworld and the explosion also damaged the Tollan world.

After the Tollan gave them a power source that was apparently so powerful and so unsafe that it could be used to blow up a planet, mind you.

You really gotta wonder why the fuck the Tollan thought that was a good idea.

Vaermina · Dec 5, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"I thought I'd steal something stealthy from the Tollans themselves, use that, and then put it back before anyone noticed. Phasing would make killing one man trivially easy."

General reminder here that the Tollan are one of the groups that would be able to detect him doing that.

And they would take that knowledge to the Asgard.

Arimai · Dec 5, 2024

Neruz said:
After the Tollan gave them a power source that was apparently so powerful and so unsafe that it could be used to blow up a planet, mind you.

You really gotta wonder why the fuck the Tollan thought that was a good idea.

No. The Tollana took pity on their resource wars and in exchange for a cessation of their wars gave them the Tollanan vacuum energy technology. They dummkopfs proceeded to weaponize them and actually used them on each other triggering all the dormant supervolcanoes.

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