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

[Sockmonkey]

He tried to cure his deafness by plexing with bat DNA, turning himself into a part bat part man creature.

Click to shrink...

IIRC in the comics it was his sister's deafness that he was trying to fix.

 

[Mr Zoat]

IIRC in the comics it was his sister's deafness that he was trying to fix.

Click to shrink...

It was his deafness in Arkham City, so I think I'll leave it.

 

[LordVishnu]

As someone who has only surface level knowledge of DC as a whole (most of what I know is honestly due to this fic), but who has recently watched Creature Commandos, these new snippets are relevant to my interest.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

6th December 2023
08:01 GMT -5

"…bother." The pale-skinned woman opposite me is clearly unhappy about getting a compulsory counselling session. She's checking the room for concealed cameras, hidden viewing windows, and… Probably for potential weapons. "Are you coming with us?"

I nod, smiling encouragingly. "I will be. I hope that it won't be necessary, but I can heal-."

Click to shrink...

Ah, our first Creature Commando member. The Bride, as she's known. A tragic story of unrequited love and horrified rejection.These days, she's a badass gunfighter and near-heroic adventurer resisting her unwanted admirer, hence her examination of the room...

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"Not me, you won't. She snorts, running her right hand down one of her facial stitches. "Do you have a..? Burning sword?"

I chuckle sociably. "I left it somewhere in Iraq. I don't remember exactly where; I haven't seen it for years. Now, I'm happy to talk about myself if you like, but I'm really more interested in helping you."

Click to shrink...

Ah, faking it until he makes it, eh? I doubt he technically ever had a sword, unless Gabriel's really is hidden somewhere.

She looks at me, eyes focused. "What's it like, talking to God?"

"Why not find out for yourself?"

Click to shrink...

Because God usually doesn't answer people while they're still in the flesh, so to speak...

"Because I'm a walking corpse. I'm what happens after the soul passes on."

I frown. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Click to shrink...

And really, he'd be well-placed to identify if she has a soul or not, given his abilities probably include soul-sight.

"Waking up strapped to a slab, smelling of burnt hair from the electricity he-. The electricity that brought me back." She glares at the file on my desk. "'The Bride'. I don't even have a name."

I blink, perplexed. "You do have a name."

Click to shrink...

I see she doesn't even like to talk about her 'creator'.

"It's not a name, it's a job description."

"I think that you're labouring under a misapprehension about-."

Click to shrink...

They're definitely having two different conversations, to a degree.

She turns to face me. "Oh, this should be good."

"About your nature. Have you ever watched Star Trek?"

Click to shrink...

That is a fun idea, an artificial human with a love of pop culture. I bet her experience with her unwanted beau probably put her off 'Frankenstein' references.

"No." … "Alright, yes, a bit."

"Did you see the episode of Voyager where-?"

Click to shrink...

I don't know, she's kind of mature enough to be a Original Series fangirl...

Her eyes narrow. "No. Get to the point."

"The brain is a fragile organ. Deprived of oxygen, it starts decaying fairly quickly. Memory loss is a common result of head injuries. Given how long it was from your initial death to… The Doctor restoring you to life, it's hardly surprising that you lost nearly everything."

Click to shrink...

And if her original soul moved on, her brain wouldn't be able to restore from the 'backup' stored within it.

"'Nearly'?"

"You learned to speak far more rapidly than an infant, and an adult brain usually isn't malleable enough to adapt so quickly." I shrug. With my shoulders. "You managed that because you weren't learning it for the first time; you were dredging up a language that you already knew."

Click to shrink...

Not uncommon amongst amnesia sufferers, supposedly? Although there are reportedly cases of someone being able to speak a language they'd never have learned, too. The brain is a strange thing.

She looks taken aback, but I've definitely got her full attention. "I was cobbled together from corpses he stole."

"You're mostly one corpse, actually." My mind briefly goes to her 'sister', keeping her head down in Orkney. "A few parts were replaced, but your entire brain is from a single individual. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, you… Are her, just with amnesia as a result of the traumatic brain injury you suffered."

Click to shrink...

Sister? Interesting. Though the phrasing suggests it was a second another attempt to produce a female 'Creature'.

"W-?" She pulls herself metaphorically together. "Who was I, then?"

"Your name is Elizabeth Lavenza."

Click to shrink...

An actual character from the original story, no less! Victor's childhood friend who he later marries, only to lose her to the Creature's vengeance on their wedding night... I suppose things went a little differently here.

Her eyes dip, and she mouths 'Elizabeth' to herself. Her brow folds into a frown as it fails to elicit a response from her memories.

I shake my head. "I doubt that you'll remember anything immediately-."

Click to shrink...

If at all. But knowing it now... She might well be amused by her portrayals in the fictional tales. Or horrified.

"You said-" Her eyes snap back to me. "-that you can heal. Can you heal me?"

"I believe that I can. However, that might undo the abnormalities which give you your enhanced abilities and long life. More than-"

Click to shrink...

Since evidently the process involved more than a few stitched-together body parts.

"H-uh."

"-that, I don't know what it will do to your mind."

She frowns thoughtfully. "You mean it might make me forget everything that happened to me?"

Click to shrink...

And reset you back to the child-like state after your original revival. I doubt anyone would be happy with that. Especially Waller.

"It might make you remember being Elizabeth as well. She grew up with… The Doctor, and I realise that he's a sensitive topic for you. Oh, and I can't do it before the mission anyway because that would remove the explosives."

"Oh." She slumps back in her chair. "And for a moment there I was getting excited."

Click to shrink...

Maybe they can persuade Waller to allow an attempt after they return.

6th December 2023
10:34 GMT -5

"…and I don't even know that they'd let him go if I did prove that he was innocent."

Click to shrink...

Ah, the Weasel's lawyer. She sounds a bit of a crusader.

I reach forward and pat Elizabeth Bates' right hand.

"Do not despair. I don't believe that Ms. Waller considers him so indispensable that she would use… Unusual measures to ensure that he remains here. He's actually coping with the stress of imprisonment better than I was expecting."

Click to shrink...

I remember seeing him in the opening scenes of the last Suicide Squad movie (Haven't seen the movie itself, but there's lots of commentaries about it...) Apparently he survived the slaughter by being damn tough lucky. That's probably what Waller keeps him around for...

Though he tried to use my wings as chew toys and… He isn't intelligent enough to really… 'Counsel'.

She grabs her hand back. "Do you know if he's guilty or not?"

Click to shrink...

Well, probably less so than the original Weasel. That one was a bit of a nutter. The modern version is, well...

"It is my opinion that even if he did kill them, he should not be here. He isn't intelligent enough to be legally responsible for his actions. I'm not even clear why they tried him as a human."

"But did he?"

Click to shrink...

I'm guessing it's because he seems humanoid enough to be confused for an altered-morphology metahuman.

"I have no relevant a priori knowledge. In my best judgement, he is essentially an animal. He would kill a human child, if he were very hungry and encountered them alone. He would then eat them. The autopsy reports relating to his arrest show no signs that he attempted to eat the bodies of the children he was convicted of murdering. Killing for the sake of killing would be out of character, and he isn't rabid."

Click to shrink...

So it's entirely possible it wasn't him, but whoever did it used him as a scapegoat.

"Are you willing to serve as a witness?"

"That is essentially the reason why I exist."

Click to shrink...

Well, that and wryly sarcastic asides.

She makes an amused noise. "Character witness."

"Certainly." I nod. "Though quite a lot of what I could say is written in prison records which you should have access to."

"You saying it has a bigger impact. When an angel says that it isn't in a person's nature to commit a murder-."

Click to shrink...

I would assume most jury members would respect the theological idea enough to go along with it.

I raise my right hand to stop her. "I also said that I believe that classifying him as a human is a mistake. If I speak in court, the prosecution may use that to try and have him reclassified as an animal. Belle Reve isn't much, but it's better than being put down. Are you familiar with the case of Doctor Kirk Langstrom?"

Click to shrink...

I mean, he has a high chance of dying on a mission anyway, though he could easily survive by being tough...

"I can't say that I am. Is he relevant?"

"He had a stay here. He tried to cure his deafness by plexing with bat DNA, turning himself into a part bat part man creature. As man-bat, his intelligence was subhuman, so it was ruled that his crimes as man-bat should be treated as a case of temporary insanity."

Click to shrink...

Something which varied by depiction, but usually accurate. I don't doubt they tried to get him to reveal the composition of the formula and modify it to allow the retention of human reason, so as to make bat supersoldiers...

She scribbles a note on her pad. "I'll look into it."

"Ms. Waller made him transform for missions. Every time he changed, a little more of his human mental faculties didn't come back. If you can, I would strongly suggest asking someone to try and find out where John came from. Because if he ever was a man… It might not remain possible to bring him back forever."

Click to shrink...

Better a life as a mascot than simple execution, though. Even if he really is a maneater.

This is a fascinating cycle of consultations and counselling. I wonder how Waller feels about Lan trying to rehabilitate or otherwise improve the circumstances of various inmates. They might be useful as Task Force X operatives, but some of them are definite liabilities. Some super-criminals are just too psycho to make good black-ops soldiers...

 

[Darko]

Not me, you won't. She snorts,

Click to shrink...

Add a "

As man-bat,

Click to shrink...

"Man-Bat" or "as a"

 

[PepeTheFrog]

I remember seeing him in the opening scenes of the last Suicide Squad movie (Haven't seen the movie itself, but there's lots of commentaries about it...) Apparently he survived the slaughter by being damn tough. That's probably what Waller keeps him around for...

Click to shrink...

Hahahahahahahaha! No.
Weasel survived by being pushed it of a helicopter, not being able to swim, being dragged onto the beach and then mistaken for dead.

 

[GhostKing 666]

"I have no relevant a priori knowledge. In my best judgement, he is essentially an animal. He would kill a human child, if he were very hungry and encountered them alone. He would then eat them. The autopsy reports relating to his arrest show no signs that he attempted to eat the bodies of the children he was convicted of murdering. Killing for the sake of killing would be out of character, and he isn't rabid."

Click to shrink...

To be fair, the idea that humans alone are the only animals that kill for the fun of it is just a myth. There are plenty of other animals that will kill for the enjoyment of it(granted, a very large proportion of said list is composed if different species of cat). Some like the elephant aren't even meat-eating predators.

 

[Neruz]

Many animals kill for no apparently perceptible reason other than the enjoyment of it, but "apparently perceptible" is very much the operative term there, and it is not always clear that killing is actually the desired goal: In the famous case of adolescent elephants killing rhinos for example, it is believed that they weren't actually trying to kill the rhinos, they just enjoyed testing their strength by attacking rhinos and didn't really care if the rhinos died during the course of this.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Sister? Interesting. Though the phrasing suggests it was a second attempt to produce a female 'Creature'.

Click to shrink...

First, actually. Elizabeth is the second.

I remember seeing him in the opening scenes of the last Suicide Squad movie (Haven't seen the movie itself, but there's lots of commentaries about it...) Apparently he survived the slaughter by being damn tough. That's probably what Waller keeps him around for...

Click to shrink...

No, he survived because he can swim, just not very well. He couldn't get to the beech in time to be killed, but did manage to survive in the water.

Add a "
"Man-Bat" or "as a"

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[BartlettMagic]

my knowledge on this is limited to the most recent movie, but all of this begs the question of "why even include Weasel in the Suicide Squad"? what has he ever done, besides supposedly murder people (if he even did)? if he's that unintelligent, what function could he possibly serve? can he follow orders or communicate in any way? that character just makes no sense to me. i hope we get some kind of backstory or investigation to enlighten us on his origins/motives.

 

[Ngamer11]

I was rereading and found some errors.

"You said the thing with Danner was why you left the Squadron."

"So he did more thing like… That?"

Click to shrink...

That should say 'things'.

Mannheim steps forward and catches him around the throat too quickly for me to see. He yanks Zauriel towards him and I see his lips move for a moment before he drop Zauriel to the floor.

Click to shrink...

That should say 'drops'.

 

[monochromaticPrism]

Because if he ever was a man… It might not remain possible to bring him back forever."

Click to shrink...

Because if he ever was a man… bringing him back permanently might not even be possible anymore.

Not a spelling correction, the wording just a bit awkward and I was having trouble parsing the intent.

 

[Neruz]

my knowledge on this is limited to the most recent movie, but all of this begs the question of "why even include Weasel in the Suicide Squad"? what has he ever done, besides supposedly murder people (if he even did)? if he's that unintelligent, what function could he possibly serve? can he follow orders or communicate in any way? that character just makes no sense to me. i hope we get some kind of backstory or investigation to enlighten us on his origins/motives.

Click to shrink...

It's Waller so there's a very solid chance Weasel was included because she figured it was an easy way to get him killed and thus not need to keep paying for his imprisonment.

 

[Duke Long]

The guy behind me is heading to the bathroom door. I get up and fly just off the ground until I'm in one of the stalls. I use my flight ability to hold my weight while resting my feet on the rim of the bowl. Okay, that won't help if he actually looks into the stall, but if he's just checking the from the door-.

Click to shrink...

Last sentence is off. Not sure exactly how to fix it.

"My intention was to put him through the same screening as a normal human, and if he passed then give him a meaningless office job until then end of the summer."

Click to shrink...

'the end'

"If they did, how would I know? Unless you count me not caring about it, which I don't talk about. Ah." She pulls away a little. "You need to pretend-. Would you like me to say that I did it? My father does not have a secret identity, he is friends with you mother…"

Click to shrink...

'your mother…'?

"But you tried. Given some of the things I have read about LexCorp, I would not have made as an effort for the people who made me." She smiles sadly. "I suppose that is why you are a superhero and I just have a costume."

Click to shrink...

'much of an effort'?

We walk down a side street, then turn in the direction of the main road towards the inner city. Usually the only people awake that this time of the morning are the fisherwomen and the guards… And late-night party-goers who've just come back through the portal, but they're trying to be a bit quieter about it these days. Paul said that was because while most people here don't mind contact with the rest of the world, pregnancy is still a contentious issue. Apparently, him letting the Amazons make each other pregnant is a lot different to them suddenly having unrestricted access to men for the first time in three thousand years.

Click to shrink...

'at this time'

The old home town just… Ain't the same,
Like a derelict man who has died out of shame,
A jumble sale left out in the…

Click to shrink...

Good song.

I drift towards the mountain, taking in Euanthe's grove on the top. Still there, if not flourishing quite as much as it was with a dryad's constant attention. And no soon-to-be druid lying next to a tree blissed out on green magic rich fruit this time, which is probably good.

Click to shrink...

'magic-rich'?

"Ah." Johanna stares at him pointedly. "Your first supervillain is nearly your age."

Mitchell squirms slightly. "I.. thought his bones look a bit… Thin. I didn't realise he was that young. His voice was a lot deeper."

Click to shrink...

'looked'?

I smile broadly. "Now, the reason why I wanted to talk to you is that without Egeria to make more Tok'Ra, you're heading towards extinction. And that's fine, except that I don't get anything out of it first. So I had an idea: why don't I help you do what you should have done when Egeria started her rebellion, which you're all to stupid to do for yourselves?"

Click to shrink...

'too stupid'

"Given that your campaign of spying and sabotage has achieved nothing and the goa'uld grip upon this galaxy is as strong as it ever was, I want all of you to come and work for me as teachers. Train my human citizens in the sciences. I've already got primary school teachers and now I need something more sophisticated. In return, I will ensure that the system of education we develop becomes to model for all of System Lord Bastet's domains."

Click to shrink...

'the model'

"Good morning, Blue Lantern." The sergeant takes in the three of us and starts to look a little nervous. "Do we need to call in re-enforcements?"

Click to shrink...

'reinforcements'?

"…don't even know why-" He turns away from the sergeant to at us. "-you o-ooooh."

Alan smiles warmly. "Hi there."

Click to shrink...

'look at us.'?

"Not as far as I know, but he's a… Scientific rationalist. If a phenomena exists, he's happy to study it."

"So if he found a book on magic..?"

Click to shrink...

'phenomenon'?

"I have always been clear that the reason why I so admire you is that you are a great ruler. Most other goa'uld are… Adequate at best, Sokar… Being the worst I know of. If there is no System Lord who can take Apophis's place then the suffering of the humans and Jaffa living in his former territory will be immense as the minor goa'uld flail around carelessly to inflict any wound upon their rivals. But if there is one Lord more powerful that the others, then they must moderate their behaviour somewhat. And I don't have a better candidate than Klorel. I can kill Apophis and Heru'ur without leaving a trace of my presence. Klorel will have no reason to suspect you. He will resent his dependence on you, but I doubt that he would be so stupid as to slap your hand away."

She thinks for a moment. "I will consider this. What affect does that have on your plans?"

Click to shrink...

'than the others'
'What effect'

"I mean, I could rule somewhere like this indefinitely, but it's not even her special talent. I mean, can you imagine keeping doing something you don't particularly like for a thousand years virtually every hour of the day? And not being able to use your special talent outside of a few minutes and dawn and dusk?"

Click to shrink...

'at dawn and dusk?'?

 

[Jus4532]

"It is my opinion that even if he did kill them, he should not be here. He isn't intelligent enough to be legally responsible for his actions. I'm not even clear why they tried him as a human."

Click to shrink...

Why is Paul being so vague about it? Is Weasal so unintelligent that Paul cannot determine if he killed those children or is he being like that so he doesn't say on the record that Weasel has killed people before he met the children.

 

[Neruz]

Why is Paul being so vague about it? Is Weasal so unintelligent that Paul cannot determine if he killed those children or is he being like that so he doesn't say on the record that Weasel has killed people before he met the children.

Click to shrink...

I don't think angel Paul has any ability to read minds or divine the past, so he genuinely cannot say whether Weasel killed the children or not.

All he can say is that it doesn't seem like something he would expect Weasel to do.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I was rereading and found some errors.
That should say 'things'.
That should say 'drops'.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[Vaermina]

knowledge on this is limited to the most recent movie, but all of this begs the question of "why even include Weasel in the Suicide Squad"? what has he ever done, besides supposedly murder people (if he even did)? if he's that unintelligent, what function could he possibly serve? can he follow orders or communicate in any way? that character just makes no sense to me. i hope we get some kind of backstory or investigation to enlighten us on his origins/motives.

Click to shrink...

Because he's voiced by James Gunn's brother and James Gunn is now in charge.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Last sentence is off. Not sure exactly how to fix it.
'the end'
'your mother…'?
'much of an effort'?
'at this time'
'magic-rich'?
'looked'?
'too stupid'
'the model'
'reinforcements'?
'look at us.'?
'phenomenon'?
'than the others'
'What effect'
'at dawn and dusk?'?

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[Adrian Nightshade]

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

Click to shrink...

I think he's saying that instead of reading "In fact, actively taking it to Darkseid would provoke him to study it faster."
It should read "In fact, actively taking it to the Guardians would provoke Darksied to study it faster."

 

[Mr Zoat]

I think he's saying that instead of reading "In fact, actively taking it to Darkseid would provoke him to study it faster."
It should read "In fact, actively taking it to the Guardians would provoke Darksied to study it faster."

Click to shrink...

I don't remember exactly what I was going for. I'll change it.

 

[itsnatatumah]

@Mr Zoat , your story is highly addictive. I love it. Please stop. I can't control myself and I keep reading it. Anyway, at 3/4 of the way through, I feel compelled to ask: given that Games Workshop had (in 2010-2012) a market cap roughly one hundredth of that of Cadbury (when it was acquired by Kraft), why hasn't Paul purchased it outright? Surely he wants to?

 

[Mr Zoat]

@itsnatatumah
You know what you did.

 

[Mr Zoat]

23rd May 2013
23:02 GMT -7

"Huh." Oliver Queen looks over the already-apprehended group of… Clowns? "I feel kinda superfluous."

Big Barda is looking down on a clown in a set of light blue overalls with a target logo on his chest. A crushed pistol lays on the pavement a short distance away. Other clowns are being manhandled into cuffs by members of the Congregation.

"I consider you invaluable to my logistics work."

"Yeah, but I actually like being a superhero." He sighs. "I feels kinda… Stupid to complain about crime being down so much after… Y'know."

I nod. I do know. A statistically significant drop in crime across all categories and all cultures worldwide. There's been a slight increase in civil disobedience in some places. China's skirted a civil war by the skin of its teeth, and mostly because there's nowhere for opposition to coagulate around. I remember a documentary which suggested that the reason why Italy overthrew Mussolini while Hitler managed to hang on until the end was that the Italians who wanted him gone could dress it up in royalist terms and reach out to the aristocracy. But there was no point replacing a National Socialist with another National Socialist and with the Kaiser in Belgium and the military coup having already failed there wasn't anyone else.

"Why are they..? Here? I know that Congregationalists can teleport, but unless there are a lot of them in Star City… This seems a bit odd."

"Ah, well, we've got a few. But this is one of Batman's plans."

I raise my eyebrows. "Oh?"

"We can't police the whole Earth. At this point, I can keep Star City under control. We've managed to build the police force back up, and we didn't have that many supervillains. Certainly not compared to Central City or Gotham. And I like to think I pull my weight on Justice League missions."

He looks at me pointedly.

"You've improved your statistics a little. But I suspect that we're coming up to the same realisation from different perspectives."

"But… What are we up to now, thirty? Thirty people aren't enough to police a whole city on their own. To say nothing of the whole world. So, Batman got hold of some of the Congregation's organisers and offered to work with them. Big Barda keeps one with her, and then when something goes down she opens up a tube and they start calling in their friends." He shrugs. "It's a pretty good system, actually. You know how the saying goes: 'when seconds count the police are minutes away'."

It makes sense, but there are only so many people who can teleport with passengers. And then there's the issue with bringing people who don't have Justice League United Nations authorisation anywhere Batman feels that there's need.

"How long's that been going on for?"

"I think she started training them from just after Scott got her back from Apokolips, but they've only been hitting the streets for the past couple of weeks."

I nod. "I assume they've got a list of different specialists."

"Yeah. And a few people with powers who don't want to use them full time but don't mind doing their part in an emergency."

"Are any of them archers?"

"One asked me to sign her bow. But apparently she just uses it for sports shooting."

"This system doesn't give them local intelligence or policing contacts. And how do the police feel about this?"

Green Arrow shrugs. "They're just happy for the help." He considers me for a moment. "How much contact with Earth police do you actually get?"

"Next to none."

"No, I guess you wouldn't. World governments got their asses kicked when Earth got Anti-Lifed, but it's not just the governments. It's all the stuff that governments do."

"If people wanted them, they'd reconstitute them."

"Yeah, but that doesn't happen right away. And half the time police and courts exist to have a way to resolve disputes without a fistfight. And people had a month of needing to fight the whole time." He sighs. "I'm not sure how much of the drop in crime rate is fights just not getting reported."

"Ah, democratic justice."

"What's that?"

"One man, one rock." He snorts. "So are you just being paranoid, or have you actually seen that happen?"

"Eeh, maybe that's what it is. I guess it's kinda hypocritical for me to complain about us setting up a parallel institution when I'm a vigilante." He smiles. "Or I've just been listening to Doctor Mist too much."

"I didn't think he actually had a problem with people who aren't demigods doing it."

"Ain't you a kick in the ego."

"Hey, if you want to change that, I know a few gods who might make you a deal. I've got augmentative potions and power armour-"

"That's Arsenal's thing."

"-and alien technology. Even a simple bio-regulator implant would probably cause a noticeable improvement in your performance."

"If I got implants I'd never hear the end of it."

"Immortality requires a separate implant." I frown. "Did..? Anyone in the U.N. actually sign off on this?"

"Batman's not a demigod either, y'know."

"Are you sure about that? For Hellenes, there's no real difference between exquisite mundane skill and magic."

"There is for the rest of us." He shrugs awkwardly. "About half of our U.N. contacts didn't make it. And the rest are just telling us to keep doing what we're doing. Batman might have a plan for this kinda thing but as far as I can tell he's the only one who does."

"No plan survives contact with the enemy. And this is too big for me to replicate in a training scenario. Still, I guess this is kind of Peelian."

"How? They're accountable to us, not the city government."

"I'm pretty sure more people recognise you as Green Arrow than could pick the local Police Commissioner out of a line-up. And Peelian Principles are about accountability to the people being policed, not to the government at any level. Congregationalists are definitely citizens in uniform. They don't even carry guns."

"They can make light bright enough to burn someone's eyes out."

"And Tasers can cause heart attacks and pepper spray can send people into anaphylactic shock. There's no such thing as a safe weapon, you know that."

"I don't know…" He shakes his head. "You're probably right. I just never thought the Justice League would end up running its own police force, you know? It feels like… Kinda like I've become The Man."

"You were a Chief Executive Officer and then an unaccountable masked vigilante, and now you feel like you're The Man."

He shrugs. "Fine. The other thing I wanted to talk to you about was that I was thinking of buying Queen Industries back."

I frown. "How?"

"Stock prices ain't doing so good, considering… Everything. Plus, I'm a shareholder in Cadbury's Logistics, and I think there's an opportunity for synergy. And I think I'd actually do the job this time."

I shrug. "As an Orange Lantern I'm obliged to say 'do what you want', but you told me that you preferred being Green Arrow."

"I like doing good more, and right now my city's as clean as it's ever been."

"Then you've made your decision. Best of luck, Mister Chairman."

 

[Darko]

There's no suck

Click to shrink...

"such"

? It feels like… Kinda like I've become The Man."

Click to shrink...

Definitely think it's going to involve Anarky.

Or at least we'll see how the League is running things.

 

[Rebu]

"You were a Chief Executive Officer and then an unaccountable masked vigilante, and now you feel like you're The Man."

Click to shrink...

And in some continuities, he was the mayor and/or a cop.

 

[BR549]

There's no suck thing as a safe weapon, you know that."

Click to shrink...

Should be 'such'.

 

[Ngamer11]

I nod. I do know. A statistically significant drop in crime across all categories and all cultures worldwide. There's been a slight increase in civil disobedience in some places. China's skirted a civil war by the skin of its teeth, and mostly because there's nowhere for opposition to coagulate around. I remember a documentary which suggested that the reason why Italy overthrew Mussolini while Hitler managed to hang on until the end was that the Italians who wanted him gone could dress it up in royalist terms and reach out to the aristocracy. But there was no point replacing a National Socialist with another National Socialist and with the Kaiser in Belgium and the military coop having already failed there wasn't anyone else.

Click to shrink...

That should say 'coup'.

"We can't police the whole Earth. At this point, I can keep Star City under control. We've managed to built the police force back up, and we didn't have that many supervillains. Certainly not compared to Central City or Gotham. And I like to think I pull my weight on Justice League missions."

Click to shrink...

That should say 'build'.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

23rd May 2013
23:02 GMT -7

"Huh." Oliver Queen looks over the already-apprehended group of… Clowns? "I feel kinda superfluous."

Big Barda is looking down on a clown in a set of light blue overalls with a target logo on his chest. A crushed pistol lays on the pavement a short distance away. Other clowns are being manhandled into cuffs by members of the Congregation.

Click to shrink...

Man, they really didn't know what to do with Ollie's rogue's gallery back in the day, did they? I'd hope they didn't take him in as extreme a direction as the Joker over the years, if they even remembered he existed.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"I consider you invaluable to my logistics work."

"Yeah, but I actually like being a superhero." He sighs. "I feels kinda… Stupid to complain about crime being down so much after… Y'know."

Click to shrink...

It's the adrenaline rush, isn't it? Won't get that sort of high in the boardroom or the backroom party.

I nod. I do know. A statistically significant drop in crime across all categories and all cultures worldwide. There's been a slight increase in civil disobedience in some places. China's skirted a civil war by the skin of its teeth, and mostly because there's nowhere for opposition to coagulate around. I remember a documentary which suggested that the reason why Italy overthrew Mussolini while Hitler managed to hang on until the end was that the Italians who wanted him gone could dress it up in royalist terms and reach out to the aristocracy. But there was no point replacing a National Socialist with another National Socialist and with the Kaiser in Belgium and the military coop having already failed there wasn't anyone else.

Click to shrink...

So the world is a bit more peaceful now. Or is it just because people are handling crime themselves and not telling anyone? Because that's also a possibility.

"Why are they..? Here? I know that Congregationalists can teleport, but unless there are a lot of them in Star City… This seems a bit odd."

"Ah, well, we've got a few. But this is one of Batman's plans."

Click to shrink...

Of course it is. Some manner of rapid-response group, then?

I raise my eyebrows. "Oh?"

"We can't police the whole Earth. At this point, I can keep Star City under control. We've managed to built the police force back up, and we didn't have that many supervillains. Certainly not compared to Central City or Gotham. And I like to think I pull my weight on Justice League missions."

Click to shrink...

To be fair, there have been times when a guy with a bow and arrows saved the day. Often because the bad guy underestimates him.

He looks at me pointedly.

"You've improved your statistics a little. But I suspect that we're coming up to the same realisation from different perspectives."

Click to shrink...

While Ollie may enjoy the hero life, he's really more useful in the boardroom, then.

"But… What are we up to now, thirty? Thirty people aren't enough to police a whole city on their own. To say nothing of the whole world. So, Batman got hold of some of the Congregation's organisers and offered to work with them. Big Barda keeps one with her, and then when something goes down she opens up a tube and they start calling in their friends." He shrugs. "It's a pretty good system, actually. You know how the saying goes: 'when seconds count the police are minutes away'."

Click to shrink...

Makes sense. At this point though, the League really does need to expand. Thirty people, some who don't even have powers, aren't enough to protect the world any more.

It makes sense, but there are only so many people who can teleport with passengers. And then there's the issue with bringing people who don't have Justice League United Nations authorisation anywhere Batman feels that there's need.

"How long's that been going on for?"

Click to shrink...

I expect a few countries that have managed to get some measure of international relations back in order have been complaining.

"I think she started training them from just after Scott got her back from Apokolips, but they've only been hitting the streets for the past couple of weeks."

I nod. "I assume they've got a list of different specialists."

Click to shrink...

Regional league-approved affiliates, for example? Local teams that have assembled out of necessity?

"Yeah. And a few people with powers who don't want to use them full time but don't mind doing their part in an emergency."

"Are any of them archers?"

Click to shrink...

Given it's one of the easiest 'powers' to adapt to vigilante work, I would expect a few.

"One asked me to sign her bow. But apparently she just uses it for sports shooting."

"This system doesn't give them local intelligence or policing contacts. And how do the police feel about this?"

Click to shrink...

Reminds me of the plans made during Marvel's 'Civil War' storyline, of state-based teams of registered supers... Certainly, organising and training casual vigilantes might prove beneficial.

Green Arrow shrugs. "They're just happy for the help." He considers me for a moment. "How much contact with Earth police do you actually get?"

"Next to none."

Click to shrink...

Most of that would be 'drop suspects off with dossier of evidence', I bet. OL's never really been a street-level type of guy, with a Lantern Ring...

"No, I guess you wouldn't. World governments got their asses kicked when Earth got Anti-Lifed, but it's not just the governments. It's all the stuff that governments do."

"If people wanted them, they'd reconstitute them."

Click to shrink...

And it's not always law enforcement, either. Folks down my way are cleaning up after a Tropical Cyclone rolled through, and a lot of the services helping them are government funded or otherwise on retainer. Lots of flooding, fallen trees, damaged homes and downed power lines to be sorted out...

"Yeah, but that doesn't happen right away. And half the time police and courts exist to have a way to resolve disputes without a fistfight. And people had a month of needing to fight the whole time." He sighs. "I'm not sure how much of the drop in crime rate is fights just not getting reported."

Click to shrink...

Like I said earlier. If someone took your stuff and there's no cops to help, why wouldn't you round up a posse of like-minded folks and go give the culprits a talking to...

"Ah, democratic justice."

"What's that?"

"One man, one rock." He snorts. "So are you just being paranoid, or have you actually seen that happen?"

Click to shrink...

...And sometimes that talking to involves a few bruises. Or broken bones, if they prove recalcitrant.

"Eeh, maybe that's what it is. I guess it's kinda hypocritical for me to complain about us setting up a parallel institution when I'm a vigilante." He smiles. "Or I've just been listening to Doctor Mist too much."

"I didn't think he actually had a problem with people who aren't demigods doing it."

Click to shrink...

He is all about the little man taking responsibility for his (or her) own life.

"Ain't you a kick in the ego."

"Hey, if you want to change that, I know a few gods who might make you a deal. I've got augmentative potions and power armour-"

Click to shrink...

Hmm... How effective would power armour or Dannering be when wielding a bow? Past a certain point, draw strength (and thus imparted velocity) is going to become a hindrance. Because even an arrow can over-penetrate with enough force behind it. The latter upgrade would be more useful for physicality and bullet-resistance, though...

"That's Arsenal's thing."

"-and alien technology. Even a simple bio-regulator implant would probably cause a noticeable improvement in your performance."

Click to shrink...

What, something that can keep him calm and focused even in the tensest situation? That's what I assume a 'bio-regulator' would do.

"If I got implants I'd never hear the end of it."

"Immortality requires a separate implant." I frown. "Did..? Anyone in the U.N. actually sign off on this?"

Click to shrink...

Eh, sometimes it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. You of all people know that.

"Batman's not a demigod either, y'know."

"Are you sure about that? For Hellenes, there's no real difference between exquisite mundane skill and magic."

Click to shrink...

True... Plenty of great Heroes were simply people who excelled at their Thing.

"There is for the rest of us." He shrugs awkwardly. "About half of our U.N. contacts didn't make it. And the rest are just telling us to keep doing what we're doing. Batman might have a plan for this kinda thing but as far as I can tell he's the only one who does."

"No plan survives contact with the enemy. And this is too big for me to replicate in a training scenario. Still, I guess this is kind of Peelian."

Click to shrink...

As in Robert Peel? Because he founded the London Metropolitan Police, one of the first 'modern' police forces? I can see the resemblance.

"How? They're accountable to us, not the city government."

"I'm pretty sure more people recognise you as Green Arrow than could pick the local Police Commissioner out of a line-up. And Peelian Principles are about accountability to the people being policed, not to the government at any level. Congregationalists are definitely citizens in uniform. They don't even carry guns."

Click to shrink...

That's a good point about recognisability. And it is hard to police people when they don't want to be.

"They can make light bright enough to burn someone's eyes out."

"And Tasers can cause heart attacks and pepper spray can send people into anaphylactic shock. There's no such thing as a safe weapon, you know that."

Click to shrink...

Especially with his more conventional arrowheads. There's a big difference between hunting points and 'boxing glove' arrows... And even the latter can cause skull fractures or neck injuries if they hit wrong, I bet.

"I don't know…" He shakes his head. "You're probably right. I just never thought the Justice League would end up running its own police force, you know? It feels like… Kinda like I've become The Man."

"You were a Chief Executive Officer and then an unaccountable masked vigilante, and now you feel like you're The Man."

Click to shrink...

And there's the theme of the episode, I bet. Especially galling for Ollie given his compassionate views.

He shrugs. "Fine. The other thing I wanted to talk to you about was that I was thinking of buying Queen Industries back."

I frown. "How?"

Click to shrink...

Ollie's not exactly flush with cash these days, is he? Even a living stipend from league affiliation can't be that big.

"Stock prices ain't doing so good, considering… Everything. Plus, I'm a shareholder in Cadbury's Logistics, and I think there's an opportunity for synergy. And I think I'd actually do the job this time."

I shrug. "As an Orange Lantern I'm obliged to say 'do what you want', but you told me that you preferred being Green Arrow."

Click to shrink...

More than a few heroes have come a cropper trying to have a civilian life and a heroing one, especially when one takes more time than the other.

"I like doing good more, and right now my city's as clean as it's ever been."

"Then you've made your decision. Best of luck, Mister Chairman."

Click to shrink...

Well, good luck to him. Hopefully things go well for him, whatever he ends up focusing on.

It'll be interesting to see if this episode continues to focus on the world slowly settling back into a comfortable normal, even if some places have changed a bit. I wonder if other Leaguers and affiliates are struggling with the realisation that for some, they are the face of 'government' now. Especially in places that have been struggling to find their footing...

 

[Mr Zoat]

"such"

Click to shrink...

That should say 'coup'.
That should say 'build'.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.