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

So from what I understand he gave himself a telekinetic push in that direction by pretending he was supposed to be falling that way towards the "ground"?
No. He's literally convincing the universe that gravity works in the wrong direction.
Why'd he choose that name? The only thing I found was a character form a TV show.
Middle name plus mother's maiden name.
3% complete.
He can't use his telekinesis for that?
Not strong enough.
First post? To link with Slipstream right? I forgot that it doesn't begin in space like usual.
He began in space, but near Junkion rather than Earth.
While I assume his control isn't good enough for it, a skin level field would work no? He could avoid damage while still being "covered" by the pheromones.
It's not really practical. Just about any sort of shield he could make would block air, and he's not that good at that sort of technique anyway.
 
The Man (part 19) New
5th June 2013
07:43 GMT -5


"Kon-?" He looks around. "Match? I didn't know you were getting involved."

He carefully hands off the… Growth chamber that he was carrying to a couple of g-trolls, and then lands and walks over to us.

"Dubbilex needed a hand setting up."

I frown. "I'd-." No, no, this was a rush job, and it's not like he could phone me on Themyscira. I stop frowning. "Thank you for your help. Ah, Queen Artemis, this is my friend and colleague Match. Match, Queen Artemis."

Match hesitates for a moment, being forced to change mental gears suddenly. But he recovers, and gives her a shallow bow. "Your majesty."

"Greetings, Match." She looks slightly puzzled. "You were flying, and yet I feel little magic emanating from you."

"Little-? Oh." He pulls out his ward and shows it to her. "Yeah, I'm kryptonian. We don't use magic to fly. Just sunlight." He turns to me. "I'm sorry, I want to help them finish setting up before school."

"Oh." I wave in the general direction of the dilapidated shopping centre where Dubbilex appears to be setting up. "By all means."

He flies about a metre in that direction, then stops and turns back. "You wanna talk to Dubbilex?"

I look at Queen Artemis, who is momentarily distracted by a g-pooka who is making faces at one of the bolder children in the line near the entrance.

"Yes. I would. Thank you."

"No problem. I'll tell him."

And he's gone, a weak slipstream mildly buffeting us.

Artemis frowns at me. "'Sunlight'?"

"Sunlight empowers kryptonian organelles, prompting them to generate a sort of biological force field around their body. That in turn grants them unusual strength, endurance, and the ability to fly."

"And… These others? The small ones resemble the large ones so I presume that they are related."

"Genomorphs. Synthetic organic species… Plural. The big ones are g-trolls, the tiny ones are g-gnomes and the ones lurking at strategic locations just in case they have to restrain someone are g-elves. The one entertaining the children is a g-pooka, Dubbilex himself is a g-goblin and the actual implantation of the g-sanchong will be handled by the g-magtatangal. They share a lot of biology in common, but each type is adapted to perform a particular role. They're also part of a telepathic hive mind."

**Orange Lantern, and guests.**

**Dubbilex. Would you mind talking Queen Artemis through things?**

**No. That is a simple matter, and I have no role in the surgery. Would you like to come inside?**

**On our way.** I turn to Artemis. "Did he include you?"

She nods. "I have not encountered telepathy before."

I gesture to the shopping centre again, and we start walking. "I did warn you that Earth was a madhouse. We get a little of everything here. Our last major invasion was our own time travelling descendants from the far future."

"Would they not know that they lost?"

I shake my head. "I… Don't know. It's possible that the attack was essential to allow them to come to exist in the first place or something. Or that their records of this era aren't good and they don't know which iteration of human civilisation they're descended from. That wasn't the first time they've attacked from the future, but it will be the last."

"'Will be'? Is it still ongoing?"

"Not-. Ah, we took some sheeda prisoner, but it's time travel. The attack hasn't been launched yet."

She smiles. "I suppose that does confuse the tenses."

We reach the entry… Looks like time and casual violence destroyed the glass doors which used to be here. G-elves with brooms and vacuums have done their best to clean things up a bit in the short time they've had, but years of neglect don't vanish overnight. Not without a very specific set of superpowers, anyway.

Huh. I should ask him about the g-lusca. See if they've got any ideas about reconstruction.

Mitchell is talking to the first nervous-looking volunteer, while Dubbilex turns away from the g-trolls and walks towards us.

"I felt that you were not entirely comfortable with telepathy. Would you prefer speech?"

Artemis nods. "Yes, thank you. You are Dubbilex?"

"Indeed. Would you like to discuss the procedure, or do you simply wish to observe?"

"What is it that you are gong to do?"

He turns to look towards the operating area, where the now-reassured patient is getting onto a gurney. "The g-magtatangal will remove the patient's capacity to feel pain. Then, they will make an incision in the patient's abdomen and insert the g-sanchong. The g-magtatangal will then guide it into position through a combination of telepathy and physical force. Once in position, the g-sanchong will make the attachments itself and the g-magtatangal will close and suture the incision. I estimate two minutes per procedure."

Queen Artemis looks back through the opening to the street, and the slowly growing crowd of people gathering there. "How would you describe the general state of health of the people of this city?"

"Poor. Many have signs of narcotic use and withdrawal. Many also have injuries. Poor nutrition, unsanitary conditions and intravenous drug use have increased their vulnerability to disease."

"And the g-sanchong will alleviate those?"

"Some. A g-sanchong cannot fix nutritional problems, and it will only accelerate healing to a degree. But it is excellent at combating disease and the consequences of narcotic use."

"Does it use magic, or is it purely physical in nature?"

"It uses magic to a small degree. Since our failure to contain our g-oni brothers we have become more conservative with granting our new brothers innate magical abilities. The g-sanchong becomes an artificial chakra point once integrated into its host body. This increases its capacity to heal beyond what is possible through normal organic healing."

"Are you using one?"

He lifts his shirt, indicating a small scar. "Yes. It is quite helpful."

"Does it work on other species?"

"It is intended for humans. It would need to be further modified for other species in order to avoid an immune system response. Assuming the intended host was broadly similar to human, it should be possible to adapt one."

"Would-?"

**Brother.** The g-magtatangal looks in our direction, claws raised... A little too ominously. Mitchell gently pushes them back down. **I am ready to begin.**

Dubbilex nods. "My brother is ready to perform the procedure. Perhaps we can continue this discussion after the demonstration."
 
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5th June 2013
07:43 GMT -5


"Kon-?" He looks around. "Match? I didn't know you were getting involved."

He carefully hands off the… Growth chamber that he was carrying to a couple of g-trolls, and then lands and walks over to us.
I'm not surprised he's the one here. Besides his closer sympathies to the Genomorphs, he's a more Compassionate individual than Conner (who is more aligned with Fury.)

"Dubbilex needed a hand setting up."

I frown. "I'd-." No, no, this was a rush job, and it's not like he could phone me on Themyscira. I stop frowning. "Thank you for your help. Ah, Queen Artemis, this is my friend and colleague Match. Match, Queen Artemis."
An unexpected meeting, but not an unpleasant one. And given how distant he's been, it's not like they'd keep him constantly posted on their activities.

Match hesitates for a moment, being forced to change mental gears suddenly. But he recovers, and gives her a shallow bow. "Your majesty."

"Greetings, Match." She looks slightly puzzled. "You were flying, and yet I feel little magic emanating from you."
Ah, she's not familiar with Kryptonians, then. No doubt they never made it to her corner of the galaxy over the centuries.

"Little-? Oh." He pulls out his ward and shows it to her. "Yeah, I'm kryptonian. We don't use magic to fly. Just sunlight." He turns to me. "I'm sorry, I want to help them finish setting up before school."

"Oh." I wave in the general direction of the dilapidated shopping centre where Dubbilex appears to be setting up. "By all means."
Wonder if OL mentioned the personal wards to her. Her people probably have other methods for protection from magic, but it's certainly an interesting alternative.

He flies about a metre in that direction, then stops and turns back. "You wanna talk to Dubbilex?"

I look at Queen Artemis, who is momentarily distracted by a g-pooka who is making faces at one of the bolder children in the line near the entrance.
And with a name like that, I can't help but picture a short humanoid with big, flappy ears...

"Yes. I would. Thank you."

"No problem. I'll tell him."

And he's gone, a weak slipstream mildly buffeting us.
I mean, Dubbilex probably already knows he's here, given the interlinked nature of the Genomorphs.

Artemis frowns at me. "'Sunlight'?"

"Sunlight empowers kryptonian organelles, prompting them to generate a sort of biological force field around their body. That in turn grants them unusual strength, endurance, and the ability to fly."

"And… These others? The small ones resemble the large ones so I presume that they are related."
It's kind of impressive, I know. Some species really win the superpower lottery... Or cheat using bio-engineering.

"Genomorphs. Synthetic organic species… Plural. The big ones are g-trolls, the tiny ones are g-gnomes and the ones lurking at strategic locations just in case they have to restrain someone are g-elves. The one entertaining the children is a g-pooka, Dubbilex himself is a g-goblin and the actual implantation of the g-sanchong will be handled by the g-magtatangal. They share a lot of biology in common, but each type is adapted for perform a particular role. They're also have a telepathic hive mind."
And yes, that mythological naming scheme is a part of their appeal. Though the G-nomes have the most punny one.

**Orange Lantern, and guests.**

**Dubbilex. Would you mind talking Queen Artemis through things?**
Preferably with vocals, not telepathy. I expect there are rules of etiquette on her world about mental magics.

**No. That is a simple matter, and I have no role in the surgery. Would you like to come inside?**

**On our way.** I turn to Artemis. "Did he include you?"
And how shocked was she by the contact? Depending on whether her world has that kind of thing.

She nods. "I have not encountered telepathy before."

I gesture to the shopping centre again, and we start walking. "I did warn you that Earth was a madhouse. We get a little of everything here. Our last major invasion was our own time travelling descendants from the far future."
He says it so casually, that even though it sound insane, you want to believe him. Such is the joy of Earth Bullshit™

"Would they not know that they lost?"

I shake my head. "I… Don't know. It's possible that the attack was essential to allow them to come to exist in the first place or something. Or that their records of this era aren't good and they don't know which iteration of human civilisation they're descended from. That wasn't the first time they've attacked from the future, but it will be the last."
That you know of. Who knows with time travel these days?

"'Will be'? Is it still ongoing?"

"Not-. Ah, we took some sheeda prisoner, but it's time travel. The attack hasn't been launched yet."

She smiles. "I suppose that does confuse the tenses."
...Does her world have time magic? Or at least the theoretical ability to discuss the mechanics of it? because that stuff is confusing.

We reach the entry… Looks like time and casual violence destroyed the glass doors which used to be here. G-elves with brooms and vacuums have done their best to clean things up a bit in the short time they've had, but years of neglect don't vanish overnight. Not without a very specific set up superpowers, anyway.
Like, say, an Orange Power Ring. But simple cleanup like that is probably not a priority over essential utilities and minimum standards of living.

Huh. I should ask him about the g-lusca. See if they've got any ideas about reconstruction.

Mitchell is talking to the first nervous-looking volunteer, while Dubbilex turns away from the g-trolls and walks towards us.
A Lusca? Since the oceans may be clean, but there's no guarantee they'll stay that way?

"I felt that you were not entirely comfortable with telepathy. Would you prefer speech?"

Artemis nods. "Yes, thank you. You are Dubbilex?"
IT was that clear in that momentary contact? Then again, as a ruler, she's probably got a great many things she doesn't want other people learning from rummaging around in her head.

"Indeed. Would you like to discuss the procedure, or do you simply wish to observe?"

"What is it that you are gong to do?"
...Hmm. Is surgery even a thing on her world, or has healing magic made it less necessary? I could see it going both ways.

He turns to look towards the operating area, where the now-reassured patient is getting onto a gurney. "The g-magtatangal will remove the patient's capacity to feel pain. Then, they will make an incision in the patient's abdomen and insert the g-sanchong. The g-magtatangal will then guide it into position through a combination of telepathy and physical force. Once in position, the g-sanchong will make the attachments itself and the g-magtatangal will close and suture the incision. I estimate two minutes per procedure."
Another mythological inspiration, eh? Have to wonder how the collective comes up with their naming scheme.

Queen Artemis looks back through the opening to the street, and the slowly growing crowd of people gathering there. "How would you describe the general state of health of the people of this city?"

"Poor. Many have signs of narcotic use and withdrawal. Many also have injuries. Poor nutrition, unsanitary conditions and intravenous drug use have increased their vulnerability to disease."
Pretty bad shape, even for modern living. Nature of Hub City, i suppose.

"And the g-sanchong will alleviate those?"

"Some. A g-sanchong cannot fix nutritional problems, and it will only accelerate healing to a degree. But it is excellent at combating disease and the consequences of narcotic use."
As a reminder, the 'Three Worms' of Chinese mythology. Appropriate to use the name of things that seek to make the host sick for something that makes them healthy.

"Does it use magic, or is it purely physical in nature?"

"It uses magic to a small degree. Since our failure to contain our g-oni brothers we have become more conservative with granting our new brothers innate magical abilities. The g-sanchong becomes an artificial chakra point once integrated into its host body. This increases its capacity to heal beyond what is possible through normal organic healing."
Good to see they're being careful, having been burnt once.

"Are you using one?"

He lifts his shirt, indicating a small scar. "Yes. It is quite helpful."
"I'm not just the president of the company, I'm a customer."

"Does it work on other species?"

"It is intended for humans. It would need to be further modified for other species in order to avoid an immune system response. Assuming the intended host was broadly similar to human, it should be possible to adapt one."
So, about half the galaxy, with adjustments. Seriously...

"Would-?"

**Brother.** The g-magtatangal looks in our direction, claws raised... A little too ominously. Mitchell gently pushes them back down. **I am ready to begin.**

Dubbilex nods. "My brother is ready to perform the procedure. Perhaps we can continue this discussion after the demonstration."
Let me guess, one hand or set of hands with surgical scalpel-grade claws, another dextrous enough to suture injuries.

Interesting to see how much the Genomorph collective is diversifying their specialised species. And how many they can align with existing mythology for their naming scheme. 😏 Joy of being able to customise their physiology as they do. At any rate, I hope the surgeries aren't being performed in plain sight, or there might be extra mess in the building...
 
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I'm curious how sturdy the sanchongs are. The heimlich maneuver is more likely than chest compressions to damage it. Aside from that, a knife wound or car crash could damage it. Or could damage organs around it if it has a tough carapace.

I don't think I'm especially squeamish, but I'd find this terrifying. Printing organs? Fully mechanical hearts? Sure. Letting this thing in temporarily for a surgical procedure instead of metal tools? Okay. This creature maintaining a telepathic connection to a civilian population of over a thousand minds…? No no no. I'd need to be paid for it.
 
"Genomorphs. Synthetic organic species… Plural. The big ones are g-trolls, the tiny ones are g-gnomes and the ones lurking at strategic locations just in case they have to restrain someone are g-elves. The one entertaining the children is a g-pooka, Dubbilex himself is a g-goblin and the actual implantation of the g-sanchong will be handled by the g-magtatangal. They share a lot of biology in common, but each type is adapted for perform a particular role. They're also have a telepathic hive mind."
'performing'
or
Extraneous 'perform'
'They'
or
Extraneous 'have'
We reach the entry… Looks like time and casual violence destroyed the glass doors which used to be here. G-elves with brooms and vacuums have done their best to clean things up a bit in the short time they've had, but years of neglect don't vanish overnight. Not without a very specific set up superpowers, anyway.
'set of'
I'm curious how sturdy the sanchongs are. The heimlich maneuver is more likely than chest compressions to damage it. Aside from that, a knife wound or car crash could damage it. Or could damage organs around it if it has a tough carapace.

I don't think I'm especially squeamish, but I'd find this terrifying. Printing organs? Fully mechanical hearts? Sure. Letting this thing in temporarily for a surgical procedure instead of metal tools? Okay. This creature maintaining a telepathic connection to a civilian population of over a thousand minds…? No no no. I'd need to be paid for it.
I imagine it's more appealing if you're a drug addict who can no longer access the drugs you're addicted to, and you live in a ruined city with very poor medical care to protect from disease and withdrawal.
 
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That you know of. Who knows with time travel thee days?
these
A Lusca? Since the oceans may be clean, but there's no guarantee they'll stay that way?
Sort of. G-lusca are named after them due to their need for a tank of fluid to live in, but they're actually organic supercomputers.
I'm curious how sturdy the sanchongs are. The heimlich maneuver is more likely than chest compressions to damage it. Aside from that, a knife wound or car crash could damage it. Or could damage organs around it if it has a tough carapace.
They're not tough, they're flexible. If the host is squeezed enough to damage one then the host is probably dead anyway.
'performing'
or
Extraneous 'perform'
'They'
or
Extraneous 'have'
'set of'
Thank you, corrected.
 
@Mr Zoat, regarding the Amazons that Paul helped impregnate, how old are the children now? They must have been born by now.
They were born a while ago. I think the eldest are a little over one?
What happens to a person with one of these installed if they get attacked by a thaumophage like Robert?
Depends. If it literally was Robert, nothing much. There's not enough magic involved. If it was a general draining effect, they'd be hurt, but ripping someone's soul out is usually fairly dangerous.
 
I have got to say, it is actually amazing to see this fanfic still being continued. I remember reading it a long time ago and dropping at some point and now when I frequent this site, to see this fic still going strong for almost a decade is truly great, it is likely the biggest fanfiction out there. I wonder if author even has plans to end this or not. Keep up the good work
 
I have got to say, it is actually amazing to see this fanfic still being continued. I remember reading it a long time ago and dropping at some point and now when I frequent this site, to see this fic still going strong for almost a decade is truly great, it is likely the biggest fanfiction out there. I wonder if author even has plans to end this or not. Keep up the good work

We passed a full decade more than a year ago. Zoat said he was celebrating by drinking and crying.

But yes, it's very impressive and he plans to end in year five of the story. We're in year 3.
 
The Man (part 20) New
5th June 2013
09:13 GMT -5

I feel a bit bad for thinking it, but I think… Hitler was wasting his time with governance and painting.

"Of-of course, these are…" Mr. Schreiber squirms awkwardly. "These are just… Ah, initial drawings."

I'm not sure I could draw buildings that well with my rings. A day since I dropped the commission in his lap and he's already got… A hundred photographs of Hub City from various periods of history, then from them other photographs of contemporary buildings in the same style. Notes on sunlight levels throughout the year, the water table, prevailing wind directions. Notes on what he wants to simply restore (basically nothing), modify (some of the churches and civic buildings) and what might possibly be stripped for materials. Some notes on scheduling, because he understands that people are living here and need to live and eat somewhere. The bare bones of costings and timelines for the acquisition of materials that can't be acquired locally.

No real building plans yet, but… I'm impressed.

I… Think the Orange Lantern Corps might have a job for him once the war with the Reach is over.

Mayor Connelly-Fermin exhales through her nose. "I didn't realise that Hub City used to look… Good."

"No." Mr. Schreiber shakes his head. "It did not. Substandard materials, poor layouts… Even the buildings that looked good were copies of other buildings from elsewhere. You think that it did because it became worse later." He turns to Queen Artemis. "I am sorry that it is not better organised. I was not expecting royalty."

"Is this all your work?"

"No, no, no. Not all of it. I have, ah… Assistants. At the moment they are mostly out making recordings, checking levels of decay…" He shakes his head, shrugging. "Because we will have to replace so much, it is more about knowing what we can leave until later rather than what can remain."

Assistants are new. I guess his wife leaned on him about that.

"It… Ah. It hurt me in the soul to see a city like this. So unloved."

He doesn't say anything for a moment, staring wistfully at a bird's eye view picture of Hub City. Then he looks around and noticed that we're all staring at him, and he tenses up again.

"But-. But we can fix that, given time. And resources. And since Orange Lantern is throwing money at the problem, it is turned into a manageable problem."

Queen Artemis nods. "Master Schreiber, do you have a supernatural power?"

"No. No, God be with me. I do not-. I am not comfortable with that."

"Mister Schreiber is an exceptionally skilled but essentially -and I mean no offence when I say this- normal man."

He nods. "And I am very happy to be a normal man. I like my work. And I appreciate having this opportunity. One civic building is a notable work. Rebuilding an entire city, well… If I am successful, it will put my name in the history books."

"And work as a doctoral thesis?"

"Ah… Maybe. It might…" He shrugs, shaking his head. "Even if it does not-. No. If I had a choice between the two, I would choose this."

I wait for a moment, but Artemis doesn't seem to have anything else that she wants to ask him.

"Well, ah… Thank you for your time, Mister Schreiber. I think we can leave you to it..?" Artemis nods. "Madam Mayor?"

"Yes… This way."

We follow her out of Mr. Schreiber's studio, into… Well, I suspect that it used to be a break room of some sort. Cracked plastic chairs, soft chairs held together with masking tape and… There's a kettle on a sideboard.

Mayor Connelly-Fermin shrugs helplessly. Queen Artemis hesitates for a moment, then makes a circling motion with her right hand. The floor shimmers, the chairs levitate a little and the light fittings rattle as… Stains vanish, threadbare fabric is restored and tears seal themselves.

"Ah… Thank… You."

Queen Artemis sits primly down on a chair made for ease of stacking, hands placed neat in her lap. "It is no matter."

The mayor takes a seat close by, pulling it a little closer so that she can look directly at Artemis. I generate a construct chair and form a huddle, while the other advisors chose between the remaining chairs and just standing.

"Please, tell me about your city."

"It's-." She sighs. "I told Orange Lantern that if I had any kind of life outside of this place, I'd have left. Heh." She sighs. "I'd like to see it fixed. But I'm not a…"

She gestures vaguely to Artemis and to me.

"I can't make it happen, but for some reason Orange Lantern has decided to take pity on us. I can't.. offer you anything, but vehicle manufacturing was the only major industry we ever had, and if we can start it up again… I'll do just about anything to make that happen."

She smiles, and pulls up her shirt to show a small scar on her abdomen.

"Got mine implanted yesterday. Dubbilex told me that it.. deals with the effects of stress hormones too. I actually slept through last night."

Artemis nods. "I have seen little magic on this world. Will the Dolmen Gates cause a problem?"

"Compared to what?" She makes a helpless gesture with her right hand. "No. Orange Lantern's been using them in other places, too. He did a demonstration a couple of years ago that I.. missed. Apparently."

I nod. "Got a surprisingly knowledgeable volunteer from the audience to walk through it and everything."

"We can't maintain them, but we can't even maintain our road surfaces so there's nothing new there. And us even having a use for them is dependent on getting our manufacturing started up again. I've got a few people down at Dubbilex's surgery to ask people about their employment history…" She looks at me. "I don't know if you've made any progress..?"

"Not as yet. I've pencilled that in for tomorrow, but it will help if we've actually got accommodation and at least one plant up and running to show them."

She smiles humourlessly. "It won't be the first Catch Twenty Two I've had to deal with. So, yeah, it's a whole series of long shots but it's better than nothing."

Artemis nods. "Do you have a contact in the government of your world who I should speak to about our plans?"

The mayor frowns. "Our world? Um, no? We don't have a world government."

"The United Nations does not oversee your contact with other worlds?"

"I didn't even know the U.N. was still running."

Artemis looks at me. "Are you better informed?"

"Contact with other worlds would be handled at the nation-state level, if at all."

Artemis nods again. "Your national government, then?"

"I wasn't sure they were still running."

"Reconstruction is being overseen by the Justice League. Me buying things from an alien world doesn't require their involvement."

She frowns, puzzled. "Are you certain?"

"I can try and get a meeting with President Knight if you want, but it's… Most places are under some sort of emergency rule, and the League has authority to do whatever's necessary. Until things normalise, I don't need the approval of anyone except Batman to involve you. It's not how things normally work, but this isn't a normal situation."

"I can't imagine having an arrangement like this on my own world. It would be… It would be the same as abdicating my throne."

I shrug, wincing inwardly.

"But if you say that is how things are, then we shall continue on that basis. Madam Mayor, how are you feeding your people?"
 
I feel a bit bad for thinking it, but I think… Hitler was wasting his time with governance and painting.

"Of-of course, these are…" Mr. Schreiber squirms awkwardly. "These are just… Ah, initial drawings.
I was confused as all hell before I remembered that, oh right, this guy is the reincarnation of Hitler. (I think?)

Like that was a whole little thing that happened right? Nazis tried to track down Hitler's reincarnation to do some magic mumbo jumbo to bring him back? And this poor dude has to deal with that knowledge now?
 
That is what happened, yes. Clone Hitler also married an South American black woman and had... I want to say three kids? And also stabbed one of the Nazi villains with the Spear of Destiny? I'm pretty sure I'm remembering that right but I've vaguer on the specifics. It was a mildly amusing arc.
 
5th June 2013
09:13 GMT -5


I feel a bit bad for thinking it, but I think… Hitler was wasting his time with governance and painting.

"Of-of course, these are…" Mr. Schreiber squirms awkwardly. "These are just… Ah, initial drawings."
If anyone wants to picture him, imagine a healthy, younger Hitler, with a tan and no (or a better) moustache, speaking English with a Brazilian accent. Currently working as an architect and city planner after his family left what is now Accalacan.

I'm not sure I could draw buildings that well with my rings. A day since I dropped the commission in his lap and he's already got… A hundred photographs of Hub City from various periods of history, then from them other photographs of contemporary buildings in the same style. Notes on sunlight levels throughout the year, the water table, prevailing wind directions. Notes on what he wants to simply restore (basically nothing), modify (some of the churches and civic buildings) and what might possibly be stripped for materials. Some notes on scheduling, because he understands that people are living here and need to live and eat somewhere. The bare bones of costings and timelines for the acquisition of materials that can't be acquired locally.
Architectural design does make use of more specialised artistic skills than most art forms. As well as engineering knowledge (for building materials) And a solid sense of history. Also evidently quite the organisational skillset.

No real building plans yet, but… I'm impressed.

I… Think the Orange Lantern Corps might have a job for him once the war with the Reach is over.
Well, that would be a heck of a step up in his career.

Mayor Connelly-Fermin exhales through her nose. "I didn't realise that Hub City used to look… Good."

"No." Mr. Schreiber shakes his head. "It did not. Substandard materials, poor layouts… Even the buildings that looked good were copies of other buildings from elsewhere. You think that it did because it became worse later." He turns to Queen Artemis. "I am sorry that it is not better organised. I was not expecting royalty."
That's fair. All this was a bit off-the-cuff by OL. Perhaps, with Helmut's steady hand giving it some consistency, Hub City could become one of the most beautiful cities in DC America.

"Is this all your work?"

"No, no, no. Not all of it. I have, ah… Assistants. At the moment they are mostly out making recordings, checking levels of decay…" He shakes his head, shrugging. "Because we will have to replace so much, it is more about knowing what we can leave until later rather than what can remain."
I can see this being a job too big for one man. And evidently he's been considering his health.

Assistants are new. I guess his wife leaned on him about that.

"It… Ah. It hurt me in the soul to see a city like this. So unloved."
A wise man listens to his wife. It's good to see him so passionate about his work.

He doesn't say anything for a moment, staring wistfully at a bird's eye view picture of Hub City. Then he looks around and noticed that we're all staring at him, and he tenses up again.

"But-. But we can fix that, given time. And resources. And since Orange Lantern is throwing money at the problem, it is turned into a manageable problem."
One of the ultimate superpowers: All the Money.

Queen Artemis nods. "Master Schreiber, do you have a supernatural power?"

"No. No, God be with me. I do not-. I am not comfortable with that."
Reasonably devout, I see. Hopefully he isn't suffering any PTSD from using the Spear of Destiny to stab a nazi.

"Mister Schreiber is an exceptionally skilled but essentially -and I mean no offence when I say this- normal man."

He nods. "And I am very happy to be a normal man. I like my work. And I appreciate having this opportunity. One civic building is a notable work. Rebuilding an entire city, well… If I am successful, it will put my name in the history books."
And thankfully for a better reason than his genetic original.

"And work as a doctoral thesis?"

"Ah… Maybe. It might…" He shrugs, shaking his head. "Even if it does not-. No. If I had a choice between the two, I would choose this."
He might well join the headiest of heights amongst other grand, famous architects.

I wait for a moment, but Artemis doesn't seem to have anything else that she wants to ask him.

"Well, ah… Thank you for your time, Mister Schreiber. I think we can leave you to it..?" Artemis nods. "Madam Mayor?"
To be fair, she probably doesn't really have a point of reference for the designs yet. They basically came straight here from Themyscira, didn't they, no stops to see other modern Cities...

"Yes… This way."

We follow her out of Mr. Schreiber's studio, into… Well, I suspect that it used to be a break room of some sort. Cracked plastic chairs, soft chairs held together with masking tape and… There's a kettle on a sideboard.
Heh, I've seen rooms like that before. Usually a result of rapid rearrangement of offices or other workspaces...

Mayor Connelly-Fermin shrugs helplessly. Queen Artemis hesitates for a moment, then makes a circling motion with her right hand. The floor shimmers, the chairs levitate a little and the light fittings rattle as… Stains vanish, threadbare fabric is restored and tears seal themselves.
Heck, if she didn't do it OL probably would have.

"Ah… Thank… You."

Queen Artemis sits primly down on a chair made for ease of stacking, hands placed neat in her lap. "It is no matter."
An incongruous image, a magical lady in what I'm betting is a tubular-frame steel chair with a plastic seat.

The mayor takes a seat close by, pulling it a little closer so that she can look directly at Artemis. I generate a construct chair and form a huddle, while the other advisors chose between the remaining chairs and just standing.

"Please, tell me about your city."
Ah, looking to hear about it form someone other than OL, I see.

"It's-." She sighs. "I told Orange Lantern that if I had any kind of life outside of this place, I'd have left. Heh." She sighs. "I'd like to see it fixed. But I'm not a…"

She gestures vaguely to Artemis and to me.
I think they get the sentiment. Not everyone can be empowered like that, as much as OL would like it that way. Some people definitely shouldn't.

"I can't make it happen, but for some reason Orange Lantern has decided to take pity on us. I can't.. offer you anything, but vehicle manufacturing was the only major industry we ever had, and if we can start it up again… I'll do just about anything to make that happen."

She smiles, and pulls up her shirt to show a small scar on her abdomen.

"Got mine implanted yesterday. Dubbilex told me that it.. deals with the effects of stress hormones too. I actually slept through last night."
Good for her. I can't imagine keeping this hole running would be peaceful and relaxing.

Artemis nods. "I have seen little magic on this world. Will the Dolmen Gates cause a problem?"

"Compared to what?" She makes a helpless gesture with her right hand. "No. Orange Lantern's been using them in other places, too. He did a demonstration a couple of years ago that I.. missed. Apparently."

I nod. "Got a surprisingly knowledgeable volunteer from the audience to walk through it and everything."
Definitely would have got a few sceptics on side, I suspect.

"We can't maintain them, but we can't even maintain our road surfaces so there's nothing new there. And us even having a use for them is dependent on getting our manufacturing started up again. I've got a few people down at Dubbilex's surgery to ask people about their employment history…" She looks at me. "I don't know if you've made any progress..?"
Hey, OL can work fast, but not that fast. Besides, he's been busy.

"Not as yet. I've pencilled that in for tomorrow, but it will help if we've actually got accommodation and at least one plant up and running to show them."

She smiles humourlessly. "It won't be the first Catch Twenty Two I've had to deal with. So, yeah, it's a whole series of long shots but it's better than nothing."
Something of a 'lift yourself by your own bootstraps' situation, huh? Need at least one factory running to get investments, but you need investments to get one running?

Artemis nods. "Do you have a contact in the government of your world who I should speak to about our plans?"

The mayor frowns. "Our world? Um, no? We don't have a world government."
It's funny how many alien planets in fiction do operate on 'one world, one government' ideals...

"The United Nations does not oversee your contact with other worlds?"

"I didn't even know the U.N. was still running."
TO be fair, it's not really able to do much yet, other than handle bureaucratic stuff for the League... I assume so, anyway.

Artemis looks at me. "Are you better informed?"

"Contact with other worlds would be handled at the nation-state level, if at all."
And would need to be very carefully handled to prevent other nations from getting annoyed and/or trying to horn in on them.

Artemis nods again. "Your national government, then?"

"I wasn't sure they were still running."
Eh, it's like getting a boulder rolling. Takes a lot of sweat and grunting, but once it shifts... The hard part will be stopping it from rolling too fast.

"Reconstruction is being overseen by the Justice League. Me buying things from an alien world doesn't require their involvement."

She frowns, puzzled. "Are you certain?"
Eh, once things are set up, it's easier to grandfather them into existing arrangements.

"I can try and get a meeting with President Knight if you want, but it's… Most places are under some sort of emergency rule, and the League has authority to do whatever's necessary. Until things normalise, I don't need the approval of anyone except Batman to involve you. It's not how things normally work, but this isn't a normal situation."
And given what was said about him before, it's not necessarily a good thing. Heck, I'd be lying if I didn't think this would have been a perfect time for someone to pull a replacement gambit.

"I can't imagine having an arrangement like this on my own world. It would be… It would be the same as abdicating my throne."

I shrug, wincing inwardly.

"But if you say that is how things are, then we shall continue on that basis. Madam Mayor, how are you feeding your people?"
To be fair, a lot of said 'thrones' on Earth are still wobbly if not outright empty.

It's nice to see Helmut again, and doing well for himself at that. And I get the feeling Artemis is starting to realise just what sort of situation she's sticking her oar into, here on Earth. Despite the wishes of beings like Smiley for a quick return to the status quo, real life doesn't work that way (even in a superhero universe!)
 
That is what happened, yes. Clone Hitler also married an South American black woman and had... I want to say three kids? And also stabbed one of the Nazi villains with the Spear of Destiny? I'm pretty sure I'm remembering that right but I've vaguer on the specifics. It was a mildly amusing arc.
I don't recall the number of kids either but you got most of the rest of the details correct. To clarify, Mr. Schreiber is actually a clone as you called him and not a reincarnation, since Hitler's soul was sent to hell and is probably unrecognizable. The Nazi villains, which were Captain Nazi and his wizard brother, were trying to get the secret Hitler clone to do a ritual and summon whatever was left of Hitler's soul. What exactly they were trying to create I can't remember.

Oh, I remember that Captain Nazi turned out to be an artificial version of Uncle Sam for Nazi Germany and the team got to claim the bounty on the Nazi villains' heads.
 
Huh…I don't want to bring up current American fascist talking points - like claiming Hitler loved his people, or anything, but I do like how you gave his clone a love for architecture, which is genuinely something I think he demonstrated with his art career. This is where Hitler started
 
"Of-of course, these are…" Mr. Schreiber squirms awkwardly. "These are just… Ah, initial drawings."

I'm not sure I could draw buildings that well with my rings. A day since I dropped the commission in his lap and he's already got… A hundred photographs of Hub City from various periods of history, then from them other photographs of contemporary buildings in the same style. Notes on sunlight levels throughout the year, the water table, prevailing wind directions. Notes on what he wants to simply restore (basically nothing), modify (some of the churches and civic buildings) and what might possibly be stripped for materials. Some notes on scheduling, because he understands that people are living here and need to live and eat somewhere. The bare bones of costings and timelines for the acquisition of materials that can't be acquired locally.
OL should know well enough to at least wave a runestone around, especially after the whole Vega video game debacle.
 
I was confused as all hell before I remembered that, oh right, this guy is the reincarnation of Hitler. (I think?)

Like that was a whole little thing that happened right? Nazis tried to track down Hitler's reincarnation to do some magic mumbo jumbo to bring him back? And this poor dude has to deal with that knowledge now?
Just a clone, not a reincarnation. The guy who made him intended to just eject Schreiber's soul and use his body as a vessel to drag back whatever remained of original Hitler's soul from hell, and then use that as a focus to build some ideal magical embodiment of fascism or something.
 
I… Think the Orange Lantern Corps might have a job for him once the war with the Reach is over.
Rebuilding an entire city, well… If I am successful, it will put my name in the history books."
Build enough cities on enough worlds and he might be more memorable than the other guy.

Queen Artemis hesitates for a moment, then makes a circling motion with her right hand. The floor shimmers, the chairs levitate a little and the light fittings rattle as… Stains vanish, threadbare fabric is restored and tears seal themselves.
Prestidigitation and Mending. Never go adventuring without them.
 

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