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

[AverusBlack]

Orange Lantern has killed more innocents then Jax-ur.

Click to shrink...

I never said he didn't. It's a utility calculation. Jax-Ur is indiscriminate; the Illustres is all about being discriminate. A straight body count isn't what makes him unworthy, it's the callousness of his actions. Paul would feel bad if he killed somebody he didn't intend to kill. Jax-Ur would just shrug and go about his day. It's not the same.

Also please don't waste my time with useless whataboutism. I know you have a hate-on for the story and I really don't care. You seem to be one of those people who is contrarian just for the sake of it and I find those people tiresome. You are the only person here I do not want to engage with, so put me on ignore and leave me alone please.

 

[Vaermina]

I never said he didn't. It's a utility calculation. Jax-Ur is indiscriminate; the Illustres is all about being discriminate. A straight body count isn't what makes him unworthy, it's the callousness of his actions. Paul would feel bad if he killed somebody he didn't intend to kill. Jax-Ur would just shrug and go about his day. It's not the same.

Also please don't waste my time with useless whataboutism. I know you have a hate-on for the story and I really don't care. You seem to be one of those people who is contrarian just for the sake of it and I find those people tiresome. You are the only person here I do not want to engage with, so put me on ignore and leave me alone please.

Click to shrink...

Orange Lantern didn't really feel bad about all the innocent slaves he killed when he colony dropped that Citadel world.

 

[Mr Zoat]

12th August 2013
16:10 EST

I stare down at the planet while Arisia finishes her scans. I can see places where people live, I can see roads, and I can see what I think are water reservoirs, but I'm… Not seeing a whole lot of industry. That could just be… This part? I dunno. I don't wanna decide the planet's primitive and then find out that I was looking at a nature reserve or just somewhere backwards.

"Huh."

I look around. "Find something?"

"I'm not used to planets this primitive."

Oh. "How primitive are we talking?"

"No radio. No semaphore. No roads in a lot of places."

"Is it because they haven't got there yet, or is it because they're stuck behind that Wall thing?"

"Ah. I'm not so good at xenosociology or geophysics." She goes back to looking at the planet. "Looks like… Some coal and oil? I don't know what the normal amount is. And that's not really why we're here."

"If they don't even have radio yet, I guess they couldn't have sent Lyla to Krypton."

"Not by themselves. But she could easily have gotten to Krypton during the Kryptonian Empire."

"I don't actually know much about that part of Krypton's history."

I glance at her ring. Must be nice to have all that knowledge available whenever you want it.

"You don't?"

"I was created on Earth, remember? I've never even spoken to anyone who was actually on Krypton, certainly not hundreds of years ago."

"You didn't speak to the Sub-Commander?"

I shrug. "She was busy, and honestly? It's not really my history."

"Except literally?"

"All I got from Krypton is my strength. Culturally, I'm American and Themysciran. It just doesn't mean as much to me as it does to Superman." I look down at the planet again. "Are we going down, or does that violate the prime directive?"

"The Green Lantern Corps doesn't have a prime directive. Going to primitive places and make sure nothing bad is happening is part of our job."

I nod. "I guess the same's true about the Justice League. It's not just the advanced parts of Earth we go to. So where do we start?"

"We don't have any idea where she came from or where their centre of government is… But I do have a record of where the old Kryptonian Empire way station used to be. If she got off planet on one of their ships, she'd probably have done it there."

I guess that's as good a place to start as anywhere. "Makes sense."

We don't go anywhere.

"So..?"

"Oh. I just-. I'm used to getting orders from Hal or my team leader for team missions. I-." We glow as she focuses, and then we get moving, slipping us inside the atmosphere and around the planet. "I haven't gotten into the habit of just… Doing stuff."

"Aren't Green Lanterns picked for being strong willed?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean 'pig-headed'. I won't give up when there's a job to do… But I haven't gotten used to deciding what the job is, yet."

"How long do Green Lanterns usually get mentored for?"

"Usually, less than a year."

"Uh…"

"I know. But-. You know that film we watched, with the soldiers?"

"Can you narrow it down?"

"Something about someone called Ryan?"

"Oh." That makes sense. "Right. You mean, because so many members of your family died for the Green Lantern Corps, they've put you with the best Lantern they've got, in a Sector with three other Green Lanterns, plus everyone else?"

"Hal's… Great, and I know I'm learning a lot that I wouldn't be able to if I was just flying around my Sector on my own. But I'm not sure I'm really… Pulling my weight?"

"I don't think your home Sector ever got Anti-Lifed."

"No, that-. That never happened. But that only lasted a month and I wasn't even involved in attacking Washington."

"If you wanna try planning a mission, you can just ask Kaldur. The whole reason the team exists is to help us learn stuff in a controlled environment." Uh… "But, maybe… Maybe don't talk to Paul about it."

"Why not? Won't he help?"

"He will…" I exhale, trying to work out how to explain it when she hasn't actually spent all that much time with him. "But his ideas about what makes someone effective aren't… Always things you'll be comfortable doing."

She looks at me. "Ah… Did he..? Do something..?"

"Not to me. But I was made in a tank. My ideas about 'normal'… Kinda weren't. He… Turned Themysciran society on its head to get me a home and a better suit of armor. And I appreciate it, and I know Wally likes not having to eat his own bodyweight in food every day. But sometimes it doesn't go so well."

"But if I'm trying to push myself…"

"Maybe try asking Kaldur or Green Lantern first."

"Okay."

We slow down as we approach the ground. It looks like there's a town here, built around a lake…

That's not a natural lake. That's a crater that filled with water.

People down below are looking up at us and pointing. Doesn't look like anyone's panicking, but a few people are heading towards a building… With guys in armor in it. Some of the crystals on the armor look like something that would have come from Krypton, so that confirms the connection.

I pull away from Arisia's flight aura and head towards the largest concentration of soldiers. No need to scare people, and they should be able to help us or tell us to get-

"El?" / "El." / "Yal kryptonian?"

-to someone who can.

Maybe… Maybe I should get some armour that doesn't have the 'S' on it.

Arisia flies after me. "Do you speak their language?"

"No, but I kinda speak kryptonian." We come in for a landing as someone in fancy armour comes out of a fortified building. And I do kinda speak kryptonian -the only problem's my accent, really- but I didn't study Kryptonian Empire body language or gestures and I get the impression that the Science Council era was kinda weird.

"I'll just translate for you."

"Thanks."

The soldiers -and the crowd- look wary but not scared as the… Officer? Comes forwards.

"Kryptonian. There is nothing left here for you to take. The other aliens have already left with it."

I blink. "What other aliens?"