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

[Mquz]

This seems like it would be a good opportunity to show Xor where ideals like honor or honesty come from. They're developed when people have to work together and can't afford to lie to one another for profit, because they know that there's others who want to screw them over, and you don't want to get your allies angry at you

 

[DrThoth]

Remind me again, is Illustres Paul the continuity where Starman was saved, or was that the Graven/NewGod Paul continuity?

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If you're referring to the alien Starman who was originally Prince Gavyn of the Crown Imperium, he showed up in the Renegade timeline during the Vega missions, though I can't remember the specific details. He hasn't shown up in the Paragon timeline at least.

I may have forgotten stuff, but are there chapters showing how Common Sense Paul dealt with the whole Nabu issue? Because if he doesn't end up falling out with the League, that could change a lot of things, potentially including none of the alleviation of extraterrestrial violence and oppression.
Of course as wonderful as Common Sense is, that iteration is probably far weaker and limited than other versions without having merged with the Ophidian or adopted New God technology (unless he's more sensible than Renegade and appropriates a Mother Box instead). No risk, no reward, I suppose.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I may have forgotten stuff, but are there chapters showing how Common Sense Paul dealt with the whole Nabu issue? Because if he doesn't end up falling out with the League, that could change a lot of things, potentially including none of the alleviation of extraterrestrial violence and oppression.

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Not as yet. I'm only up to the Bialya mission.

I suspect that the Common Sense version would snipe Teekl outside the tower during their first encounter outside the Tower of Fate. As a result, there's a good chance that Roanoke never happens as the specific situation only occurred due to Klarion.

Of course as wonderful as Common Sense is, that iteration is probably far weaker and limited than other versions without having merged with the Ophidian or adopted New God technology (unless he's more sensible than Renegade and appropriates a Mother Box instead). No risk, no reward, I suppose.

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It's unlikely that the Forever People would have let him keep the Mother Box.

 

[DrThoth]

Not as yet. I'm only up to the Bialya mission.

I suspect that the Common Sense version would snipe Teekl outside the tower during their first encounter outside the Tower of Fate. As a result, there's a good chance that Roanoke never happens as the specific situation only occurred due to Klarion.

It's unlikely that the Forever People would have let him keep the Mother Box.

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Wouldn't Klarion just use Bedlam like in the Paragon and Renegade timelines, since Teekk was neutralized as his anchor in both instances as well? Or will Common-Sense's sniping be so much more abrupt that Klarion has no time to react and is banished? Of course, if so, Mordru would probably show up far earlier in that timeline too.

I guess I was using Mother Box as a kind of shorthand for magitech from New Genesis rather than Apokalips- though I suppose the Intergang weapons are fairly neutral creations to study, though I get the impression you might not be able to make them without a Box?
Sphere does seem to have Mother Box-like capabilities besides Boom Tubes (which would be a useful upgrade for her in any of the Earth-16 timelines if that's possible).
I suppose Common Sense can't reasonably access even positive New God arcanotechnology to power up- though if he gets rid of the Light faster and more effectively than Paragon while still jumpstarting the uplift project, I'd say that's a pretty good timeline to be in, at least for Earth.

I don't think you've spoken about this, but how would With This Ring have gone differently if season 3 had aired before you started writing and would thus have to be included as canon? I suppose it's mainly New God stuff that would have to be changed, though I believe Black Adam would have to have been Teth all along as well, and things with Nabu could have maybe gone a bit differently.

 

[Nioz]

Oh, shot, wrong guy! I meant that human psychic guy who was somehow powering the Citadel Station because of how the restraints they used on him work?

 

[Mr Zoat]

Oh, shot, wrong guy! I meant that human psychic guy who was somehow powering the Citadel Station because of how the restraints they used on him work?

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Adam Blake is in better health in the SI timeline, as the First was happy to rely on his power ring rather than try and turn him into a weapon.

Wouldn't Klarion just use Bedlam like in the Paragon and Renegade timelines, since Teekk was neutralized as his anchor in both instances as well? Or will Common-Sense's sniping be so much more abrupt that Klarion has no time to react and is banished? Of course, if so, Mordru would probably show up far earlier in that timeline too.

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By the time the SI assimilated Teekl, Klarion was already thrumming with chaos power. Grayven was showboating for a little while before doing it. Common sense wouldn't let himself be identified as the one who did it. Without a single individual to focus his malice upon, Klarion probably couldn't react fast enough to remain on Earth.

I guess I was using Mother Box as a kind of shorthand for magitech from New Genesis rather than Apokalips- though I suppose the Intergang weapons are fairly neutral creations to study, though I get the impression you might not be able to make them without a Box?

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Mother Box is from New Genesis, like the Rescue Drill and the Sphere. All were reclaimed by Infinity Man.

I don't think you've spoken about this, but how would With This Ring have gone differently if season 3 had aired before you started writing and would thus have to be included as canon? I suppose it's mainly New God stuff that would have to be changed, though I believe Black Adam would have to have been Teth all along as well, and things with Nabu could have maybe gone a bit differently.

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No Scott Free or Big Barda on Earth is the obvious thing. The Light's motives would be different, but the SI hasn't been in position to discover Savage's deal with Darkseid. The main difference would be in the Renegade's timeline, where Grayven being on Earth would result in Savage asking Darkseid what was going on.

Has Black Adam reappeared in the animated series?

The stuff with Nabu would have been mostly the same, minus the specific reference to him originally having been an alien. There would still be host bodies somewhere.

 

[DrThoth]

Mother Box is from New Genesis, like the Rescue Drill and the Sphere. All were reclaimed by Infinity Man.

No Scott Free or Big Barda on Earth is the obvious thing. The Light's motives would be different, but the SI hasn't been in position to discover Savage's deal with Darkseid. The main difference would be in the Renegade's timeline, where Grayven being on Earth would result in Savage asking Darkseid what was going on.

Has Black Adam reappeared in the animated series?

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The Sphere should still be on Earth though, since she decided to stay in every other timeline so far and I don't see why she wouldn't in the Common Sense one. Yet she doesn't seem to have much potential in empowering a person besides acting as a vehicle, so she probably won't help Common Sense-Paul much. I'd imagine Paragon and Renegade would both have said something if they ever reverse-engineered technology from her or gained any kind of knowledge/utility beyond being a benevolent emotionally supportive living car.

I'd imagine Renegade's initial stunt would have gone far worse if season 3 applied, though Darkseid might still have acted like he did here and treated him as a worthier replacement for the real Grayven. Of course, the fact that he views Earth as the potential source of the Anti-Life Equation could mean he wouldn't make Renegade the suzerain, or just command him to seek out the ALE, so probably still not great.

Black Adam hasn't reappeared (as of episode 21, though I can't see that changing) but I recently read his wiki page and it seems confirmed by Word of Greg that he was Teth-Adam the whole time (I do remember someone saying canon gave a different original time period for him than you wrote in this fic). He did join up with some random alien freedom fighter in the tie-in comics, which I've never read. I'm much happier with your version of Black Adam's story though- it's much more compelling and does better justice to Teth's competence than just being a voiceless mook for the Injustice League, and the spiritual Trial of Teth-Adom remains one of my favorite events from this story.

 

[Jirachi]

Did Paul leave a method for non-lanterns back on earth to contact him?
I appreciate how well Paul is able to learn his lesson in situations like this, and can actually take Dox's advice.
If Paul can learn how to make rings and possibly see if he could let the guardians have him train veteran Greenies to help with it, which could actually make the guardians really fighting the reach more feasible.
Wonder how possible it is for say, some Clickers to learn how Kalmin makes rings and scale it further...

 

[thebishop8]

By the time the SI assimilated Teekl, Klarion was already thrumming with chaos power. Grayven was showboating for a little while before doing it. Common sense wouldn't let himself be identified as the one who did it. Without a single individual to focus his malice upon, Klarion probably couldn't react fast enough to remain on Earth.

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Doesn't that mean the Light would get Mordru like in the Renegade timeline, but earlier? He would probably participate in the mind control attack on the Watchtower. If Roanoke doesn't happen, then Common Sense Paul probably doesn't get Praexis Demons, so it seems like the attack on the Watchtower would be a lot tougher for him.

Though I wonder how CS Paul would deal with Truggs?

 

[Pinklestia]

Green lanterns can make their constucts much stronger without going crazy. I expect that Guy can tank quite a bit more than Paul can using a straight forward shield. Of course Paul is unlikely to ever use a straight forward shield if he can help it.

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That was before Paul got a few upgrades. Being enlightened by the orange not only gives you orange juice any time you want, but removes most problems with orange rings at the cost of no longer thinking like a human being.

Oh and he also kind of got halfway enlightened on yellow so he can probably use a yellow ring with no problems if he wants.

 

[Mr Zoat]

The Sphere should still be on Earth though, since she decided to stay in every other timeline so far and I don't see why she wouldn't in the Common Sense one. Yet she doesn't seem to have much potential in empowering a person besides acting as a vehicle, so she probably won't help Common Sense-Paul much. I'd imagine Paragon and Renegade would both have said something if they ever reverse-engineered technology from her or gained any kind of knowledge/utility beyond being a benevolent emotionally supportive living car.

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In comic-canon, the Sphere is perfectly capable of performing divine awakenings. That's how Mighty Endowed happened.

Black Adam hasn't reappeared (as of episode 21, though I can't see that changing) but I recently read his wiki page and it seems confirmed by Word of Greg that he was Teth-Adam the whole time (I do remember someone saying canon gave a different original time period for him than you wrote in this fic). He did join up with some random alien freedom fighter in the tie-in comics, which I've never read. I'm much happier with your version of Black Adam's story though- it's much more compelling and does better justice to Teth's competence than just being a voiceless mook for the Injustice League, and the spiritual Trial of Teth-Adom remains one of my favorite events from this story.

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Yes, the Power of Shazam version may not be the original version, but he's far more interesting than the original version. He also makes Jebediah look like less of an idiot.

Doesn't that mean the Light would get Mordru like in the Renegade timeline, but earlier?

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Possibly. Though he might not bother with them. Or one of the other Lords of Chaos might get through instead.

Though I wonder how CS Paul would deal with Truggs?

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Without the same motive to find the Ace of Winchesters, it's quite possible that they won't ever meet.

 

[DrThoth]

In comic-canon, the Sphere is perfectly capable of performing divine awakenings. That's how Mighty Endowed happened.

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That's interesting, thanks for the information.
I suppose you didn't have Sphere involved in divine awakenings in With this Ring because it would be too much to explain why canon-Sphere never did anything like that for anyone in 5 years of spending time with the Team?

 

[Mr Zoat]

That's interesting, thanks for the information.
I suppose you didn't have Sphere involved in divine awakenings in With this Ring because it would be too much to explain why canon-Sphere never did anything like that for anyone in 5 years of spending time with the Team?

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Just because the the Sphere can do it, that doesn't mean that the Sphere is any good at it.

I mean...

 

[infinityDivided]

Just because the the Sphere can do it, that doesn't mean that the Sphere is any good at it.

I mean...

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That is quite possibly the dumbest god I have ever seen, and I've read Homestuck.

 

[Someguy Somewhere]

Ah Mighty Endowed, my second favorite goofball villain in DC.

Snowflame still gets first place due to the insanity of a cocaine powered metahuman waxing poetically of his godhood. All very Emperor's Children of him really.

 

[Stsword]

It's not like DC has a shortage of silly villains.

One of Hal Jordan's enemies is the Bottler for crying out loud.

So on one side you've got a guy with a power ring, on the other you've got a guy who has...bottles of stuff.

 

[Mquz]

It's not like DC has a shortage of silly villains.

One of Hal Jordan's enemies is the Bottler for crying out loud.

So on one side you've got a guy with a power ring, on the other you've got a guy who has...bottles of stuff.

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Depends on what the stuff is. Also - and here's the clever part - the bottles themselves could be yellow / green to get past the constructs.

 

[Cuchulin]

It's not like DC has a shortage of silly villains.

One of Hal Jordan's enemies is the Bottler for crying out loud.

So on one side you've got a guy with a power ring, on the other you've got a guy who has...bottles of stuff.

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To be honest the Bottler could make for a great villain, if he had the ability to do things like put full sized sailing ships in bottles and then take then back out either still small or full sized.

 

[Jirachi]

31st December
23:05 GMT

"You!"

A green hammer construct strikes me from behind and I transition away before it can slam me into the floor. **Captain Nazi and some guy with the Medusa Mask spotted.**

Captain Nazi doesn't leave the ground as he goes for another punch, allowing Adom to grab his arm and strike the elbow with his knee. Adom doesn't go for submission holds but he has long since mastered both 'lock then strike' and integrating his ability to fly into his techniques. Somehow, Nazi's elbow doesn't snap.

Stewart goes for construct miniguns and I counter with a construct shield while sending another Mageslayer into Klarion. He'd managed to raise another shield but it goes down immediately and he's knocked onto his back.

"Orange Lantern. Love."

Stewart upgrades to some sort of missile launcher and fires glowing green rockets at me. I transition to evade and they home in on my new location.

"Enlightened? How frustrating. Black Adam. Fear."

Captain Nazi tanks a shot to the diaphragm in order to pull off a haymaker. Exactly the sort of blow Diana's been telling everyone not to bother with in super strength versus super strength fights. Adom allows it to push him back a few metres before stabilising in the air. "A weak effort, sorcerer."

**We got sensors!**

Nazi goes for a follow up, shooting upwards with his right fist extended. Adom grabs the wrist to turn it aside and slams his left elbow into Nazi's nose. "Blwg!"

I'm forced to transition away again as Stewart's missiles herd me towards what looks like a large mangle construct. Well, if being shot repeatedly hasn't stopped Klarion yet, maybe the system works on automatic? No other Leaguers in the hall, so prioritise Lantern Stewart.

"One people!" Nazi takes the elbow in his stride and powers into Adom, striking him on both sides of his head. "One empire!" He then grips Adom's head and stabs at his eyes with his thumbs. "One-!" Adom grips his wrists and spins back, slamming his right shin into Nazi's groin. He winces but keeps the pressure on, twisting his arms outwards to draw Adom closer before ramming his forehead into Adom's face. "Leader!"

Stewart has some sort of const- oh. That's an FTL jammer. Transition's out until I can deal with it.

Adom is momentarily stunned, which allows Nazi to free his right hand and slam his fist into Adom's face. The follow up punch also strikes home before Adom can get his guard up, knocking him towards the floor.

Orange filaments radiate out from me in an attempt to get a connection to Stewart which I can use to deliver the cure-tech. But he already has a bubble shield up. That needs to go-.

Flames envelop me as the robed figure points up at me with some sort of arcanotechnological gauntlet. The flame pattern reminds me of Danni's ability, though it's far less powerful than hers and far less hot than it would need to be in order to threaten me. He gives up as I fly out of the inferno to avoid Stewart's hammer constructs. Truggs was making stuff for the Nazis? I duck under another hammer construct that turns into a sword as it passes over me.

**Physician down.**

I plot-to-rapid-fly behind Stewart and am immediately forced to reinforce my armour as he surrounds me with a swarm of green construct blades. I try sending a filament at him but it gets severed almost immediately. Right, the stupid way. I form a standard broad construct connection and fire it at him just as hard as I can, wanting

baBUM

it through as hard as I can. Some sort of grinder construct forms around it, teeth spinning, but I'm able to reinforce it and push it up to his shield while maintaining my own FTL-jammer to prevent him from backing off. He creates clamps around my armour and shoves, spinning us both around the room. The ring keeps my inner ears from disorientating me and I try to keep my eyes on him. I make contact with his bubble shield

baBUM

and infect the area I touch with orange light. He slams me into the wall as I finally force a filament through his defence and slap a cure-tech wafer onto the left side of his neck. He jerks as it makes contact and fades into his skin, constructs fading around him.

"Not this time!" Klarion's Human form is consumed and superseded as a cloud of purple boils upwards and solidifies into an even larger version of the melee shape he used on me on Roanoke. I fire another Mageslayer round in his direction but it stops just before it hits him. Ah, indirect effects. Yes, that'll work. I grab Stewart and duck down as Klarion storms forwards and swings his right talon at me. "I'll swat you for good!"

**More Stormtroopers in corridor seven! And they're not being controlled!**

**Since when have Nazis needed to be mind controlled to be evil?**

**Power armor? Seriously!?**

Ring, assimilate! An orange beam flashes out from the ring only for Klarion to catch it with his right hand and pull-.

Warning! Power drain-

I cut the power and the light in his hand fades away.

-detected.

He grabs at me with his left. I evade, then he turns his left palm towards me. "Remember this?" Grey dust swirls towards me and encrusts on my construct armour

baBUM

before exploding off and vaporising. With a snarl, Klarion blurs and ooof! Sends me hurtling across the room!

"Krieger! Do something about the other Lantern!"

The wizard looks at him, and then at where Stewart's fallen. "To use this spell on a lesser race…"

I send my nullification chain at Klarion and manage to wrap it around his left ring finger. He winces and then grabs it with his right hand. Why? The chain can't be oh he just tore his own finger off! I didn't take into account ridiculous changes in volume when I made them! Dodge! The finger he threw just misses me and embeds itself in the wall by the nail-claw. Right. Still need to keep him occupied and he seems to be coping with my attacks so far. How do I-?

Ah. I yank the chain-bound finger out of the wall, unbind the chain and bring Fatty and Chubby out of the ring, forcing their mouths open and shoving them both along the finger from opposite ends. Their stomachs bulge like those of the excessively penetrated female leads in pornographic manga and their eyes bulge wide as they get what I hope will be a massive injection of elemental magic.

"My finger!"

I apply pressure to the tops and bottoms of their jaws, cutting the finger in half with their construct teeth. They're both starting to look unwell. "Fatty, Chubbs, eat as much of him as you like."

"So… Much… Food…"

The man in the robes gestures at Stewart with his spear and he's briefly surrounded by a corona of white light. He pushes himself to his feet and blearily looks around. "Red.. Arrow..?"

"The might of the Aesir now flows through you, negro. Perhaps it will counteract your natural inferiority. Overwhelming hatred."

Stewart's back in the air and flying at me immediately. Right, that wizard guy needs to stop. I fire a Mageslayer round at his stomach only for him to somehow intercept it with his spear. What? How can ah! I'm forced to evade Stewart as Klarion grows an extra head and arms from his finger stump so he can manipulate screens again while staying on his guard. Adom and Nazi appear to have gone through one of the interior walls at some point. Come on guys-! Yes! Chubbs vomits forth his offspring first and it immediately charges Klarion. The Giant Witch Boy looks mildly disconcerted before firing a bolt of purple energy down at it. It catches the energy in its mouth, swallows and then vomits forth another Praexis Demon. Both of them grin evilly and then charge onwards again.

Klarion's eyes widen. "Krieger! Get him off the Watchtower NOW!"

"John Stewart, you want to leave."

And then Stewart's Redstone rocket construct ploughs into my chest armour.

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...Is this a continuity glitch? 'cause I'd think that the hatred effect would prevent Stewart from effectively using his ring, considering the 'strong emotions other than the one the ring uses causes cut cut outs in non-enlightened lanterns' rule.

 

[Mr Zoat]

...Is this a continuity glitch? 'cause I'd think that the hatred effect would prevent Stewart from effectively using his ring, considering the 'strong emotions other than the one the ring uses causes cut cut outs in non-enlightened lanterns' rule.

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It is possible to learn to use rings while experiencing other emotions. Rings only go completely inert if the emotion suddenly eclipses the one they need, though in that case it did result in John's constructs being weaker than they would usually be.

 

[reddraggone9]

Ah, they're turning away from the blast and retreating, through the flight pattern… Some sort of emergency AI override?

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Ah, they're turning away from the blast and retreating, though the flight pattern… Some sort of emergency AI override?

 

[Sockmonkey]

The fighters here are aerofighters. As noted earlier, the Alignment doesn't really use attack craft as part of their navy.

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Ah, forgot that. I'd still expect aerofighters to use VR displays though. Windows, structural weak points, yada yada.

Just because the the Sphere can do it, that doesn't mean that the Sphere is any good at it.

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To be fair, Awakening also depends on what it has to work with. Crap can become mystical ten-dimensional ultra-crap, but it's still crap.

 

[Stsword]

Ah, forgot that. I'd still expect aerofighters to use VR displays though. Windows, structural weak points, yada yada.

To be fair, Awakening also depends on what it has to work with. Crap can become mystical ten-dimensional ultra-crap, but it's still crap.

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To be fair, I don't remember it ever being stated in the comics that Mighty Endowed is actually a New God, assuming that New God technology can only give you superpowers by making you a New God seems like an odd assumption to me.

Depends on what the stuff is. Also - and here's the clever part - the bottles themselves could be yellow / green to get past the constructs.

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They weren't that clever. He used a bottle with an explosive in it to get into a safe, and then threw a bottle of knockout gas at Hal when he caught up to him.

Since he was an idea made up by Hal's uncle, I feel they were leaning into the lameness.

 

[Mquz]

They weren't that clever. He used a bottle with an explosive in it to get into a safe, and then threw a bottle of knockout gas at Hal when he caught up to him.

Since he was an idea made up by Hal's uncle, I feel they were leaning into the lameness.

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Ah. Still - if he had, for example, thrown a Molotov cocktail in a yellow bottle straight at Hal, that would maybe be lethal, if he couldn't dodge. Or heck, if the gas itself was yellow colored, it could have worked.

 

[Mr Zoat]

3rd September 2010
23:02 GMT +3

"Artemis-."

Artemis wheels around to glare at me, jerking her hands up to the sides of her head in a sort of grabbing gesture. "Don't even talk to me."

I bow my head and raise my right hand in surrender. "Okay."

She lowers her hands, maintains her glare for a few moments to ensure that she's made her point, then turns away to stalk over to a dune on the far side of our temporary base of operations, Superboy and M'gann stepping back to give her room.

Wallace looks up from the sensor array he and Richard are working on. "What's her problem? Y'know, now."

"I'm.. afraid that it's personal." Kaldur frowns slightly at me. "And I'm sure that it won't be a problem going forward. I.. just gave Artemis a bit of a surprise and she's… Adjusting."

Wallace smirks. "What, did she ask you out without knowing you're the team token adult?"

"No, though I am meeting up with Patrick Dugan in a couple of days so we can compare notes."

Superboy frowns. "Who's that?"

"Stripesy." Richard doesn't look around from the scanner array. He also isn't having to look the name up. "The Star Spangled Kid's sidekick. They were both members of the All-Star Squadron during the Second World War. I think he was twice the Kid's age."

I nod. "A little over, actually. Robin, is that thing picking up anything my scans didn't?"

"You heard Batman, Oh El. Power ring scans aren't admissible as evidence."

"Right. Except that the reason why we're here is that the Justice League doesn't have legal authority to act in Bialya. We don't either, but… For reasons which I'm.. still not clear on, that isn't a problem because as a League-affiliated auxiliary body we aren't covered by the League's UN Charter in which they agreed not to do exactly what we're doing right now."

"That's about the size of-."

"But as we're a black operation squad, this can't ever come to court anyway. The League can't say that they took those scans without admitting to violating their Charter. They can't say that we did without drawing attention to a huge Charter-bypass that Batman is hoping that no one is going to spot and admitting that this team exists. Boom tube radiation requires specialist equipment to detect, so he can't claim that it was picked up by… I don't know, local physicists or something. And unless one of Bialya's neighbours decides that whatever's happening here is bad enough to declare war over, any follow up activity will have to come from us, because… Charter, black operation."

Wallace stands back from the machine, probably frowning under his mask. "So… This is… A complete waste of time."

"No… Ah… Maybe? Batman can get more of those sensors made and he can't get hold of more power rings, so maybe we're here to test it? Or this is a test for us?"

Superboy folds his arms across his chest and huffs contemptuously.

"Is there a…" Wallace waves his right arm. "Reason you're bringing this up now, rather than when we were in the cave?"

"Because Batman doesn't stop being intimidating just because you reach eighteen. Or, indeed, twenty nine. I didn't really think about it until we'd… Been here for a while."

"Oh man, this is exactly what Red Arrow said would happen!"

"Kid Flash." Kaldur regards him with mild displeasure. "Control yourself. We are in enemy territory."

"Yeah, and this…" He glances at the sensor array. "Thing, and Oh El's ring and Miss Em's telepathy and Supey's hearing will all pick up anything heading our way before either of us notice them."

"Even if this is simply a test, I do not want us to fail it. And neither should you."

"Huh." Wallace thinks for a moment. "Okay. So if this is a test, and we need to do these scans to pass, how do we ace it?"

Oh dear.

Superboy perks up slightly. "We could attack the site, beat up the guards and get them to tell us what's going on."

Oh dear.

Richard turns away from the sensor. "This isn't supposed to be an overt mission. It's not even a vert mission. And since it's covert, losing the 'co' means co-failing the mission."

Hm.

"Miss Martian? How good is your mind control?"

"Aaaahh…" She looks around the group. "Bad. Really really bad. Like I could maybe make someone move their arm when they didn't want to or something but I couldn't make them obey me permanently."

I nod. "I suspect that I can permanently alter someone's desires with this ring, but I don't really know how to do it either. Aqualad? Does the Conservatory teach mental domination magic?"

"Yes, but it is a specialist course, and only available to the most advanced students." He bows his head slightly. "My time studying combat under Aquaman has limited the time I have for arcane study."

I nod. "So we can't mind control Queen Bee into telling us what she's doing, stopping, and reforming the Bialyan government. I could try lecturing her on political theory, but I'm not sure that she'd listen."

Superboy frowns. "They're using the boom tube to bring stuff here from… Apokolips, right?"

I nod again. "Probably."

"So why don't we just blow it up?"

"Not very 'co', Superboy."

"Why? I mean, as long as they don't see us they still don't know the Justice League are the ones who stopped them. We can get Batman's readings and still stop them doing whatever they're doing."

"No." Kaldur shakes his head. "I understand your frustration, but this team is intended to act with subtlety. Unless there is a clear reason to break cover, we will limit ourselves to observation."

"Um." M'gann raises her right hand. "I could take a closer look? I can go invisible so the guards can't see me. And I can keep in contact with telepathy."

I shake my head. "Miss Martian, we know that Doctor Simon Jones is over there. Your invisibility doesn't prevent telepaths from hearing you, does it?"

"It… No."

"And Apokolips is very technologically advanced. If they're trading, then there's a good chance that the Bialyans could detect you even without him."

"They didn't detect the Bio-Ship."

"How do we know that?"

Her eyes widen slightly.

Richard nods. "Oh El's got a point. If they know we're here, and they know that the League won't stop them, and that the League wouldn't send someone unless they knew that something was going on, there's no actual reason for them to attack us."

Kon glowers. "So not only does Batman know this is a waste of time, the Bialyans do too?!"

Kaldur turns my way. "Orange Lantern. Are your scans precise enough to tell when Doctor Jones is asleep?"

"Yes."

"Once he is, Miss Martian will cautiously investigate the camp. Unless we uncover evidence that requires us to act immediately, that is all that we do. If any of you dislike the parameters of the mission, you may take it up with Batman upon our return."

 

[Ardy]

Ah Bialya, the land that fucked up harder than most of the galaxy could aspire to.

Good times

 

[Mr Zoat]

Ah, they're turning away from the blast and retreating, though the flight pattern… Some sort of emergency AI override?

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[Queshire]

They expect it to be useless just because the scans can't be used in court? My common sense interrupt is saying that knowing what the bad guys are up to is pretty damn useful, and relying on ring scans both limits it to a single point of failure and relies on trusting OL. Wouldn't be surprised if Bats wasn't at that point yet.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

3rd September 2010
23:02 GMT +3

Click to shrink...

Common Sense time!

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"I'm.. afraid that it's personal." Kaldur frowns slightly at me. "And I'm sure that it won't be a problem going forward. I.. just gave Artemis a bit of a surprise and she's… Adjusting."

Click to shrink...

I notice you don't actually note what the problem is. Could it be she learned you know who her family members are?

"Stripesy." Richard doesn't look around from the scanner array. He also isn't having to look the name up. "The Star Spangled Kid's sidekick. They were both members of the All-Star Squadron during the Second World War. I think he was twice the Kid's age."

Click to shrink...

One of the few cases of such, in fact...

"Right. Except that the reason why we're here is that the Justice League doesn't have legal authority to act in Bialya. We don't either, but… For reasons which I'm.. still not clear on, that isn't a problem because as a League-affiliated auxiliary body we aren't covered by the League's UN Charter in which they agreed not to do exactly what we're doing right now."

Click to shrink...

That was a funny plot hole about this mission...

"But as we're a black operation squad, this can't ever come to court anyway. The League can't say that they took those scans without admitting to violating their Charter. They can't say that we did without drawing attention to a huge Charter-bypass that Batman is hoping that no one is going to spot and admitting that this team exists. Boom tube radiation requires specialist equipment to detect, so he can't claim that it was picked up by… I don't know, local physicists or something. And unless one of Bialya's neighbours decides that whatever's happening here is bad enough to declare war over, any follow up activity will have to come from us, because… Charter, black operation."

Click to shrink...

Yup, damned if you do, damned if you don't. And I doubt 'forgiveness is easier than permission' will fly with the UN.

"Yeah, and this…" He glances at the sensor array. "Thing, and Oh El's ring and Miss Em's telepathy and Supey's hearing will all pick up anything heading our way before either of us notice them."

Click to shrink...

Don't be too sure. any of those things can be fooled...

Oh dear.

Click to shrink...

Teenagers, am I right?

Richard turns away from the sensor. "This isn't supposed to be an overt mission. It's not even a vert mission. And since it's covert, losing the 'co' means co-failing the mission."

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Oh Eris, I do not miss that quirk.

I nod. "So we can't mind control Queen Bee into telling us what she's doing, stopping, and reforming the Bialyan government. I could try lecturing her on political theory, but I'm not sure that she'd listen."

Click to shrink...

Since he's one of the few people on Earth she can't mind-whammy. Hopefully.

"No." Kaldur shakes his head. "I understand your frustration, but this team is intended to act with subtlety. Unless there is a clear reason to break cover, we will limit ourselves to observation."

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Again, teenagers. They don't do subtle.

Her eyes widen slightly.

Click to shrink...

Oh, wow, I didn't even realise that first time around...

Richard nods. "Oh El's got a point. If they know we're here, and they know that the League won't stop them, and that the League wouldn't send someone unless they knew that something was going on, there's no actual reason for them to attack us."

Click to shrink...

Except to be dicks about it.

"Once he is, Miss Martian will cautiously investigate the camp. Unless we uncover evidence that requires us to act immediately, that is all that we do. If any of you dislike the parameters of the mission, you may take it up with Batman upon our return."

Click to shrink...

And maybe have OL remotely disable Jones if things go hot.

Once again, Common Sense derails canon. Truly, it is the greatest super-power ever!

 

[ForeverShogo]

Well, I mean, the country was doing just fine until people kept killing Queen Bee in various timelines. As long as she's still alive to manage things, Bialya is stable, prosperous, and even downright progressive. Especially by Middle Eastern standards.

Also, is this before or after Queen Bee tried to use her powers to peacefully annex one of her neighbors? I think it was "Not" Kuwait to her "Not" Iraq?