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

Mquz · Oct 19, 2019

Stsword said:
They are from like a billion years in the future. Renewable resources have millenia to renew. Non renewable resources don't replenish at all and would have in most likely have been used up in the meantime.

Non-renewable resources (such as oil, metals, etc...) are still renewable over a billion years due to time creating gas and things like meteor impacts bringing in new things like metals from space. And I was mostly talking about things like stealing tanks and helicopters, stripping them of rare metals and gas right before they're supposed to go up with the rest of the area, and keeping things like metal, which could be used to build parts of the next civilization, which now won't renew for all civilizations between then and now, when they would have due to corrosion.

Ej190 · Oct 19, 2019

I wonder if it's gonna be the Joker/Joker knock off in that warehouse.

The perfect thing make OL SNAP.

rdfox · Oct 19, 2019

Lubaf said:
I take it Killer Croc is tied up and sedated in the office?

Thanks
Luc "Obvious Guess" French

My money is on a meth lab. Still cooking. Kaboom!

HereforZooat · Oct 19, 2019

Mr Zoat said:
Right. Anything that suggests a resolution. I

step out

and appear at the warehouse, orange filaments flicking out as I upgrade the local camera network so Richard can follow me.

How does he do this? Wasn't the thing with the teleportation that he can cross interstellar distances near instantly, but he can only teleport to people? How is he teleporting to an empty location he's never been to before? It seems like he could just transition instead.

Mr Zoat · Oct 19, 2019

HereforZooat said:
How does he do this? Wasn't the thing with the teleportation that he can cross interstellar distances near instantly, but he can only teleport to people? How is he teleporting to an empty location he's never been to before? It seems like he could just transition instead.

People are convenient to lock onto, but if he knows the location he can use the people in the general surrounding area as a guide. Transitioning was blocking by the physical barriers between him and the outside. People get annoyed if he knocks holes in their walls.

Bramble Thorn · Oct 19, 2019

Mr Zoat said:
Right. Anything that suggests a resolution. I

step out

and appear at the warehouse, orange filaments flicking out as I upgrade the local camera network so Richard can follow me.

~~I thought his stepping out (vs the rings FLT transition) needed someone on the other end with an avarice signature to home in on.~~
Answered just above.

Mr Zoat said:
I cut the chains, construct armour appearing around me as I stride forward. Nothing worrying so far. Infrared? No. X-rays? Eh, the metal's too thick to get much that way. Sonics? Nothing of any significance. I reach the warehouse itself and then don my armour and phase through the metal.

Rather unprofessional. If it is safe enough to phase through the warehouse, it's safe enough to phase through the chain barrier as well. Did the petty destruction of the chain let him vent some of his frustration?

Ganurath · Oct 19, 2019

I just realized.

Remember that guy that Paul gave a pizza to?

The guy that later solicited Holly for prostitution?

Who wants to bet on a hat trick?

Gilhelmi · Oct 19, 2019

Ganurath said:
I just realized.

Remember that guy that Paul gave a pizza to?

The guy that later solicited Holly for prostitution?

Who wants to bet on a hat trick?

I think that would be a kick to the gut for Paul. A reminder that, even as far as he has come and the progress made in the world (even dragging the world kicking and screaming at times). All that progress is but a small footstep....... Things are only marginally better on Earth, in many ways, he has made a much bigger impact on the Universe outside of Earth.

The Vega System is now free, a new Lantern Corp is founded, he is preparing a war that will span large swatches of the Galaxy fulfilling their desire to be free of the Reach. But Earth? Earth never seems to change. Supervillians still are still wasteful, the disaster or crime of the week still happens with almost an insane frequency. They are marginally better using Magic, slightly more with non-human intelligence civil right (Red Tornado is a full US Citizen now), Hurricane season is a thing of the past thanks to OL's work with Korb. But all those things are just so minor, so much slower than the progress seen in the rest of the Universe.

It will be a difficult thing for OL to swallow, worse if it is not being manipulated by someone like Boss Smiley (who I really hope is behind all this). Because if this is really just Earth-16 normal, it might just break his spirit knowing that it won't get better.

BR549 · Oct 20, 2019

Bramble Thorn said:
Rather unprofessional. If it is safe enough to phase through the warehouse, it's safe enough to phase through the chain barrier as well. Did the petty destruction of the chain let him vent some of his frustration?

Well notice just before that he wonders why he's doing it. It was, I suspect, his frustration leading him to run on autopilot. "To get inside chained door, cut...chain...AAARGH. <snip> <Phase>"

Z000 · Oct 20, 2019

hmm

when is Paul gonna go and find John-C

he keep putting it off ever since people went and told him to get back in contact

it been months since then, and Paul usually very proactive about this stuff

Mr Zoat · Oct 20, 2019

17th February
00:37 GMT -5

I disarm a couple of thermite mines as I look around what I assume to be 'Alice's' room. Crazy face-collages, crazy drawing and nonsense writing… A small and surprisingly fancy-. No, unsurprisingly fancy wardrobe, come on, this is a Gotham crazy.

"Robin, does any of this mean anything to you?"

"Running facial recognition now."

"I've already done that. And.. uploading. But I'm still not seeing any sort of pattern."

"That.. sort of thing usually takes a while to work out. People like this go crazy in their own unique ways. Or it could just be a decoy. Can you see anything else that might help us work out what they were doing?"

Ring?

Anomaly detected.

Strands of orange reach out and pull down… A Cernunnos statue, similar in style to the one I found in Hub City last year. Marvellous.

"You recognise-?"

"The 'Dark Faith', the crazy Intergang cult. Did anything about the gang look black to you?"

"Not to an unusual extent, but I can't say that I was looking particularly closely."

"Hey, what?"

Bullock sounds surprised, which-. Of course.

"Not 'black' as in 'humans with dark skin'. I see emotions as colours. Black is the death drive, self-annihilation. The last few people I've seen influenced by Intergang's new extremist group were marked by it."

"So were they gettin' mind controlled?"

"Maybe. I'll take a look. But this could just be a statue."

Looking at the statue itself… Nothing. Perhaps I should talk to Vincent Edge, see if he can get in contact with some of his old colleagues. Crime is one thing, but if everyone in the organisation is getting mind controlled or unnaturally mentally influenced then it wouldn't be a betrayal to inform on them. Considering what Intergang appears to be up to I'd be happy to agree to turn a blind eye to some other types of crime so long as they go straight after getting fixed.

"Nothing odd about the statue that I can see." I put it down. "I'll leave it for the scene of crime people. Moving to check the rest of the warehouse now."

"Understood, Oh El. I'll get the computer working on possible links between the people in the pictures."

I walk through a wall and head for a partitioned-off area of the warehouse. Hm. We can probably parse the potential Intergang connection as 'supervillain activity' and use it to justify an intrusive magic probe of the gang members. The Intergang investigation really.. hasn't gotten anywhere. Oh, low level criminals have been arrested but no lieutenants like The Key. Never even found out what his real name is.

I poke through the partition. They've rigged up what looks like a shower system. Not exactly fancy, but there's a suspended barrel and a shower head-. No obvious source of heat. And-. Clamps. This was for torture or interrogation, strapping people down and pouring water on them. Water boarding? Or.. just for leaving them cold and miserable? I can't see any recording equipment-. But phones suffice for that sort of thing these days.

Even if this is Intergang, I'm still not seeing a link between the different criminal groups. Kobra and Intergang might work together in places, but their ideologies are totally removed from one another. Regular-Kobra are heretical Hindus and Jeff-Kobra are messianic murderists, while regular-Intergang are organised criminals and 'Dark Faith' Intergang… Huh. I suppose there is a degree of ideological connection between the Kobra traditionalists and modern Intergang. It would make doctrinal sense for Kobra to encourage a pointlessly evil organisation in order to bring about the end of the age.

So.. there's.. that, but these were Kobra-wannabes. 'Self-radicalised' gang toughs looking for a high-sounding justification for things they were inclined to do anyway, and.. for allies. Opportunities. I'd have put them down as Jeffites without even.. thinking about it. Mister Gotham? Again, Kobra traditionalists are up for anything evil, but the man himself has been down there for a while. Feeding everyone to a life-eater might end up preventing the arrival of the new age… Is Kobra doctrine flexible enough to allow for that possibility? Probably not…

But that fact that they could conceivably be working together doesn't prove that they are. And none of this has anything to do with the Smilex.

"One shower, possibly intended for water-based interrogations."

"So they were planning on bringing the mayor there? Doesn't sound like they were planning on getting away."

"Do city mayors know anything especially sensitive?"

"Gotham's.. kind of a special case. The mayor knows a lot about all of our supervillains and their security arrangements. That.. could be the reason."

Blasted Arkham.

"Breaking someone out?"

"Or looking for their old equipment."

"You keep that? I mean, here? In Gotham?"

"Some of it. Not all of it gets seized when they're arrested. Criminals get their stuff back once their sentences end, and Arkham isn't a prison."

"Supervillain equipment is supposed to get confiscated more than normal property."

"The city keeps some of it in a police warehouse. Some of it gets sold to STAR Labs or WayneTech…"

"So we need to check there next."

"It's.. worth doing just in case, but what are we even looking for?"

"Smilex?"

"We aren't dumb enough to keep that around. The labs only handle tiny amounts to check whether or not he's changing the formula."

"Napier's records?"

"The originals all get destroyed, along with most of his 'gags'. The Joker's not really an inventor."

"The arsenal of dangerous supervillain weapons?"

"All partially disassembled when not being tested. Somebody could put them back together, but it wouldn't be quick. And… This isn't Metropolis. A lot of them aren't exactly world-shattering."

I nod.

"Alright. Since there's a potential Intergang connection, I'll visit and make sure that nothing they've got stored there is magic. Then… Then I'm going home. I don't think I've got much else to add this morning."

moralrelativity · Oct 20, 2019

Mr Zoat said:
as they so straight

go

Sceptic · Oct 20, 2019

Z000 said:
when is Paul gonna go and find John-C

he keep putting it off ever since people went and told him to get back in contact

it been months since then, and Paul usually very proactive about this stuff

He's also usually not been told by the person to not bother them until they get back in touch.

John was fairly clear about wanting to be left alone for a while.

Handlewithcare · Oct 20, 2019

Yay, analysis mode OL is best OL

Mr Zoat · Oct 20, 2019

moralrelativity said:
go

Thank you, corrected.

Chojin Patriarch · Oct 20, 2019

Mr Zoat said:
I disarm a couple of thermite mines as I look around what I assume to be 'Alice's' room. Crazy face-collages, crazy drawing and nonsense writing… A small and surprisingly fancy-. No, unsurprisingly fancy wardrobe, come on, this is a Gotham crazy.

Well, that's the end of last chapter explained. Miss Kane's been steeped in the crazy-juice, eh?

"Robin, does any of this mean anything to you?"

"Running facial recognition now."

"I've already done that. And.. uploading. But I'm still not seeing any sort of pattern."

That's assuming there even is a pattern. Whatever voices 'Alice' is hearing might just want a pretty art project...

"That.. sort of thing usually takes a while to work out. People like this go crazy in their own unique ways. Or it could just be a decoy. Can you see anything else that might help us work out what they were doing?"

Ring?

Anomaly detected.

Strands of orange reach out and pull down… A Cernunnos statue, similar in style to the one I found in Hub City last year. Marvellous.

Welp, Religion of Crime link identified.

"You recognise-?"

"The 'Dark Faith', the crazy Intergang cult. Did anything about the gang look black to you?"

"Not to an unusual extent, but I can't say that I was looking particularly closely."

Let's hope it doesn't turn out as badly as it did in the comics, with the whole 'Final Crisis' link.

"Hey, what?"

Bullock sounds surprised, which-. Of course.

"Not 'black' as in 'humans with dark skin'. I see emotions as colours. Black is the death drive, self-annihilation. The last few people I've seen influenced by Intergang's new extremist group were marked by it."

And unlike the Renegade, he hasn't seen enough Anti-life to recognise it as such...

"So were they gettin' mind controlled?"

"Maybe. I'll take a look. But this could just be a statue."

Looking at the statue itself… Nothing. Perhaps I should talk to Vincent Edge, see if he can get in contact with some of his old colleagues. Crime is one thing, but if everyone in the organisation is getting mind controlled or unnaturally mentally influenced then it wouldn't be a betrayal to inform on them. Considering what Intergang appears to be up to I'd be happy to agree to turn a blind eye to some other types of crime so long as they so straight after getting fixed.

Ah, the joy of unconventional moral outlines. Most of his colleagues would have opinions on that fact.

"Nothing odd about the statue that I can see." I put it down. "I'll leave it for the scene of crime people. Moving to check the rest of the warehouse now."

"Understood, Oh El. I'll get the computer working on possible links between the people in the pictures."

Again, assuming there is any kind of link.
Correction: Double space there.

I walk through a wall and head for a partitioned-off area of the warehouse. Hm. We can probably parse the potential Intergang connection as 'supervillain activity' and use it to justify an intrusive magic probe of the gang members. The Intergang investigation really.. hasn't gotten anywhere. Oh, low level criminals have been arrested but no lieutenants like The Key. Never even found out what his real name is.

I doubt the Key even remembers, or cares what it was at all.

I poke through the partition. They've rigged up what looks like a shower system. Not exactly fancy, but there's a suspended barrel and a shower head-. No obvious source of heat. And-. Clamps. This was for torture or interrogation, strapping people down and pouring water on them. Water boarding? Or.. just for leaving them cold and miserable? I can't see any recording equipment-. But phones suffice for that sort of thing these days.

Something to break the will of prospective recruits, perhaps.

Even if this is Intergang, I'm still not seeing a link between the different criminal groups. Kobra and Intergang might work together in places, but their ideologies are totally removed from one another. Regular-Kobra are heretical Hindus and Jeff-Kobra are messianic murderists, while regular-Intergang are organised criminals and 'Dark Faith' Intergang… Huh. I suppose there is a degree of ideological connection between the Kobra traditionalists and modern Intergang. It would make doctrinal sense for Kobra to encourage a pointlessly evil organisation in order to bring about the end of the age.

Huh, That's actually a logical connection to make.

So.. there's.. that, but these were Kobra-wannabes. 'Self-radicalised' gang toughs looking for a high-sounding justification for things they were inclined to do anyway, and.. for allies. Opportunities. I'd have put them down as Jeffites without even.. thinking about it. Mister Gotham? Again, Kobra traditionalists are up for anything evil, but the man himself has been down there for a while. Feeding everyone to a life-eater might end up preventing the arrival of the new age… Is Kobra doctrine flexible enough to allow for that possibility? Probably not…

But that fact that they could conceivably be working together doesn't prove that they are. And none of this has anything to do with the Smilex.

Or it really could be coincidence. It's not like the Weirdos coordinate with each other. There's no 'Legion of Doom', the Light notwithstanding.

"One shower, possibly intended for water-based interrogations."

"So they were planning on bringing the mayor there? Doesn't sound like they were planning on getting away."

"Do city mayors know anything especially sensitive?"

"Gotham's.. kind of a special case. The mayor knows a lot about all of our supervillains and their security arrangements. That.. could be the reason."

Good grief. Only in Gotham, I suppose.

Blasted Arkham.

"Breaking someone out?"

"Or looking for their old equipment."

"You keep that? I mean, here? In Gotham?"

I can see the Doylist reason, certainly - make it easier for villians to get a hideout, gimmicks and henchmen together within hours of breaking out. All at the speed of Plot.

"Some of it. Not all of it gets seized when they're arrested. Criminals get their stuff back once their sentences end, and Arkham isn't a prison."

"Supervillain equipment is supposed to get confiscated more than normal property."

Seriously, they get their stuff back? I'm guessing that doesn't include weapons, materials or anything used in a crime proper.

"The city keeps some of it in a police warehouse. Some of it gets sold to STAR Labs or WayneTech…"

"So we need to check there next."

"It's.. worth doing just in case, but what are we even looking for?"

Anything unusual? Nah, that'd catch most things around here.

"Smilex?"

"We aren't dumb enough to keep that around. The labs only handle tiny amounts to check whether or not he's changing to formula."

Good to see they aren't complete idiots.
Correction: 'changing the formula'

"Napier's records?"

"The originals all get destroyed, along with most of his 'gags'. The Joker's not really an inventor."

"The arsenal of dangerous supervillain weapons?"

"All partially disassembled when not being tested. Somebody could put them back together, but it wouldn't be quick. And… This isn't Metropolis. A lot of them aren't exactly world-shattering."

True, hard to turn things like killer animatronic dinosaurs or gimmicks like condiment sprayers into lethal weapons... No, actually, those probably can.

I nod.

"Alright. Since there's a potential Intergang connection, I'll visit and make sure that nothing they've got stored there is magic. Then… Then I'm going home. I don't think I've got much else to add this morning."

Murphy flipping the table in three... two...

Well, a plain finish to a plain night. I hope OL actually tries to work on his investment in Gotham's well-being. (The city, not the ancient sorceror!)

RichardWhereat · Oct 20, 2019

Lowlies don't value their lives,
Hasa diga Darkseid.

Mr Zoat · Oct 20, 2019

Chojin Patriarch said:
Correction: Double space there.
Correction: 'changing the formula'

Thank you, corrected.

CTrees · Oct 20, 2019

Chojin Patriarch said:
Murphy flipping the table in three... two...

Or Eris. Actually this could all be Eris, hoping OL will do something interesting.

Mastigos2 · Oct 20, 2019

Chojin Patriarch said:
Or it really could be coincidence. It's not like the Weirdos coordinate with each other. There's no 'Legion of Doom', the Light notwithstanding.

It could even be reactive timing to eachother instead of deliberate coordination and planning. "I can get away with this while they're busy dealing with THAT mess"

smithclarkson001 · Oct 20, 2019

Thanks for sharing the resources man..........!!!! 9Apps VidMate VLC

Buggy123 · Oct 21, 2019

smithclarkson001 said:
Thanks for sharing the resources man..........!!!!

Ah, yes, the... resources. The resources we shared. Those resources. You're... welcome?

Ardy · Oct 21, 2019

I wonder if we'll get Paul trying to take a nap before his building explodes

Mr Zoat · Oct 21, 2019

17th February
00:57 GMT -5

Ah, man.

It's like I've tripped and fallen into the sixties.

Naturally, any piece of supervillain paraphernalia that's simply a weapon has to be decommissioned. But now that they're actually doing their jobs the police have to be able to train new recruits on the sorts of things that the mad men, mad women and mad others who inhabit Gotham might use, and since they don't actually want to kill the rookies...

Novelty vehicles from brightly painted cars to parade floats and a couple of aircraft, example costumes and mundane devices with cunningly concealed secret compartments and enough ridiculous costumes to make Elton John have a heart attack.

"So… Like…" The night custodian looks like someone who thought that this job wasn't going to actually involve much actual work. "What are you actually looking for?"

"Honestly? An excuse to go home for the night." I take out a rune stone and walk towards the nearest pile of… Junk? No, the vehicles are still as roadworthy as they were when they were first built. Stuff. Yes, pile of stuff. The products of deranged but surprisingly functional minds. Unsurprisingly, the stone doesn't glow. "This is one of those things where you don't actually expect to find anything out, but you have to check anyway just in case."

"You want me to do anything?"

"Yes please." I use a construct filament to pass him a rune stone. "Hold that near each pile. If it glows, call me."

He takes it and looks at it wearily for a moment. "I need t'..? Rub it or something?"

"No, it comes pre-rubbed. It's not dangerous-" It turns out that the Elvis-Joker costume isn't actually magical. "-at all. Glowing is all that it can do."

"You're the boss." He runs it over the body of Mr Cobblepot's… Aviarymobile. "You know, people always wondered if Scarface was possessed. You know, like Chucky in the Child's Play."

"I don't think Chucky would tolerate someone's hand up his bottom."

Not that I've actually watched Child's Play. For all I know Chucky was into that.

"Batman has destroyed several iterations of the Scarface puppet. None have demonstrated any sort of otherworldly effect. And the magic systems which handle the transmigration of human souls are generally quite reliable."

"Transmawhat?"

"Transmigration. The process of what's left of you after your body shuts down going elsewhere."

"Oh, your soul going to Heaven."

"Or somewhere else. Honestly, at the moment I'd pick Purgatory over either."

"Over Heaven?"

"Dad is the gardener in my family. From what I saw of Heaven, you get either 'pastoral' or 'progress towards full unity with the Source'. I like the world, and Purgatory is the place most like the material world. Also, I know the guy who runs it."

"Conversations like this-" He lumbers over to a rack of Mr Cobblepot's gadget umbrellas. "-make me wish I hadn't skipped catechism class. I just know what you're saying is important, but it's all over my head."

"It's never too late to start worrying about your immortal soul." I frown at myself as I come to the end of a rack. "Until you die. Then it generally is."

"I like to think I've lived an okay life."

"Well…"

"What?"

"Okay, look, I've had an unproductive and frustrating evening, but… So that you don't end up with the default afterlife services provider rather than the one you actually want… As I understand it, it takes a little more than living an 'okay' life."

Another row of clothes, another disappointment. And not all of these people were insane!

"So, what, I gotta start going to church again?"

"Assuming that you want to go to Heaven..?"

"Well… Yeah?"

"You don't sound too sure, there."

"I didn't expect to hear a superhero talking up Purgatory."

"The fact that supernatural things exist doesn't mean that what popular mythology says about them is true. For example, Purgatory isn't where you go while you reflect on your vices on the way to Heaven. Vampires don't stop and count seeds if you throw them at them."

"How about garlic? And.. stakes?"

"The one vampire I've spoken to says that she doesn't like the smell of either the bulbs or the flowers, but she can soldier through it. Stakes through the heart wreck the blood magics which keep vampires functioning, but stakes through the heart generally kill humans too. As well, it isn't any easier to stake a vampire than it is a human, so any film you've seen of a human hitting a vampire in the chest and killing it? Probably not accurate. You either hit a rib, or it gets embedded in the muscle and doesn't punch through."

"Huh. Ah, nothing over here."

"Next pile, then. Honestly, with most vampires, a handgun is a better bet."

"I thought guns didn't work on vampires."

"Why wouldn't they? I mean, they're not as effective as they are against humans, but that's because vampires are tougher and heal faster, not because they're immune to bullets. If you shoot a vampire through the brain or the heart that'll stop it, even if it won't necessarily kill it."

"I guess… Yeah, it makes sense." He moves his rune stone around some sort of giant marble run. "I guess it's like you said: movies and whatever just don't show it how it is. So… Ah, going back to the whole 'Heaven' thing? How do you get in?"

"I'm not an expert. I was extradited there. But… The basic Christian ethos is well known. You know what you have to do to get into Heaven. You're not expected to be perfect, but you are expected to be trying to become a more moral man and ask for God's help when you fall short."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. It's not a secret. Getting into Heaven is simple but that doesn't mean that it's easy. Assuming that you want to."

"And you wanna go to Purgatory?"

"No, I'm going to Erebos. Erebos is perfect for me because I'll be able to stay in contact with the world, have a productive post-life existence and if I for some reason get bored of it I can opt for reincarnation without any of that Hindu karma levels business. For someone like me with no interest in reconciling with the Source, it's perfect."

He chuckles a little nervously.

"You get commission on that?"

"Not these days, though I imagine Lord Hades will shuffle me to the head of the queue when it finally happens."

I look out across the warehouse at all of the exhibits still to go, and inwardly sag.

Buggy123 · Oct 21, 2019

Mr Zoat said:
I look out across the warehouse at all of the exhibits still to go, and inwardly sag.

OL, you're falling into that trap again. You have a power ring.

Just send out a hundred filaments carrying runestones and get this done in a fraction of the time.

Someguy Somewhere · Oct 21, 2019

Buggy123 said:
OL, you're falling into that trap again. You have a power ring.

Just send out a hundred filaments carrying runestones and get this done in a fraction of the time.

Maybe you could get away with one rune stone and the magical equivalent of a parabolic reflector...and just point it at everything from a fixed position.

Longer ranged runestones would be handy. MAgical Detection And Ranging, MADAR

Buggy123 · Oct 21, 2019

Someguy Somewhere said:
Maybe you could get away with one rune stone and the magical equivalent of a parabolic reflector...and just point it at everything from a fixed position.

Longer ranged runestones would be handy. MAgical Detection And Ranging, MADAR

Personally, I'm wondering if you could just do something like disposable magic-detecting dust.

Just throw some into the air and blow it around, and wait. Anything magical ends up covered in a layer of glowing dust. When you're done, just sweep it up with your handy dandy power ring.

Bigreader · Oct 21, 2019

It's like you're selling insurance which I guess in a way you are just without a commission.

Chojin Patriarch · Oct 21, 2019

Mr Zoat said:
Ah, man.

It's like I've tripped and fallen into the sixties.

Naturally, any piece of supervillain paraphernalia that's simply a weapon has to be decommissioned. But now that they're actually doing their jobs the police have to be able to train new recruits on the sorts of things than the mad men, mad women and mad others who inhabit Gotham might use, and since they don't actually want to kill the rookies...

It sounds like a jumble sale of the weird, wondrous and wicked...

Novelty vehicles from brightly painted cars to parade floats and a couple of aircraft, example costumes and mundane devices with cunningly concealed secret compartments and enough ridiculous costumes to make Elton John have a heart attack.

Or give Lady Gaga costume envy?

"So… Like…" The night custodian looks like someone who thought that this job wasn't going to actually involve much actual work. "What are you actually looking for?"

"Honestly? An excuse to go home for the night." I take out a rune stone and walk towards the nearest pile of… Junk? No, the vehicles are still as roadworthy as they were when they were first built. Stuff. Yes, pile of stuff. The products of deranged but surprisingly functional minds. Unsurprisingly, the stones doesn't glow. "This is one of those things where you don't actually expect to find anything out, but you have to check anyway just in case."

Just remember, you volunteered to do this...

"You want me to do anything?"

"Yes please." I use a construct filament to pass him a rune stone. "Hold that near each pile. If it glows, call me."

He takes it and looks at it wearily for a moment. "I need t'..? Rub it or something."

What do you think this is, Aladdin?

"No, it comes pre-rubbed. It's not dangerous-" It turns out that the Elvis-Joker costume isn't actually magical. "-at all. Glowing is all that it can do."

"You're the boss." He runs it over the body of Mr Cobblepot's… Aviarymobile. "You know, people always wondered if Scarface was possessed. You know, like Chucky in the Child's Play."

Understandable reaction, I suppose. Given the Ventriloquist has gotten very good at throwing his voice... Or awakened a minor metahuman talent...

"I don't think Chucky would tolerate someone's hand up his bottom."

Not that I've actually watched Child's Play. For all I know Chucky was into that.

Pretty sure no. Though he did try and get his leg over with a similar female doll.

"Batman has destroyed several iterations of the Scarface puppet. None have demonstrated any sort of otherworldly effect. And the magic systems which handle the transmigration of human souls is generally quite reliable."

"Transmawhat?"

"Transmigration. The process of what's left of you after your body shuts down going elsewhere."

You'd be amazed where thy can end up sometimes. Giant golden gorillas, for instance.

"Oh, your soul going to Heaven."

"Or somewhere else. Honestly, at the moment I'd pick Purgatory over either."

"Over Heaven?"

Dude, did you see what happened over Christmas?

"Dad is the gardener in my family. From what I saw of Heaven, you get either 'pastoral' or 'progress towards full unity with the Source'. I like the world, and Purgatory is the place most like the material world. Also, I know the guy who runs it."

"Conversations like this-" He lumbers over to rack of Mr Cobblepot's gadget umbrellas. "-make me wish I hadn't skipped catechism class. I just know what you're saying is important, but it's all over my head."

If it's any consolation, it tends to go over most people's heads, for different reasons.

"It's never too late to start worrying about your immortal soul." I frown at myself as I come to the end of a rack. "Until you die. Then it generally is."

"I like to think I've lived an okay life."

"Well…"

Turns out you're not the judge of your worthiness. And the one doing the judging has high standards...

"What?"

"Okay, look, I've had an unproductive and frustrating evening, but… So that you don't end up with the default afterlife services provider rather than the one you actually want… As I understand it, it takes a little more than living an 'okay' life."

Another row of clothes, another disappointment. And not all of these people were insane!

Weirdo fashion. Sometimes the bad guys look damn good.

"So, what, I gotta start going to church again?"

"Assuming that you want to go to Heaven..?"

"Well… Yeah?"

"You don't sound to sure, there."

It would be a start, I suspect.
Correction: 'sound too sure'

"I didn't expect to hear a superhero talking up Purgatory."

"The fact that supernatural things exist doesn't mean that what popular mythology says about them is true. For example, Purgatory isn't where you go while you reflect on your vices on the way to Heaven. Vampires don't stop and count seeds if you throw them at them."

"And gods forbid you throw them at them. It tends to annoy them..."

"How about garlic? And.. stakes?"

"The one vampire I've spoken to says that she doesn't like the smell of either the bulbs or the flowers, but she can soldier through it. Stakes through the heart wreck the blood magics which keep vampires functioning, but stakes through the heart generally kills humans too. As well, it isn't any easier to stake a vampire than it is a human, so any film you've seen of a human hitting a vampire in the chest and killing it? Probably not accurate. You either hit a rib, or it gets embedded in the muscle and doesn't punch through."

Honestly, the things that kill vampires tend to kill most anything, bar a few exceptions. Staking, beheading, fire...

"Huh. Ah, nothing over here."

"Next pile, then. Honestly, with most vampires, a handgun is a better bet."

"I thought guns didn't work on vampires."

You'd be surprised, I think.

"Why wouldn't they? I mean, they're not as effective as they are against humans, but that's because vampires are tougher and heal faster, not because they're immune to bullets. If you shoot a vampire through the brain or the heart that'll stop it, even if it won't necessarily kill it."

"I guess… Yeah, it makes sense." He moves his rune stone around some sort of giant marble run. "I guess it's like you said: movies and whatever just don't show it how it is. So… Ah, going back to the whole 'Heaven' thing? How do you get in?"

"I'm not an expert. I was extradited there. But… The basic Christian ethos is well known. You know what you have to do to get into Heaven. You're not expected to be perfect, but you are expected to be trying to become a more moral man and ask for God's help when you fall short."

Some people, though, seem bound and determined to head downstairs, shall we say.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. It's not a secret. Getting into Heaven is simple but that doesn't mean that it's easy. Assuming that you want to."

"And you wanna go to Purgatory?"

"Eris, no. It's a boring place."

"No, I'm going to Erebos. Erebos is perfect for me because I'll be able to stay in contact with the world, have a productive post-life existence and if I for some reason get bored of it I can opt for reincarnation without any of that Hindu karma levels business. For someone like me with no interest in reconciling with the Source, it's perfect."

To be honest, I doubt the Ophidian will let things go that easily. Remember how ticked she was when the Silver City snagged OL's soul?

He chuckles a little nervously.

"You get commission on that?"

"Not these days, though I imagine Lord Hades will shuffle me to the head of the queue when it finally happens."

I look out across the warehouse at all of the exhibits still to go, and inwardly sag.

This was your idea, OL. No cutting corners now.

You know, these walk-and-talk chapters are always entertaining, just for the topics of conversation. Now, odds of Robin finding something he needs OL's eyes on, or Batwoman calling for backup?

Mquz · Oct 21, 2019

Can't really see purgatory as all that boring. What would it be like? Depends on the people, and not everyone who is famous and interesting or influential is good / evil. For example, where would you put Einstein if you put contributions to science as Morally Grey since they cause both good and evil. How about Steve Jobs (if that's not too recent)? How about all the people who ultimately contributed to evil but with good intentions (if you think intent matters). Or a whole bunch of world leaders trying to do good, but having to get involved with politics? It's like the saying of wanting to go to hell since that's where all the interesting people are, but there's bound to be a whole bunch of people who end up in purgatory, and would be too boring and undedicated to do the things needed to climb the tower as stated by Dante's book. Or if they're just living there, that's fine too.

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

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