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

[Mquz]

Unless the history is different in DC, United Russia was only formed in 2001, well after the collapse of the Union. Further, nostalgia for and glorification of Soviet Union is not an uncommon trait among the youth.

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Yeah... actually United Russia is fairly pro Gorbachev-era Soviet Union - or something like it. It's a cult of personality that specifically does it's best to exclude opposition parties from participating in political discussion while having a large amount of control over business and a large willingness to use military force for the gain of specific politicians. The late Soviet Union wasn't seemingly all that bad a place to live for people in general living in Russia, and fairly similar to how it is now in the way uninformed people in general remember it.

 

[Buggy123]

Ok, they really need to just accept that they'll have to bite the bullet and go loud here. Go get the Mind-Killer-Killer gun, confirm that they're up to no good and there's not some unlikely silliness with a friendly Sheeda going on, kill the Mind-Killers and then find the source and smash it.

"And a really bad record on AI rights and augmentation technology is completely illegal."

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Not to mention the 'Prime Directive', which definitely won't end up causing any wars down the line when a species reaches space and realizes "Oh hey, those friendly aliens watched while we lost half the population of our planet to the Alien Black Death and didn't offer us the cure that they could trivially produce."

Or the suspicious asceticism of a culture that has replicators.

Or the rather fascinating monoculture that we see the entirety of humanity stick to, which is just a delightful gigantic, flashing-red warning sign that a culture has something unpleasant going on behind the scenes to maintain it.

I could go on.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I think you meant to use "the" there.

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Thank you, corrected.

Unless the history is different in DC, United Russia was only formed in 2001, well after the collapse of the Union. Further, nostalgia for and glorification of Soviet Union is not an uncommon trait among the youth.

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Who said anything about United Russia, a political party formed less than twenty years ago? I didn't say anything about United Russia.

Correction: 'It's our job'

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Thank you, corrected.

OL has told them the Sivanas are working against the Sheeda, didn't he? Or is that a more general 'These Sivanas are crazy' statement of exasperation?

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He told them that the Sivanas are focusing on the sheeda. He hasn't said that he's in regular contact with them.

 

[Mquz]

Unified Russia might as well be United Russia - it's close enough that you could translate the Russian either way. In reality, a closer translation to English might actually be One Russia - since it's a different word used than in USSR, and has closer connotations to One Russia, including the superiority that it having ONE in it's name implies. The translation to United Russia is likely a somewhat clever translation implied to mean that United Russia is somehow similar to the USSR, which is possibly correct, but does not have that implication in the original Russian. Also, the party system started out fairly democratic for a few years in the late 90s before stuff slowly happened and United Russia became as overtly corrupt as it is now.

 

[webxro]

Ok, this will sound like an ass-pulled thought because IDK anything about the future Sheeda or whatever their name is, but is it possible that they are using something similar to what the Master (in Doctor Who) used when he made the humans from the "end of the universe" work for him and murder current time humans without causing themselves to be erased from the timeline?

 

[Prince Charon]

Or the rather fascinating monoculture that we see the entirety of humanity stick to, which is just a delightful gigantic, flashing-red warning sign that a culture has something unpleasant going on behind the scenes to maintain it.

I could go on.

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Doylistly, the reason for most of the species in Star Trek (and a lot of other SF settings) having monocultures is because it makes things easier for the writers. Watsonianly, we could blame the Q, but that seems too much like a cop-out. Perhaps someone could start a thread, here or on SB.com (which I'm pretty sure still has more active members), to discuss in-setting justifications for it.

 

[Z3r0Sama]

Ok, this will sound like an ass-pulled thought because IDK anything about the future Sheeda or whatever their name is, but is it possible that they are using something similar to what the Master (in Doctor Who) used when he made the humans from the "end of the universe" work for him and murder current time humans without causing themselves to be erased from the timeline?

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Because from the Sheedas perspective, they already succeeded. Also in DW atleast in books, you have fixed events/points in time. If you screw upto much either Time or the Timelords, as Time's guardians, fix it.

 

[Mquz]

Because from the Sheedas perspective, they already succeeded. Also in DW atleast in books, you have fixed events/points in time. If you screw upto much either Time or the Timelords, as Time's guardians, fix it.

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Yeah - but then the recent seasons kind of ruined that with bad/ inconsistent writing. The Doctor changed a fixed point in the Waters of Mars and suddenly apparently the entire future of humanity changed. Seriously, they can't let Rose Tyler's dad live without causing a paradox, but apparently when the Doctor does it, it's fine? Preety sure there's more examples later on of doing this badly in universe. Chalk it up to having a different director / producer who didn't respect the previously established lore.

When the Master caused the paradox, it ended up being fairly easy to fix, since he had to use the Tardis as a Paradox Machine to keep the Paradox from resolving itself - which it eventually did anyways once the machine was destroyed and everyone lost their memories. It was, in effect, in a way, set outside of time.

 

[Agumentic]

but apparently when the Doctor does it, it's fine?

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It was 100% not fine, though. Doctor was going completely bonkers there, if I remember the episode correctly, what's with the whole "I'm a Time Lord Victorious now, and time is my plaything".

 

[Mquz]

It was 100% not fine, though. Doctor was going completely bonkers there, if I remember the episode correctly, what's with the whole "I'm a Time Lord Victorious now, and time is my plaything".

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Yeah, I was assuming we were supposed to take that completely seriously - that time was essentially his plaything. And then the epic scale of future plot lines basically made it that he did change what time would have been in major ways at some parts. Preety sure they went back to the Time Lord Victorious thing at least a few times.

Though now that I think about it, they did keep it, but also made it so that you can save individuals from around a fixed point in time - which is what the Doctor was planning to do in the Waters of Mars. That said, the Waters of Mars changed the meaning of that point in time. She died, but the meaning of her death and how history remembered her (which should be the important thing) changed. And then it's stated that fixed points in time just have to look like that for outside observers (like at Lake Silencio) which contradicts the events of Waters of Mars, since that did change how people remembered the event. It's not "if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck", since It doesn't need to sound like a duck (as in Waters of Mars), or move like a duck (lake Solencio). After all, how would the Doctor have known to be there with a fake body if he hadn't known that he would already die there at Lake Silencio. The first Doctor who had no way of knowing he would die there would have died there.

 

[Gantradies]

Yeah, I was assuming we were supposed to take that completely seriously - that time was essentially his plaything. And then the epic scale of future plot lines basically made it that he did change what time would have been in major ways at some parts. Preety sure they went back to the Time Lord Victorious thing at least a few times.

Though now that I think about it, they did keep it, but also made it so that you can save individuals from around a fixed point in time - which is what the Doctor was planning to do in the Waters of Mars. That said, the Waters of Mars changed the meaning of that point in time. She died, but the meaning of her death and how history remembered her (which should be the important thing) changed. And then it's stated that fixed points in time just have to look like that for outside observers (like at Lake Silencio) which contradicts the events of Waters of Mars, since that did change how people remembered the event. It's not "if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck", since It doesn't need to sound like a duck (as in Waters of Mars), or move like a duck (lake Solencio). After all, how would the Doctor have known to be there with a fake body if he hadn't known that he would already die there at Lake Silencio. The first Doctor who had no way of knowing he would die there would have died there.

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id actually say that kinda of high-handed meddling/alteration of the timeline would actually be completely in-charicter BEFORE he started loosing it- whenever something has the doctor ticked off/snitty, he has a history of compromising his principles on impulse.
he had already derailed a golden age of humanity/ peaceful progressive period out of childish pique (which was replaced with the master's jacking of the tardis/the whole paradox machine fiasco- everything during, and since that point did -not- happen in the origional timeline) with the British PM over his increasingly-strained opposition towards the use of lethal force.
...then again, i guess that could be taken as the real warning sign/breaking point...
i mean, he -lost- any attempt to claim the moral high-ground on killing when he attempted to kill Davros back in the old days- it doesnt matter how much he agonized over crossing those wires, he -did- do it in the end, and it was dumb luck that one of the daleks was able to get the charge off his mobility rig AND get enough distance...

 

[Sockmonkey]

I honestly think DW is overwanked.
Anyhow, since the Sheeda are a hostile force going after civilians, couldn't these things be classed as terrorists? Misery-ist just doesn't have the same ring to it. I don't think the victim has to be the one to shoot, they just need to be shot while feeding yes? In case everyone forgot, OL does have access to even better minds and tech than the Sivanas have. Remember best snarky grandma Hinon?

 

[Z3r0Sama]

Quick question will Justice League interact in anyway with Justice Lord's remnants hanging out at Challenger Mountain in Renegade TL? I'd love to see reactions to their counterparts not having any problems with Gravy.

 

[LostPath]

How about deploying our friendly grandfatherly Hope Lantern to the area and seeing what happens?

 

[Irked]

At the very least i'd of expected Paul to report the presence of the Mind Killers before going for diplomacy, League might actually be willing to make an exception if they know what these things are.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Darn it. I know there's an old Justice Society story where their wives and girlfriends use their equipment, but I can't find any references to it now. Has anyone heard of it?

Edit: Never mind. All-Star Comics 15, and Alan Scott wasn't on the Society at the time. Also redone for Starman 69.

Edit 2: Can anyone find any good pictures of a woman wearing a variant of Alan Scott's costume?

 

[Flux Casey]

Leonid nods. "Space communism through universal class consciousness. Yes, I would like that as well."

I nearly raise an eyebrow at that. The Russian Federation has been ruled by Unified Russia since the Soviet Union fell apart, and while their leadership appears to have an unsettling degree of respect for Communist-era strongmen rulers their position on Communism itself appears to be 'what were we thinking?'. I think that's the first time I've heard Leonid voice a badthinkful opinion.

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Hm. This new insight into the character is interesting. Or it would be if I remembered who this guy is in the first place. Genuinely can't remember ever reading the name Leonid in this story until this arc. And once again I find myself asking for an updated character roster.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Hm. This new insight into the character is interesting. Or it would be if I remembered who this guy is in the first place. Genuinely can't remember ever reading the name Leonid in this story until this arc. And once again I find myself asking for an updated character roster.

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Ah! Sorry, forgot again.

The Team

B01 – Robin
B02 – Aqualad
B03 – Kid Flash
B04 – Superboy
B05 – Miss Martian
B06 – Orange Lantern
B07 – Red Arrow
B08 – Artemis
B09 – Zatanna Zatara
B10 – Cornwall Boy
B11 – Rocket
B12 - Troia
B13 – Tempest
B14 – Aquagirl
B15 - Squire
B16 - Speedy Arsenal
B17 – Canis Minor
B18 - Starfire (Leonid Kovar)
B19 - Osiris
B20 - Supergirl (Linda Danvers)
B22 - Star Sapphire (Ghia'ta)
B23 - Green Lantern (Arisia Rrab)

 

[Coda]

Or the suspicious asceticism of a culture that has replicators.

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This makes more sense than you're giving it credit for. Why do you think companies do limited-time sales? The perception of scarcity is one of the leading drivers of impulsive acquisition. If you can have anything you want, at any time, and you've known this your whole life, then that makes having specific physical possessions feel less important. Having the replicator data for the object in question is good enough to reassure you that you could have it if it ever mattered enough to you. And near-flawless holodeck simulations provide another reason why material possessions just aren't important.

This means the things that have real value are things of personal relevance, and those kinds of artifacts don't happen very often -- awards for specific commendations, mementos of significant events or people, artwork with a particular emotional resonance... And you do see THOSE things in the show.

Keep in mind, too, that the main focus of the story is a military vessel. Yes, its mission is exploratory instead of combative, but the ship still isn't meant to be a luxury cruise and there's a certain level of discipline expected from the officers.

rather fascinating monoculture that we see the entirety of humanity stick to

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Except we don't see a monoculture of the entirety of humanity. We see the military culture of a specific group of humanity and the show makes plenty of implications (and occasionally explicit portrayals) of other human cultures outside of the primary cast.

And even if you disregarded the implied cultures and only paid attention to the stuff shown on-camera, the culture that's shown is a fairly reasonable extrapolation of current trends in globalization. Local culture is flavoring on top of a common culture shared across humanity as a result of widespread, low-latency communication. Significant divergence from the baseline culture is the result of cliques and isolation.

Doylistly, the reason for most of the species in Star Trek (and a lot of other SF settings) having monocultures is because it makes things easier for the writers. Watsonianly, we could blame the Q, but that seems too much like a cop-out. Perhaps someone could start a thread, here or on SB.com (which I'm pretty sure still has more active members), to discuss in-setting justifications for it.

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By parallel to the above, we don't generally see enough representatives of any given spacefaring culture to be able to properly judge monoculturism. The more we see of other species, the more diversity gets conveyed to the viewer. Klingons are a great example of this, and we've seen at least two major cultures over the show's history, and even a shift in which culture is dominant within their political system. The Ferengi have some other implications as well, as it's specifically their mercantile culture that actively seeks outside contact and there's even hints of other groups that are oppressed by the dominant majority.

Hm. This new insight into the character is interesting. Or it would be if I remembered who this guy is in the first place. Genuinely can't remember ever reading the name Leonid in this story until this arc. And once again I find myself asking for an updated character roster.

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He's the Russian power armor pilot exchange student, aka Starfire.

 

[Mr Zoat]

He's the Russian power armor pilot exchange student, aka Starfire.

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No, no power armour. An alien shape ship his father was studying blew up. His father died, he got super powers.

 

[Coda]

No, no power armour. An alien shape ship his father was studying blew up. His father died, he got super powers.

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Oh, oops, I got my characters mixed up. Thank you, corrected.

 

[PDV]

In case everyone forgot, OL does have access to even better minds and tech than the Sivanas have. Remember best snarky grandma Hinon?

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Better minds, yes. Better tech, in this area? I don't think so. Remember how Vril Dox was very impressed with a communicator Madam Doctor Sivana - who isn't even a physical science specialist - made? The Sivana family are (AFAICT) the pinnacle of what Earth's Arsenal World of superscience is capable of, and they've studied the Sheeda; they're galactic-tier technologists in areas they've focused in. So Hinon and the Controllers can outdo them, but not trivially; it would take specific research.

 

[Mr Zoat]

18th February
11:52 GMT -6

"OhmyGodyou'reOrangeLantern."

YES! Someone who doesn't call me the Cake Man!

Beryl… Isn't getting recognised, which… She has actually missed out on our higher profile missions, so outside of Britain I suppose she wouldn't expect to be immediately recognisable.

I smile as I lower my hands, once again concealing my rings. "Yes indeed."

"Uh-. What are you doing here?"

"We're performing an investigation, and I hope that you can help us."

"Us?" She looks around me and fails to notice the out of costume Beryl. "Us who?"

"Squire, Supergirl, Starfire and Tempest." She frowns. Yes, not exactly the most recognisable names, either. I never thought that having your superheroic identity not get recognised was a problem I'd actually run into. I should probably take that into account more. "We didn't want to crowd you."

"Okay. What.. do you want?"

Her friends stand a short distance away, watching us a little cautiously. I think they think we're Jehovah's Witnesses or something.

"We believe that you've recently come into contact with an.. unusual entity, and we want to check that you haven't been harmed in any way. We'd like to take you to a secure location while we perform a few tests."

The good humour vanishes from her face. "Like a.. demon?"

I shake my head. "No, demons are simple to deal with and easy to spot during a detailed investigation." Plus, if it was a demon I'm not sure that I'm be able to restrain Linda. "And it's entirely possible that there isn't anything wrong at all, or that we've misunderstood the situation. But as professional superheroes we like to be certain about these sorts of things."

"Is it going to take long?"

"It's impossible to say for certain, but hopefully no more than half an hour."

"It's just-." She giggles. "'Stranger danger'-" I nod. "-you know?"

"You are of course free to refuse, or to ask someone to accompany you, or to phone someone to let them know where you're going. While our presence here isn't a secret, we are trying to keep it at least somewhat quiet in case the area is under observation."

"Sure… Ah…" She pulls her mobile phone out of her pocket. "Let me just phone Mom real quick?"

"By all means."

She smiles as she presses the touch screen and then holds the phone up to her face.

"Hey Mom! You'll never guess what happened!"

"Perhaps a.. little quieter?"

She looks around her phone with a wince, then returns her full attention to it.

"What is it, honey?"

"I've met a superhero!"

She turns the phone around, and I see the face of her mother peering out bemusedly. I raise my left hand again, allowing my rings to glow faintly.

"Oh well I never."

Kimberly turns the phone back to her own face.

"He wants me to let him do some tests on me in case something weird's happened. He says it won't take long, but-." She looks around the phone again. "Where are we going?"

Since I haven't had time to rent a warehouse or something… "Just a little way outside of town. I'll bring you back once we've finished."

"So that locator app which you totally haven't got on the whole time can tell you where I am."

"Ah. Okay, honey. Tell me all about it when you get back!"

"Sure Mom." She lowers the phone and ends the call with another button-press. "Let's go! Wait, are we flying?"

I hold out my left hand and she eagerly takes it.

"No." I touch a filament to Beryl and transition the three of us across town, then release her hand and raise my left hand to my ear. "Garth, is it still with us?"

"No, but it's heading your way quickly. You have a little over a minute."

"Thank you."

"You can teleport!"

"Miss Ryan, have you seen a large humanoid made of cloud recently?"

She blinks. "Ah, what?"

I create a construct replica of the Mind Killer.

"Something like this? One appears to be following you, and we're a little concerned. Last time I saw one it was trying to persuade a man to kill himself."

"Ah…" She looks at it a little more carefully, though I can't imagine that she could confuse it with anything else. "No? I mean… I wouldn't forget seeing something like that."

I turn up my empathic vision, but I can't see anything that suggests that she's not being honest. Darn. So the thing was… Just following her? Perhaps-.

"They only see it when they start getting depressed."

I nod at Beryl's suggestion. "Distinctly possible. Just to be completely clear, Miss Ryan, you haven't heard any strange voices or felt desires which you didn't think were your own?"

"It's getting closer."

"No. What is it?"

"Some sort of artificial intelligence from the far future. We don't know what it's doing." I make a construct version of Thaddeus's device and point it towards the town.

No… No… There.

I point.

"Please confirm that you don't recognise that?"

She vigorously shakes her head as it gets closer.

"Uh-uhh."

"Right then." A flicker of orange and my armour appears around me as I rise into the air. Another and Beryl's own lightly armoured costume appears. "Sheeda Mind Killer."

It slows, about half of its eyes focusing on me and my construct.

"Explain yourself."

 

[Idkusername]

Imagine that you have Paul, host of the Ophidia, Orange Lantern Illustres, taking his Corps on a tour of his home world, and some random civilian rocks up and calls your boss the 'Cake Man'.

 

[Gantradies]

...... is it bad im wondering if "evacuate the sol system, start shattering planets to brute-force redact the sheeda from the timeline" would be a viable last-ditch nuclear option 50/a few hundred years down the line?
i mean, if they're contained to a specific planet/set of planets, destroying the planet logically should work....

 

[RichardWhereat]

Imagine that you have Paul, host of the Ophidia, Orange Lantern Illustres, taking his Corps on a tour of his home world, and some random civilian rocks up and calls your boss the 'Cake Man'.

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And then asks him to sing New York New York, while laughing at him.

 

[Idkusername]

...... is it bad im wondering if "evacuate the sol system, start shattering planets to brute-force redact the sheeda from the timeline" would be a viable last-ditch nuclear option 50/a few hundred years down the line?
i mean, if they're contained to a specific planet/set of planets, destroying the planet logically should work....

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Except, and correct me if I'm wrong, won't that mean the Sheeda will simply develop wherever humanity ends up parking its space-RV?

 

[Gantradies]

Except, and correct me if I'm wrong, won't that mean the Sheena will simply develop wherever humanity ends up parking its space-RV?

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that would be a potential concern- the angle i was going over was completely (and beyond the timelines ability to bend back into shape) obliterating the possibility for the opposition as they exist/will exist beyond repairing- a different threat/organization arising is perfectly possible,of course, but it would be different- like, ALL of the conditions/events over the multi-millenia period would be different/gone.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

"OhmyGodyou'reOrangeLantern."

YES! Someone who doesn't call me the Cake Man!

Click to shrink...

It happens so rarely. The joy of being known more for a moment of madness than anything heroic... At least it wasn't 'the guy those Angels were after?'

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Beryl… Isn't getting recognised, which… She has actually missed out on our higher profile missions, so outside of Britain I supposed she wouldn't expect to be immediately recognisable.

I smile as I lower my hands, once again concealing my rings. "Yes indeed."

"Uh-. What are you doing here?"

"We're performing an investigation, and I hope that you can help us."

Click to shrink...

Man, this is going down like someone's bad fanfiction story, isn't it? ...She isn't that much of a fangirl, is she?

"Us?" She looks around me and fails to notice the out of costume Beryl. "Us who?"

"Squire, Supergirl, Starfire and Tempest." She frowns. Yes, not exactly the most recognisable names, either. I never thought that having your superheroic identity not get recognised was a problem I'd actually run into. I should probably take that into account more. "We didn't want to crowd you."

Click to shrink...

As far as the public is concerned, it's 'The Cake Man' and four 'literally who?'s...

"Okay. What.. do you want?"

Her friends stand a short distance away, watching us a little cautiously. I think they think we're Jehovah's Witnesses or something.

"We believe that you've recently come into contact with an.. unusual entity, and we want to check that you haven't been harmed in any way. We'd like to take you to a secure location while we perform a few tests."

Click to shrink...

...And that sounds really bad, even in context. Zoat only knows how it sounds to her friends.

The good humour vanishes from her face. "Like a.. demon?"

I shake my head. "No, demons are simple to deal with and easy to spot during a detailed investigation." Plus, if it was a demon I'm not sure that I'm be able to restrain Linda. "And it's entirely possible that there isn't anything wrong at all, or that we've misunderstood the situation. But as professional superheroes we like to be certain about these sorts of things."

Click to shrink...

Unlike the amateur sort who leap in fists first and run when they hear police.

"Is it going to take long?"

"It's impossible to say for certain, but hopefully no more than half an hour."

"It's just-." She giggles. "'Stranger danger'-" I nod. "-you know?"

Click to shrink...

Wow, she's a smart one. Definitely not a starry-eyed fangirl, then.

"You are of course free to refuse, or to ask someone to accompany you, or to phone someone to let them know where you're going. While our presence here isn't a secret, we are trying to keep it at least somewhat quiet in case the area is under observation."

"Sure… Ah…" She pulls her mobile phone out of her pocket. "Let me just phone Mom real quick?"

Click to shrink...

Man, this day can only get funnier from here. Until the Mind Killer goes on a rampage...

"By all means."

She smiles as she presses the touch screen and then hold the phone up to her face.

"Hey Mom! You'll never guess what happened!"

Click to shrink...

...Oh, this is going to be hilarious.

"Perhaps a.. little quieter?"

She looks around her phone with a wince, then returns her full attention to it.

"What is it, honey?"

"I've met a superhero!"

She turns the phone around, and I see the face of her mother peering our bemusedly. I raise my left hand again, allowing my rings to glow faintly.

Click to shrink...

At least he can prove he's not a creep. Unless some company can make fully light-up lantern rings.

"Oh well I never."

Kimberly turns the phone back to her own face.

"He wants me to let him do some test on me in case something weird's happened. He says it won't take long, but-." She looks around the phone again. "Where are we going?"

Since I haven't had time to rent a warehouse or something… "Just a little way outside of town. I'll bring you back once we've finished."

Click to shrink...

Seriously, OL, you sound so creepy right now like that...

"So that locator app which you totally haven't got on the whole time can tell you where I am."

"Ah. Okay, honey. Tell me all about it when you get back!"

"Sure Mom." She lowers the phone and ends the call with another button-press. "Let's go! Wait, are we flying?"

Click to shrink...

Not unless you want the entire town to see... Of course she does.

I hold out my left hand and she eagerly takes it.

"No." I touch a filament to Beryl and transition the three of us across town, then release her hand and raising my left hand to my ear. "Garth, is it still with us?"

"No, but it's heading your way quickly. You have a little over a minute."

Click to shrink...

Good to know they're not so linked to their target that they can ride along on teleportation and rapid travel.

"Thank you."

"You can teleport!"

"Miss Ryan, have you seen a large humanoid made of cloud recently?"

Click to shrink...

And straight down to business.

She blinks. "Ah, what?"

I create a construct replica of the Mind Killer.

"Something like this? One appears to be following you, and we're a little concerned. Last time I saw one it was trying to persuade a man to kill himself."

Click to shrink...

Please try not to scare the lady, OL...

"Ah…" She looks at it a little more carefully, though I can't imagine that she could confuse it with anything else. "No? I mean… I wouldn't forget seeing something like that."

I turn up my empathic vision, but I can't see anything that suggests that she's not being honest. Darn. So the thing was… Just following her? Perhaps-.

"They only see it when they start getting depressed."

Click to shrink...

At which point they assume it's like the 'black cloud' of depression? Or a Someone Else's Problem effect...

I nod at Beryl's suggestion. "Distinctly possible. Just to be completely clear, Miss Ryan, you haven't heard any strange voices or felt desires which you didn't think were your own?"

"It's getting closer."

"No. What is it?"

"Some sort of artificial intelligence from the far future. We don't know what it's doing." I make a construct version of Thaddeus's device and point it towards the town.

Click to shrink...

Good to see the tech is reproducable. Then again, the Sivanas are good at making stuff mass-production ready..

No… No… There.

I point.

"Please confirm that you don't recognise that?"

Click to shrink...

Well, time for the shite to be launched rotary-cooling-device-wards.

She vigorously shakes her head as it gets closer.

"Uh-uhh."

Click to shrink...

Not so fun now, is it? Don't worry, you're with professionals.

"Right then." A flicker of orange and my armour appears around me as I rise into the air. Another and Beryl's own lightly armoured costume appears. "Sheeda Mind Killer."

It slows, about half of its eyes focusing on me and my construct.

"Explain yourself."

Click to shrink...

Again, assuming it has enough sapience to be rational... Here's hoping it plays nice.

Honestly, I wonder how many hero fangirls have written stories about a handsome Superhero coming to their town and asking them for help with something? I'm sure it's a lot.

 

[Lucidum]

Huh, I feel like I've missed something with Supergirl. I thought she wasn't doing the whole superhero thing besides the occasional tag along like going to Thanagar?