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

[Darko]

He already has kids with her, Willytab and Willykin.

Sure they're not his biological kids, but I'm pretty sure he will grow to love them as his children and they will love him as their father.

 

[Sockmonkey]

Gee, then at least have the decency to get the terminology right. They're Icthultu style beings.

Naturally, since Cthulu was never copyrighted and yet they went with that instead then the distinction is important.

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Yeah, it just makes them look pedantic and stupid. Seriously, if I wrote about the adventures of Icthuperman and the Icthstice Ictheague to avoid copyright, the judge wouldn't even bother sitting down before telling me to knock it of and GTFO.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I found another typo and edited it into my comment.

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Change "intent" to "intend".

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Thank you, corrected.

I wonder if these pictures work for 2011 Mumm-Ra?

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Those are pictures of Mumm-Ra 2011, so... Yes. But I was looking for something I could use for Mumm-Rana 2011.

As for the whole having kids thing . . . I mean . . . It's always possible that Yaul doesn't want to have kids?

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Thundera doesn't really have contraception. Khoah would consider the two of them not having children to be a failing, probably on her part.

There's a certain appeal into being with a woman without the risk of pregnancy or STDs.

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[Considers that both chimps and cats can get AIDS]

 

[Darko]

If Khoah considers their inability to have children to be her fault then Yaul would correct her that it isn't her fault and the reason they can't have children is because they are not members of the same species, before giving her a kiss and a hug and telling her to never blame herself for things which are out of her control.

He seems like a sweet guy, brutal ruling methods aside.

 

[ForeverShogo]

Oh. Yes. Mumm-Rana makes more sense. I was rather confused how one could have trouble finding pictures of the main villain, but I clearly rolled with what my tired eyes were telling me.

The only picture I could find that even attempted to give her a 2011 re-imagining was this.

Which is certainly a step up from her original incarnation. Because original Mumm-Rana was, us, kind of ugly.

 

[Vaermina]

One of the reasons Khoah and Yaul can show more love to each other compared to Jade and Paul could be the fact that Khoah was an ordinary farmer before she met Yaul while Jade was an assassin with an abusive past, so she is less inclined to showing positive emotions and may still be somewhat cautious, even though she is beginning to show more violet in her speech.

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I think the reason is more that this Paul didn't mindfuck himself.

I was mildly peeved that I couldn't find a good updated Mumm-Rana picture to link to here.

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[Darko]

I think the reason is more that this Paul didn't mindfuck himself.

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Paul has shown a great degree of violet in his speech when speaking about Jade, so he loves.

While Paul did somewhat mindfuck himself he is still able to feel other emotions.

Jade on the other hand due to her past isn't so eager to feel those types of emotions, unlike Khoah who was just an ordinary farmer before she met Yaul and thus lacks many of Jades issues.

When I made my previous comment I was talking about the fact that Khoah shows more violet than Jade because of the previous mentioned reasons.

Also nice pic of Mumm-Ra

 

[Bramble Thorn]

He isn't a geneticist even though he may have a large amount of date right now so he may think altering her biology to be too risky.

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I liked the Renegades solution to genetic reconciliation.
Where he knew what traits Kon's human genes coded for, what traits kryptonian genes coded for, and then swapped out the human genes for their kryptonian analogues.

So if he had an easily charged ring, he could use its AI to analyse human dna (if that isn't already done and on file thanks to database sharing), and once the same analysis is done to thunderkat dna, he could just take a sperm sample from himself, and convert it to a sample of thunderkat sperm that represented equivalent thunderkat genes.

No hybrid complications, or troubles with his children having their own children later on, but still keeping to the 'half of you, half of me' essence of children.

 

[Darko]

I liked the Renegades solution to genetic reconciliation.
Where he knew what traits Kon's human genes coded for, what traits kryptonian genes coded for, and then swapped out the human genes for their kryptonian analogues.

So if he had an easily charged ring, he could use its AI to analyse human dna (if that isn't already done and on file thanks to database sharing), and once the same analysis is done to thunderkat dna, he could just take a sperm sample from himself, and convert it to a sample of thunderkat sperm that represented equivalent thunderkat genes.

No hybrid complications, or troubles with his children having their own children later on, but still keeping to the 'half of you, half of me' essence of children.

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Yaul may be a bit more cautious than renegade as he doesn't have a Fatherbox that has data on both Kryptonians and Humans, and while his ring can take a scan of thundercat DNA there is no guarantee it can safely make it so they can have children.

And if he is like Paul then he may be unconcerned with having children and would love Khoahs children with her late husband like his own.

 

[Rafin]

When new forms of government are set up I always like to extrapolate to future generations, even if immortality might make it unnecessary.

Right now Yaulistan, if Yaul lives a couple years and then dies, will have a civilian Queen-Mayor, an advisory council that may or may not become hereditary, and a military headed by someone with a yellow power ring (or three) that in truth is only as beholden to the Queen and government as they want to.

Over the longer term this seems inherently unstable to me. The military commander will have the Great Founder's magical tool of office and will clearly and evidently be both a Lord and have taken the role of the nation's Protector, just like the Lord Protector. In the near future either a heir of Khoah learns to wield the ring and reunites the hereditary head of state position with the Protector role or there will almost definitely be a military coup.

 

[SirKaid]

He explicitly said that he doesn't want to form a hereditary monarchy so he doesn't need biological children. If he wants more kids than his stepchildren he can always adopt - it's not like there's ever going to be a shortage of orphans even in a prosperous world, much less a war-torn world like his.

 

[Darko]

When new forms of government are set up I always like to extrapolate to future generations, even if immortality might make it unnecessary.

Right now Yaulistan, if Yaul lives a couple years and then dies, will have a civilian Queen-Mayor, an advisory council that may or may not become hereditary, and a military headed by someone with a yellow power ring (or three) that in truth is only as beholden to the Queen and government as they want to.

Over the longer term this seems inherently unstable to me. The military commander will have the Great Founder's magical tool of office and will clearly and evidently be both a Lord and have taken the role of the nation's Protector, just like the Lord Protector. In the near future either a heir of Khoah learns to wield the ring and reunites the hereditary head of state position with the Protector role or there will almost definitely be a military coup.

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The system does have its risks, but it may also be a necessary thing as if he is gone then at least the civilization wont descend into anarchy.

Yellow Rings may not make the user immortal like orange ones, but I may be wrong on that.

His enlightenment can greatly help him with viewing other peoples emotions so that he can make sure they don't have any thoughts of betraying him or abusing their powers.

The system may be unstable, but then again so is the system of letting a single individual be a linchpin that holds everything together, only for that person to be taken out and everything to collapse.

 

[Rafin]

The system is only unstable if the positions of ring wielder and head of state become codified as separate. Pumyra might accept Khoah's primacy over civilian matters, but even she I expect to follow her own preference if they disagree on foreign policy or military matters. And Pumyra will probably follow in Yaul's footsteps as judge/jury/executioner. Best case scenario one of Khoah's children joins the military, excels before Pumyra's death, and is able to attune to the ring. It would avoid an ugly coup or a potentially hateful and terrorized civilian population by keeping a clear line of legitimacy without perceived injustice and tyranny.

 

[Alasnuyo]

Yellow Rings may not make the user immortal like orange ones, but I may be wrong on that.

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As long as the yellow ring has a proper AI and a wielder fearful of their own mortality, I don't see a reason why it can't render death-by-old-age a non-issue.

 

[Rafin]

As long as the yellow ring has a proper AI and a wielder fearful of their own mortality, I don't see a reason why it can't render death-by-old-age a non-issue.

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For an enlightened user it should work just as well as an orange one when it comes to immortality as long as they fear death even a little.
A non-enlightened user with a fear of death might become more undying than unaging and become more and more similar to a lich over time. Like Alan Scott -14 for instance.

On that note, Mr Zoat how does Lord Protector Yaul actually look, when compared to you?

 

[Idkusername]

As long as the yellow ring has a proper AI and a wielder fearful of their own mortality, I don't see a reason why it can't render death-by-old-age a non-issue.

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I'd assume it to be a more conscious process than what Paul went through with an orange ring, but yes.

Prince Jon nods, then focuses on me. "You, I remember. You destroyed my shield."

I nod. "What? If you hadn't wanted me to shoot it, you shouldn't have blocked my shot."

He grins. "Heh hah!" Then he nods. "True. But my wife has spent a long time trying to teach me not to block attacks with my body. She says that I can never tell when one of them will be something I'm not invulnerable to." He points to his left eye with his right hand. "Like those arrows."

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I'm pretty sure the laugh is supposed to be orange.

 

[Mr Zoat]

For an enlightened user it should work just as well as an orange one when it comes to immortality as long as they fear death even a little.
A non-enlightened user with a fear of death might become more undying than unaging and become more and more similar to a lich over time. Like Alan Scott -14 for instance.

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Al Scott doesn't fear death. He's just soaked in it.

On that note, Mr Zoat how does Lord Protector Yaul actually look, when compared to you?

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As with most variants of me, he's a good deal more muscular. He's also thinner, as there really isn't much food around and -like Alexander the Great- he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't getting more than anyone else. His irises are yellow, his hair is shorter and by now his default facial expression is markedly harsher.

I'm pretty sure the laugh is supposed to be orange.

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No, the laugh is the sound he actually made. The orange stuff is translated. In theory, I should have written what he actually said in white to go along with it, but I don't speak norse.

 

[Darko]

For an enlightened user it should work just as well as an orange one when it comes to immortality as long as they fear death even a little.
A non-enlightened user with a fear of death might become more undying than unaging and become more and more similar to a lich over time. Like Alan Scott -14 for instance.

On that note, Mr Zoat how does Lord Protector Yaul actually look, when compared to you?

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Alan's lantern was also damaged and leaking light so it is possible that the same is true for his -14 counterpart.

He may not be so much a Lich as he is a guy that looks a bit like a corpse.

Yaul may look like Paul before he got altered by his ring, so most likely fairly average, possibly somewhat thin as Zoat mentioned that the yellow ring burned off all unnecessary fat from the body like the red ring did and he may not have any of the musculature that Red has because he may not be that physically active as he is ruling his society and not fighting like Raul is.

I'd assume it to be a more conscious process than what Paul went through with an orange ring, but yes.



I'm pretty sure the laugh is supposed to be orange.

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Something about the Einharjer was preventing the ring from being able to use its normal translation effect.

 

[Rafin]

Al Scott doesn't fear death.

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I meant in appearance. Al Scott is immortal for the same reason Scott 16 is, right?

 

[Darko]

I meant in appearance. Al Scott is immortal for the same reason Scott 16 is, right?

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Alan doesn't exactly fear death but he isn't in any rush to meet her yet.

Another part of that may be because they absorbed so much of their respective lights they automatically got a slowed aging process even if they weren't knowingly slowing down said process.

Alan 16 didn't know about what happened to him and Alan -14 also probably didn't know that too.

Zoat are paragons irises orange?

 

[WereDragon]

Day 341
It's always dawn somewhere

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On the one hand I do enjoy Paultector updates.
On the other trying to read yellow with the site-style I prefer remain annoying.

 

[Xmaster3000]

Day 341
It's always dawn somewhere

Ideally, in an organisation, no one should be irreplaceable. At any moment, an individual may be struck ill, fall dead, or get a better offer. As such, it is necessary to arrange things that the functionality of the organisation may be maintained despite the absence of anyone, even if that means that an individual of superlative skill may not be able to exercise it to the greatest extent.

"… cover this up, Khoah! The whole patrol saw a giant hand reach down out of a hole in the sky and grab him!"

I knew that, of course. But I've been so busy keeping everyone alive that I hadn't fully considered what it meant for me. I rather assumed that I would either be here or I would be dead, in which case the ring would go to Pumyra. The idea that I might be taken alive with the ring never occurred to me. Talking to some of my more politically experienced alter egos…

"I know. But if it becomes known that he might not be coming back, people will panic."

"So-?!"

"Take the patrol on a mission to the City. Make sure to take a full inventory of any materials we could take from it. That will buy us a few weeks with no more than quiet rumours."

With the danger of immediate starvation or invasion beaten off, I think that now is the time to address matters of governance.

"And then?"

"And then if he has not returned we will have to learn to live without him."

I transition downwards, appearing in the small meeting room with them.

"Fortunately, that-"

Pumyra's hand is on her knife immediately, while Khoah is sliding her chair back to stand.

"-won't be necessary. Though this does raise an interesting point about continuity planning." I cause my eyes to flare with yellow light. "The owner of the hand will no longer be an issue. Khoah, your plan was sound."

"Ah, thank you, my-."

I step closer, pulling her into my embrace and firmly pressing my lips to hers. She moulds herself into me, her fears evaporated by the physical confirmation of my existence.

"Lord Protector, you need to go outside so that people can see you."

I pull back from Khoah, her eyes brimming with… Not.. love, that's… Faith.

I'm...

"Quite right. Walk with me, both of you."

I turn away and stride towards the door, pushing it open and being mildly pleased as the two guards stationed there take a half-step away as they see me.

"As you were."

My residence isn't a large building. It's not a fort or guard post and building materials are still at a premium. As a result it's only a short march to the exterior doors, which I throw open in a display of vigour. Worried people look around, hoping for some direction from their leaders and instead see me.

"I'm fairly certain that you all have assigned duties which you should be performing. Be about them."

And they're going, and while there's an air of guilt and fear from most, there's also… Relief.

"Hm."

I fold my arms across my chest. Here's as good a place for this discussion as anywhere, and it won't be a problem if the people with a good reason to be here overhear it.

I turn back as Khoah and Pumyra come through the door.

"The Thunderan tradition is that the king reigns until infirmity or death claim him, then he is succeeded by his eldest legitimate son. Without a woman of my own species I can't have children, and I'm not convinced of the value of hereditary rulership anyway."

Pumyra nods approvingly.

"Khoah, you will begin forming a governing council. Select a representative from each farm and project and gather them together each week to discuss any issues they're having. You are empowered to deal with them as you see fit. I will be taking a step back from governance to allow our people to become accustomed to following your direction."

She nods. "My lord."

"Once the system has the confidence of the people, I will award you the title of 'mayor' and codify our precise legal relationship. As of now, you are my heir designate."

She nods again.

"Pumyra, select your most competent lieutenant and train them how to perform your current duties. Once they are up to your standard, I will begin training you in the use of this ring. This is not intended to cast aspersions upon Khoah, but her skills do not lie in the direction of inspiring fear. Tell me, what was your solution to your soldiers spreading rumours?"

"Long range.. 'scouting'."

She inclines her head very slightly, and we both know that they wouldn't have come back.

"Precisely."

I turn away from them, looking not at the remaining lollygaggers but at the homes and warehouses, and further away the fields.

"During my time away I gained access to a large quantity of useful data. Our next large community project will be our own iron mine, but first I have a more esoteric project of my own to complete."

I take the Sword of Plun-Darr out of its sheath and look at the soul stone on its crosspiece.

"It should be possible for me to use this to create a more efficient method for recharging the ring. I will be spending as much time working on that as possible. When I am successful, I will be able to become far more active. I intend to explore this region of the universe to attempt to locate people who have more information on Mumm-Ra."

"Like who?"

"If the story Lion-O told us about his visions of this world's past was accurate, Mumm-Ra attacked numerous worlds prior to your ancestors' revolt. I hope that there were survivors, or at the very least records we could use."

Possibly other creatures like him. Because I'm very curious about how he works. And what the heck he is.

"I am pleased with the way you handled my absence, and I will endeavour not to be grabbed by giant hands in future."

"Please."

I turn back and smile at Khoah.

"One last thing before you both go." I take a pair of thundrillium rings out of subspace and go down on my left knee. "Khoah, will you marry me?"

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At this point I have to ask; does Lord Protector have the Gauntlet of Plun-Darr?

 

[Rebu]

As with most variants of me, he's a good deal more muscular. He's also thinner, as there really isn't much food around and -like Alexander the Great- he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't getting more than anyone else. His irises are yellow, his hair is shorter and by now his default facial expression is markedly harsher.

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Ah, yes. That lean and hungry look.

 

[Ace Dreamer]

I'm paraphrasing my boss at my first 'proper' post-university job, who said that I needed to keep our SOP bible up to date in case I got hit by a car.

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I've heard that described as 'engineer/programmer under a bus' on one or two jobs I've done... Who is critical to the project, and, are they making sure that no project-critical stuff only exist in their head?

Until/unless we get industry-approved necromancy this will be a continuing issue.

Or, we get the staff to take proper, regular, backups of themselves, as well as the systems they use.

 

[Cuchulin]

He already has kids with her, Willytab and Willykin.
Sure they're not his biological kids, but I'm pretty sure he will grow to love them as his children and they will love him as their father.

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Agreed, for most of human history it was "Mama's baby, Papa's maybe" as you could never be 100% a woman hadn't getting it on with the milkman or a traveling salesman or what ever at some point (men did that kind of thing all the time after all). So raising those kids is more important than getting their mother pregnant.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Zoat are paragons irises orange?

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Yes.

At this point I have to ask; does Lord Protector have the Gauntlet of Plun-Darr?

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I'd have to rewatch the series to give a definite answer, but if it wasn't with the Rats then no.

 

[Xmaster3000]

Here is a clip of Lion-O and Pumyra retrieving the sword and gauntlet from Mount Plun-Darr:

 

[Mr Zoat]

5th April
16:52 GMT -5

"…the eye-goo out of my hair for the next month, but we managed to deal with it."

Kon frowns as we head towards the training room.

"What happened to your environmental shield? Did the magic bypass it?"

"No-. I mean, metaphorically. Yes, my environmental shield kept it from actually touching me but it was still pretty disturbing."

"What did it want, anyway?"

"Eyeballs. We confirmed links between the elemental and the reliquaries the cult used to use."

"Why?"

"Don't know and don't care. When you demand that people give you eyeballs, you lose the right to complain when they take yours."

Richard and Wallace look around as we enter the training room, Richard smiling…

"What?"

"The UN Security Council wanted to talk to the Justice League about Brazil."

Wallace nods. "Sounds like they aren't too happy about a tribe with superpowers trying to take over a country. Or about the League not stopping them."

I frown. "But they didn't-." Understanding dawns. "Which Security Council member called the meeting?"

Richard's smile widens. "China."

"And they want to hash out the League's policy on civil wars."

He keeps smiling.

"Because they don't really care about Brazil, but they aren't all that keen on the idea of the League deciding that Taiwan or Hong Kong aren't part of the People's Republic and doing something about it."

"And guess who just handed a city full of Atlantean separatists a space fleet?"

I turn to face Kon. "You didn't."

He blinks in surprise. "No? Why did you give a separatist city a space fleet? I didn't even know you had a fleet."

"I personally don't have a fleet. LEGION on the other hand has several fleets. Dox has wanted to put some ships in this region of space for a while. I think he thinks we're a 'threat to the universe' or something."

I shrug. Wallace grins.

"Ah, was he just talking about you there, Oh El, or do the rest of us count as well?"

"Wallace, you can run at the speed of sound in an atmosphere without catching fire. I suspect that he actually finds you more offensive than me. And I didn't give them a fleet. Venturia is now a LEGION supplier, and is entitled to its protection. The rest of Atlantis has had next to nothing to do with it for more than fifty years and I'm fairly confident that the referendum they're holding will show landslide support for partition." I shrug. "That's good enough for me and it's more than good enough for Dox. What do you think a place should have to do for us to recognise its independence?"

Kon shrugs. "Why do we have to do it at all?"

"Because we're the most powerful military force on the planet."

Wallace shakes his head.

"We're not a military."

"What was Mister Garrick doing during the Second World War?"

"Okay, yeah, and Russia didn't give more people super speed because they didn't want him to help America give more people super speed. But Jay coulda given more people super speed anytime since the thirties."

Richard bows his head slightly. "Yeah, that's the point. If you've got power, everyone else who wants to do anything has to take into account the fact that you might use it. The whole reason why we have anti-vigilante laws is because not everyone who wants to beat up bad guys has the same definition of 'bad' as everyone else."

"But we're not.. going to invade Taiwan." Wallace looks a little nervous. "Right?"

"You tell me. What would have to happen for you to decide that invading Taiwan was the correct thing to do?"

"I dunno. World War Three?"

Kon doesn't look sure. "Most wars aren't as morally simple as World War Two. I don't think I'd want to fight in World War One."

"I totally would."

"Themyscira didn't fight in World War One."

"Sure, but if I win a tournament I can call myself Wonder Man and go out and beat everyone into submission in the name of peace. I would be a just and fair hegemon-"

Richard looks up at the ceiling for a moment. "Everyone else seeing Paul in Wonder Woman's-?"

Wallace and Kon nod.

I shrug. "It's unisex."

Kon shakes his head. "I don't think men are allowed to participate in that tournament-. You already checked."

"You just have to be a citizen of a Themysciran city. In the old days men weren't, but I legally am."

"But the point-." Wallace stops and looks me over. "The point is, okay, just because there's a big war happening doesn't mean I'd need to get involved. I get it. And since I paid attention in history class I know that since the Second World War there's a whole lot of stuff the US government has done that I'd probably try and stop if I was there. But if Venturia can break away and you're fine with it, what's the difference between that and the American South breaking away before the Civil War? That was pretty popular in the South."

"Slavery, obviously. If the South didn't have slaves and still wanted independence, what would be wrong with that?" I shrug. "Nothing. I mean, that's what democracy is all about: legitimacy comes from the consent of the governed. The people are sovereign. If the majority want to go, what right do the rest have to stop them?"

Richard folds his arms across his chest. "Can't see the US federal government seeing it that way. Or Poseidonis."

"Before I left Earth Prime, my country had a ballot scheduled on Scottish independence. If the nationalists won, a chunk of the United Kingdom would have separated with the consent of the national government, completely peacefully. But going back to the original point-."

Wallace nods. "China… What, they freaked out because if Taiwan made an army of super soldiers the Justice League might decide not to do anything about it?"

Richard shrugs. "Or they woke up to the fact that Justice League members do have political opinions. Or that like Paul says, the Justice League is the most powerful military force on Earth and might just decide that it doesn't want UN oversight anymore."

Kon looks at him. "But Batman's got a plan for that, right?"

"Recognized, Aquaman, zero six, Aqualad, B zero two."

Kon pats me on the back, then the three of them make a speedy exit.

 

[thebishop8]

"Okay, yeah, and Russia didn't give more people super speed because they didn't want him to help America more people super speed.

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Add "give" after "America".

 

[RichardWhereat]

Oh this'll be fun. Also, I really hope he backs Hong Kong. He should absolutely back Taiwan, given they're an independent country already.