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

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
him This

'him. This' You're missing a . there.

Mr Zoat said:
"I am… Not familiar with this method of opening portals. Some of the mechanical and biological substitutions make sense to me, but I have never seen anything quite like it."

Mr Zoat said:
"It is quite disquieting."

Mr Zoat said:
"Huh."

"Mm."

Mr Zoat said:
"Betman, we cannot give you an answer with complete certainty. Not within the time available. I do not believe that there are any treps and I am happy to risk my safety with it, but there are things about it that I do not completely understand."

Mr Zoat said:
"That, I will guarantee." Dr. Balewa looks like he wants to ask Mr. Zatara more about what he just did, but then there's another clank and some of the tubing starts to glow. "I believe that this is it."

White quote marks for Dr Balewa.

Mr Zoat said:
"J-Giovanni." John nods a greeting

So he may know who he is is if he called him John?

Mr Zoat said:
the Witch Worlders are Puritans, not Yazidis. The idea that a demon might repent is something we should probably ease them into.

They could have not told them that she was a former demon, assuming the ones that came to Earth didn't discover that.

That or just ask Zauriel to come.

Mr Zoat said:
people would could

'who could'

Mr Zoat said:
Well. Mr. Zatara's a far more forgiving man than I am.

He wasn't nearly as insulted as you were, so it's expected he wouldn't be as mad as you are.

Hell he actually defended Nabus actions.

Mr Zoat said:
get in in

'get it in'

Mr Zoat said:
The issue is basically that Ahri'ahn was a massive Poseidonis-supremacist and saw an opportunity to render in flesh what he believed about the people's spirits. This is not widely known in modern Atlantis.

I knew n52 Ahri'ahn went insane, but I never figured your version was like that. Granted we haven't exactly discovered all that much about him.

And before you say that he wasn't insane, having the beliefs he had aren't exactly what a sane guy would have, as well as his actions not being that of a sane guy.

Mr Zoat · Aug 8, 2020

Idkusername said:
'how hesitant'

Darko said:
'him. This' You're missing a . there.
White quote marks for Dr Balewa.
'who could'
'get it in'

Thank you, corrected.

So he may know who he is is if he called him John?

Giovanni used to go by 'John' for professional purposes.

They could have not told them that she was a former demon, assuming the ones that came to Earth didn't discover that.

Which would be fine if they were muggles, but they're magic users.

Chojin Patriarch · Aug 8, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
1st March
06:57 GMT -5

Huh.

The device that is going to be sending us on our way is something out of a…

An unholy mixture of steampunk aesthetics, biochemical atrocities and sacrilegious mystical space-time wedgies? Something that should not be? Something out of 'Girl Genius'? That about sum it up?

Well, it-.

...

If OL's at a loss for words, however momentarily, you know it's a mess.

Actually, I'm not sure what it would have come from. It's a mixture of Hephaestus's forge, Cadmus's Science Basement and Doctor Frankenstein's laboratory. Translucent jars contain not g-sprites but the impaled remains of Sheeda spine-riders, runes traced on the glass and on the solid metal mechanisms which serves as the active part of the device. The controls are purely mechanical; solidly welded leavers and cranks can bring various parts to bear and a simple steam engine powers the whole thing.

And I am amazed he's not thinking of Hex, from the Discworld. It sounds like all it needs is a goat skull to complete the aesthetic.

But that-.

Ah, I see. The Sheeda aren't merely pinned open like anatomical specimen, they're in some sort of fluid which is being pumped around the thaumically active parts of the device.

Sounds... meaty.

The whole thing is a weirdly primitive form of techno-magic. If I hadn't spoken to Magnificus myself… This doesn't look like anything I've seen the Sivanas build before. I'm getting Thirteen Ghosts flashbacks again.

Before I looked at the video, I immediately thought 'The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo'... the original cartoon, not the modern movie.

And that's leaving aside the fact that I've no idea how they got it into the Breed Building's basement. Though I suppose if you're going to perform morally dubious magic it's best to pick somewhere that can't really taint any worse than it already is. We put monitoring devices down in case Mr. Gotham's boss turned up here looking for him This being here is professionally irritating. And from his general attitude I can see that Batman feels the same way.

Surprised to see OL and Batman on the same page for once.

"Will it work?"

Dr. Balewa doesn't look around as he continues to slowly examine the machine.

"I am… Not familiar with this method of opening portals. Some of the mechanical and biological substitutions make sense to me, but I have never seen anything quite like it."

Which must be refreshing to him, at least. After thousands of years, there must be days when he thinks he's seen it all.

A cog in the machine clanks into a new position.

I'm just waiting for the faint 'ping' of something deep inside releasing tension... And everyone assuming something broke.

"It is quite disquieting."

"Doctor Fate?"

Calling in all the guns for this one, eh? His book learning should be helpful, at least...

John raises his hands, a translucent ankh appearing in each one. Golden threads trail off each and are sucked into the machinery at various points and are drawn inside. He and Dr. Balewa carefully watch where they go.

"Huh."

"Mm."

"Aaaah..."

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were just making thoughtful noises for fun.

Another clanking transition.

"Hate to rush you, sirs, but if we don't use this in the next few minutes then we have to wait eight months."

Honestly, it might be worth waiting that long, if only to be sure it's safe. From the description, this thing sounds like it'll pop something when it actually spins up to speed.

Batman glances my way, then returns his full attention to the two magicians. "If we have to wait eight months then we have to wait eight months, but I need your verdict. Is it safe to use?"

"Betman, we cannot give you an answer with complete certainty. Not within the time available. I do not believe that there are any treps and I am happy to risk my safety with it, but there are things about it that I do not completely understand."

Well, then... Why not try the 'suck it and see' approach? You're going to have to try sooner or later.

"…concern, Diana, but I have been fully recovered for some time."

Diana and Mr Zatara walk into the antechamber where I shot Strega's leg off.

I do hope they at least cleaned the stains up in the months since.

"And since it.. sounds-"

Mr Zatanna's eyes alight on John's helmet, prompting a deep inhalation and a slight hesitation.

Yeah, that's not bringing back bad memories or anything, nosirree.

"-like my colleagues could benefit from my abilities, I will offer my assistance."

"J-Giovanni." John nods a greeting while Dr. Balewa raises his eyebrows slightly in mild surprise.

...Yet another surprise for Doctor Mist. What a day.

Mr Zatara steps up to the machine and raises his arms.

"Laever spart."

A wave of dull gold light passes over the machinery and then vanishes. Mr. Zatara nods.

Yay for the most hax magic available to the League being back in action.

"There are no deliberate traps, though I will bow to my colleagues' expertise on whether it will function as intended."

"That, I will guarantee." Dr. Balewa looks like he wants to ask Mr. Zatara more about what he just did, but then there's another clank and some of the tubing starts to glow. "I believe that this is it."

I take it the system is controlled remotely somehow? OR the Sivanas set up a timer... They made it, right?

Diana nods. "Wonder Woman to the Justice League. Everyone taking part in the Witch World mission should come to the gate machine now."

I watch as the rest of the mission team walk or fly in. The mission selection makes perfect sense to me. Anyone with a secret identity or a normal job is out. Dmitri can't come because he can't maintain his armour. William Harper can't come because he won't be able to refresh his quiver. Red Tornado can't come because we don't know how the locals will feel about his innate magics. Angelica ended up being cut for the same reason; the Witch Worlders are Puritans, not Yazidis. The idea that a demon might repent is something we should probably ease them into.

Okay, logical reasons all. I suspect anyone operating conventional tech would have performance issues, if only for the weather of Witchworld favouring gloomy and foggy most days...

John Stewart and Alan enter first, personal lanterns in hand since we're not completely sure that subspace pockets will keep working on the far side. Brut lopes through next, Canis sitting tall on his back, saddlebags full of essentials and art supplies. Major Adams walks through the door in his human-seeming form, dress uniform on and a heavy field pack on his back, with Mr Yao and Leonid just behind him carrying a similar pack.

No-one else from the team, eh? Looks like a milk run, for the most part. Good synergy with Stewart and Alan, too.

And that's it. Not too big, powerful enough to deal with most situations without risking being too big a threat to the people we're visiting, and containing at least two people would could get us back if they're totally hostile or not willing to guide us in using their witch-paths.

"…returning to the League."

And I missed Batman moving across the room to talk to Mr. Zatara.

Joy of still working with human senses, OL.

"Yes, I am fully fit, and my powers are recovered. I'm afraid that my professional commitments mean that I cannot take part in this mission, but I am once more available to the League."

"Thank you. It's good to have you back."

Well. Mr. Zatara's a far more forgiving man than I am.

Yeah, I would have taken the whole situation a lot less kindly... Unless the league sat down with Giovanni and explained that they were making plans to free him, but OL got there first. That would probably go a long way to, if not atoning for it, at least start making up for it.

I step closer to Alan, who's frowning at the machine. "This cockamamie contraption is supposed to take us to a parallel universe?"

"Yes, and I suspect that on the far end of the photosensitive spider web up there-" I nod to the ceiling. "-the people who made it are laughing about hesitant we're being."

Because of course the Witchworlders are watching them. Paranoia and caution go hand in hand.

"How did they even get in in here?"

"I'd guess ritual-based magic teleportation. Those can be surprisingly quiet, mystically speaking. I haven't put much effort into studying them because they're too slow to have tactical uses."

Especially if it takes a day or more to set up and cast. Some things you just can't rush.

"Huh. And that doesn't worry you?"

"You can't worry about every little thing. That's what Batman's for." Major Adams smiles as he overhears me. "Is this your first time in a parallel universe?"

You do realise Batman almost certainly heard that too? Even if not directly, he's surely got the place bugged.

"I suppose that depends on what counts as a 'universe'. Back in the thirties I went through a hole in near-Earth space to a place that looked like Victorian Britain. I still don't really know if that was time travel or not. The handful of other times I did something like this, it was to little magical… Places. Like Erebos, or things like that." He eyes the machine warily. "This is new. I don't remember the other portals having this many dead fairies stuck on them."

Alan's seen some shit, yeah. Be glad he didn't get sucked into that alternate 'Sliding Albion' from the Authority series. That was a messed up parallel universe.

"It was built by a supervillain. I suppose they just felt-"

John Quinn turns a dial and pulls two leavers, causing cogs to align with a clank and a flywheel to start spinning.

Old-school aesthetics, man. Got to respect the theatrics of Science!

"-a certain aesthetic was required."

Blue-white flecks leap from the flywheel and precipitate onto the central platform, causing the space within to twist…

And there's another clank as the portal fully engages.

Cue stargate 'Whoomph' sound. Hopefully not the whole bubbly eruption of warped space...

And the group is getting underway. Now, OL is going along, isn't he? He'd want first-hand experience of the place, and he did say he was going to be getting books and such from the locals. Let's hope his subspace pocket works right. Otherwise there might be quite a mess at the portal when they pop, big ol' packrat that he is.

...solidly welded leavers and cranks...

...solidly welded levers and cranks...

...that can't really taint any worse...

Feels off here. Perhaps 'really be tainted' works better?

Mr Zatanna's eyes alight...

Mr Zatara's eyes alight...

John Quinn turns a dial and pulls two leavers...

John Quinn turns a dial and pulls two levers...

AidanMorgan · Aug 8, 2020

Heh, there's seven of them.

MUAHAHAAHAAAHAHAHA.

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
Giovanni used to go by 'John' for professional purposes.

I thought that he may have known him more personally.

Mr Zoat said:
Which would be fine if they were muggles, but they're magic users.

But they probably don't have all that much of an experience in demons becoming angels, so they may not be able to tell.

And there's also Zauriel.

Chojin Patriarch said:
An unholy mixture of steampunk aesthetics, biochemical atrocities and sacrilegious mystical space-time wedgies? Something that should not be? Something out of 'Girl Genius'? That about sum it up?

The Sivanas would have fit right in that place.

Chojin Patriarch said:
If OL's at a loss for words, however momentarily, you know it's a mess.

Yeah, seeing as you usually can't get him to stop talking.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Sounds... meaty.

So does M'ganns bio ship.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Before I looked at the video, I immediately thought 'The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo'... the original cartoon, not the modern movie.

Now I really hope there's a Vincent Price expy on the other side of the portal.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Surprised to see OL and Batman on the same page for once.

I think the only thing they strongly disagreed on the last time was the whole angel fruit thing. That was months ago, they could have gotten over it.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Which must be refreshing to him, at least. After thousands of years, there must be days when he thinks he's seen it all.

The younger generations can always surprise you.

Chojin Patriarch said:
"Aaaah..." Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were just making thoughtful noises for fun.

Well there was a song whose title was a thoughtful noise.

Chojin Patriarch said:
...Yet another surprise for Doctor Mist. What a day.

Kids these days.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Yay for the most hax magic available to the League being back in action.

OP bullshit for the win.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Joy of still working with human senses, OL.

This is Batman we're talking about here.

Of course he can avoid a ring scan.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Yeah, I would have taken the whole situation a lot less kindly... Unless the league sat down with Giovanni and explained that they were making plans to free him, but OL got there first. That would probably go a long way to, if not atoning for it, at least start making up for it.

I don't think he was really all that mad about it.

When he and Pal talked about it Giovanni actually defended some of Nabus actions and the good he did for the world, like stopping threats he and the League didn't even know existed.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Because of course the Witchworlders are watching them. Paranoia and caution go hand in hand.

Think he meant the Sivanas.

Though it's possibe the ones from the other side have some sort of alarm system that lets them know when someone is preparing to enter their world.

AidanMorgan said:
Heh, there's seven of them.

MUAHAHAAHAAAHAHAHA

Paul, Canis, John, Alan, Adams, Yao, Leonid.

Not the exact line up from the one in the comics, but sometimes fate can't be avoided.

Mr Zoat · Aug 8, 2020

Chojin Patriarch said:
Because of course the Witchworlders are watching them. Paranoia and caution go hand in hand.

No, the web was probably put there by the Sivanas.

...solidly welded levers and cranks...
Feels off here. Perhaps 'really be tainted' works better?
Mr Zatara's eyes alight...
John Quinn turns a dial and pulls two levers...

Thank you, corrected.

Chaoswind · Aug 8, 2020

I find it funny that Lex and his crew were the ones to get Magnificus into this as a misdirection to make the league think the source of all this crap is the rest of the Sivana family (and Magnificus complained the ploy was quite obvious) and yet everyone in the League fell for it hook, line and sinker. Funny how Paul is keeping that information from the league too... I mean there is no way in hell they would agree to use the machine if they know Lex was involved in its construction, but they would agree to use shit made by the Sivana family because of how they behave as super villains and their "pure" motivations.

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

Chaoswind said:
I find it funny that Lex and his crew were the ones to get Magnificus into this as a misdirection to make the league think the source of all this crap is the rest of the Sivana family (and Magnificus complained the ploy was quite obvious) and yet everyone in the League fell for it hook, line and sinker. Funny how Paul is keeping that information from the league too... I mean there is no way in hell they would agree to use the machine if they know Lex was involved in its construction, but they would agree to use shit made by the Sivana family because of how they behave as super villains and their "pure" motivations.

When was it mentioned that Lex and his crew were behind this?

Magni is currently the only Sivana we know is working for Lex, the others are going solo as far as we know, or working with Ted in case of Beautia.

In the renegade timeline Sivana Sr. is working with Lex, but there has been nothing that states that paragon Sivana or the of his family is doing this.

Magni probably didn't even build this thing, but is just acting as middleman between his family and the League.

The League also isn't fighting the Sivanas now, they're fighting the Light, of which Luthor is a member.

The Sivanas also didn't play a part in Earth 16s greatest act of mass murder since the Holocaust, so they're probably a bit more comfortable working with the Sivanas because of that.

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

Chojin Patriarch said:
Before I looked at the video, I immediately thought 'The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo'... the original cartoon, not the modern movie.

Speaking of Scooby Doo.

Brut, the giant dog Canis rides, is going with them.

Is anyone hoping that the bad guy of this episode, Melmoth most likely, says something like this:

"And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you meddling superheroes and your giant dog!"

Assuming Brut doesn't eat him of course.

WereDragon · Aug 8, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
Well. Mr. Zatara's a far more forgiving man than I am.

Not exactly a high bar to clear.
Actually I'm un-sure if Paul is capable of forgiveness at this point. Perfect memory and an utterly inflexible morality rather preclude it.

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

Chojin Patriarch said:
Sounds... meaty.

Don't know why, but this reminded me of this:

Ah pregnancy.

It...truly is a living hell no matter your gender.

But at least women can keep their genitals afterward.

At least OL can heal himself should something like this happen to him.

Though I think Canis may want to see what's it like, for artistic reason of course.

I can also see him in the delivery room, making an artistic piece on the mans delivery, all the while thinking that it's the most beautiful thing he's seen while the man screams in utter pain and the doctors feel horror at what science has done.

It would be the most horrifying thing science has done in a fanfic since Jerry escaped the lab that made him in Cell of a Good Time.

Also I apologize if I utterly ruined your Looney Tunes viewing in the future, along with tulips.

WereDragon said:
Not exactly a high bar to clear.
Actually I'm un-sure if Paul is capable of forgiveness at this point. Perfect memory and an utterly inflexible morality rather preclude it.

He may still be capable of forgiving people, but not those that hurt something or someone he cares about.

He was able to get along with Blake and Kori, even if they did lie to him, but wasn't able to forgive Nabu.

Nabu hurt someone that was his friend, that being Zatanna, while most of the people Kori and Blake hurt were utter monsters and the innocents they killed or allowed to be killed can be seen as being mercy kills due to what the Psions do to their test subjects.

Ngamer11 · Aug 8, 2020

This talk about Koriand'r and Adam Blake got me thinking. Exactly how much does Komand'r respect Paul on scale of 1-10? Just curious. I personally think it would be 10 as she knows he is strong, helped her people, and is ruthless enough to genocide a species if necessary.

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

Ngamer11 said:
This talk about Koriand'r and Adam Blake got me thinking. Exactly how much does Komand'r respect Paul on scale of 1-10? Just curious. I personally think it would be 10 as she knows he is strong, helped her people, and is ruthless enough to genocide a species if necessary.

I'd say more like a 7, at least a 5 and an 8 at most.

This is because while he is all these things he also probably doesn't allow her to do everything she wants all the time, like assimilating all those Citadelians, and while he is ruthless he isn't like that all the time and she may see him as being somewhat weak for not going with the most brutal method every single time.

Renegade mentioned he and her didn't work anymore because she wanted a partner that didn't question her and adopted more brutal methods of doing things, even if they're probably not as bad as her comic counterparts or as stupid, so there is a chance paragon Kom also did something like that, but probably to a lesser degree than her renegade self, since paragon rescued her sooner and has more experience than renegade in rehabilitating people and getting them to use their talents toward productive ends.

Paul prefers to engage in diplomacy first if possible and will question her decisions.

So while she isn't crazy, evil and stupid like her comic self, she probably doesn't consider Paul a 10.

At least she isn't like her comic self.

Paul would be lucky if she thinks of him as a 5, seeing as he would most likely oppose her more due to her habit of engaging in evil for sadistic pleasure, as well as criticise some of her decisions.

TheEyes · Aug 8, 2020

Ngamer11 said:
This talk about Koriand'r and Adam Blake got me thinking. Exactly how much does Komand'r respect Paul on scale of 1-10? Just curious. I personally think it would be 10 as she knows he is strong, helped her people, and is ruthless enough to genocide a species if necessary.

On the other hand, she was willing to go along with the Vega-wide conspiracy to keep the Citadelian extermination plot from him, despite the fact that, out of everyone present, it was her and Koriand'r's specific responsibility to report to him. I suppose she likes him well enough, but respecting him, either has her superior officer in the OLC, or frankly as an independent being who might have a stake in the Vega system? Clearly not.

Moreover, neither Koriand'r nor Komand'r were disciplined for their insubordination in any way, which sets the precedent for how much leeway Orange Lanterns are given while on assignment. Which is a bit odd, now that I think about it: did anyone ever bother reporting the incident to Dox? I understand that Paul doesn't much care about people treating him like a mushroom, but Dox, as Clarissi of the Orange Lantern Corps, ought to have been justifiably pissed off about the whole incident. And how did the Greens and the Guardians respond? I suppose Oa could have extracted concessions out of the Vega union outside of Paul's own viewpoint, given that he's shown a remarkable degree of willful ignorance of Vega even after the incident, but I'd be surprised if that group would be as willing as Paul to let bygones be bygones.

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

TheEyes said:
On the other hand, she was willing to go along with the Vega-wide conspiracy to keep the Citadelian extermination plot from him, despite the fact that, out of everyone present, it was her and Koriand'r's specific responsibility to report to him. I suppose she likes him well enough, but respecting him, either has her superior officer in the OLC, or frankly as an independent being who might have a stake in the Vega system? Clearly not.

Moreover, neither Koriand'r nor Komand'r were disciplined for their insubordination in any way, which sets the precedent for how much leeway Orange Lanterns are given while on assignment. Which is a bit odd, now that I think about it: did anyone ever bother reporting the incident to Dox? I understand that Paul doesn't much care about people treating him like a mushroom, but Dox, as Clarissi of the Orange Lantern Corps, ought to have been justifiably pissed off about the whole incident. And how did the Greens and the Guardians respond? I suppose Oa could have extracted concessions out of the Vega union outside of Paul's own viewpoint, given that he's shown a remarkable degree of willful ignorance of Vega even after the incident, but I'd be surprised if that group would be as willing as Paul to let bygones be bygones.

Dox probably knows about that since Paul most likely told him and Green Lanterns being allowed into Vega, where they couldn't go previously, would most likely get his interest.

Kori and Kom either were disciplined off-screen, or Dox considered it unnecessary since they also basically allied multiple parties that were previously fighting each other and are making Vega hospitable and safe again, so he may find it possible to excuse their actions.

The only species that went extinct because of them were the Psions, who Dox may not like all that much as a former victim of sadistic scientists. The Psions did love to experiment on people in extremely painful ways.

I don't think the various powers of Vega would have cared what the Guardians thought of their actions if they knew that the Psions were a former experiment of theirs that they allowed to exist despite the fact that they are monsters.

It would be like this:

'Oh sorry I killed your wild and insane dog that you left in my house that was trying to kill me and my family. Please forgive me.'

Seeing as two Lanterns helped in the extermination they may have had the info on that on their rings.

The Guardians may have decided not to push the issue on the whole Psion thing.

They haven't made any noise about renegade deciding to get rid of the programming they placed on the Martians, even though chances are high that the various GL's on Earth have informed them of this and the things that are happening on Mars, so they may not make any noise about the Psions.

They may be glad that the Psion mishap has been dealt with in a way that doesn't reflect badly on them.

From what OL said, aside from the thing with Larfleeze, the Guardians may have had a pact with the Psions to not go into Vega, because after they died OL told them that the GL's can now enter Vega.

Mr Zoat said:
"Though I should make you aware that the continuing presence of the psions was the only thing keeping the Green Lantern Corps from returning to this region. Green Lantern Green Man."

With the actions of the Vega Alliance one of their mistakes is no longer around and they didn't break their word so their rep on keeping their word hasn't been damaged.

Paul is also most likely keeping a closer eye on Vega now after the incident, we just aren't shown that since it may not be all that relevant.

Mr Zoat · Aug 8, 2020

TheEyes said:
On the other hand, she was willing to go along with the Vega-wide conspiracy to keep the Citadelian extermination plot from him, despite the fact that, out of everyone present, it was her and Koriand'r's specific responsibility to report to him. I suppose she likes him well enough, but respecting him, either has her superior officer in the OLC, or frankly as an independent being who might have a stake in the Vega system? Clearly not.

Moreover, neither Koriand'r nor Komand'r were disciplined for their insubordination in any way, which sets the precedent for how much leeway Orange Lanterns are given while on assignment. Which is a bit odd, now that I think about it: did anyone ever bother reporting the incident to Dox? I understand that Paul doesn't much care about people treating him like a mushroom, but Dox, as Clarissi of the Orange Lantern Corps, ought to have been justifiably pissed off about the whole incident. And how did the Greens and the Guardians respond? I suppose Oa could have extracted concessions out of the Vega union outside of Paul's own viewpoint, given that he's shown a remarkable degree of willful ignorance of Vega even after the incident, but I'd be surprised if that group would be as willing as Paul to let bygones be bygones.

Dox doesn't care. As far as he's concerned, giving the SI the right to recruit was 'paying him off', effectively creating a separate organisation. Any problems they make away from the Periphery are the SI's problems.

Soul Shocker · Aug 8, 2020

Prognostic Hannya said:
Isn't a large element of Paul's battle style w.r.t. exotic threats based on using various types of rounds stored in his subspace pocket? And iirc he carries most of his important possessions there too.

Kinda like Wands for D&D wizards in the Bag of Holding.
If he brings his Spellbook (lantern), even missing out on Wands, he's still very viable.

rdfox · Aug 8, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
Major Adams walks through the door in his human-seeming form, dress uniform on and a heavy field pack on his back, with Mr Yao and Leonid just behind him carrying a similar pack.

Small note here, for future reference. While OL probably wouldn't know this (most people don't), I seriously doubt that Major Adams would actually be wearing his true "dress" uniform, officially known as the "Mess Dress" uniform, which is reserved for formal occasions and considered to be equivalent to black tie. More likely, he would be wearing his standard desk-duty uniform, known as Service Dress, which is the famous blue suit. That said, for an actual human who would have to have various badges (like his wings and ribbon rack) pinned to his uniform, wearing a backpack would be rather uncomfortable with that uniform (the straps would be pressing the backs of the pins into the chest) and, most likely, based on the date, the Airman Battle Uniform would be preferred. While it is technically combat fatigues, it's not uncommon to see officers in surprisingly public-facing positions wearing them at times, and not just in combat zones--witness how the press conferences held by the admiral in charge of Naval Station San Diego regarding the fire aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard were all done in his fatigues, as a recent example--and it would probably be considered appropriate for meeting with other officers in a field setting.

Of course, with Adams not needing to worry about such issues as comfort and the pack's straps dislodging/shifting badges or wrinkling the jacket, he might well prefer Service Dress if he's going to be a representative of the USAF, as it does give a more formal, less "aggressive" appearance... but poor Yao and Leonid, if they're wearing their equivalents instead of the PLA and Russian Army(?) fatigues!

Mr Zoat · Aug 8, 2020

Mr Yao and Leonid are just wearing the pack. Mr Yao was a deserter, and August-I-Forget-His-Rank-In-Iron would have some sharp words for people if he was allowed to wear a military uniform ever again. Leonid is technically part of Russia's intelligence community rather than its military.

As for Major Adams, assume that it's the service dress uniform.

Darko · Aug 8, 2020

A few pages ago we were talking about how Apokoliptians define hierarchy and how they accept stronger people domineering them, and now I was reminded of this:

You can imagine Canis begging someone to whip him while he makes sexually satisfied noises.

Goldenlima · Aug 8, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
treps

traps

TheMidnightRook · Aug 8, 2020

Goldenlima said:
traps

Pretty sure that's just Balewa's accent, lile how he pronounces "Batman" as "Betman"

rkyeun · Aug 9, 2020

"Laever spart. Yeah, that looks clear."

"Good, but I can't assure proper functioning."

"Oh, right. Erusne reporp noitcnuf."

"Rude."

Mr Zoat · Aug 9, 2020

1st May
07:01 GMT -5

The 'portal' manifests as a thin circular outline picked out in white-blue flecks paired with a distant 'dot' and a strange sense of distance. Major Adams and I glance at Dr. Balewa as he and John Quinn do a quick check, then Dr. Balewa places his hands on his chest. A moment later glowing green lines float over his skin in a protective layer.

"The portal is stable. I will take the lead, in case there are any difficulties in the journey which require a specialist. Follow me in thirty seconds."

Diana nods, and he strides into the circular outline, almost immediately… Shrinking towards the vanishing point in the distance… And he's gone.

John Stewart purses his lips. "How do we know he made it through?"

"Kcart Rotcod Tsim."

Mr. Zatara's eyes flicker for a moment, his expression growing a little vacant.

"He is travelling through the path without any difficulty." His eyes clear. "This device appears to make following the correct pathway instinctive." He turns to me. "Did the witch-hunters you spoke with say how long passage took?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

Alan gives me a lopsided smile. "So who gets to go next?"

"I will." / "It is my-." / "Me?"

Leonid, Diana and I look at each other. There's no obvious reason for Leonid to take the next spot; he has no way to communicate back. Canis is the logical person, then either me -because if something goes wrong I can try to hop into the Honden to dodge it- or Diana due to her arcane resistance.

Diana smiles at me. "It is my responsibility."

"Right, but whether you get through or don't, how will we know?"

"As you have said, I am a Titan. If I were to die, Doctor Fate would swiftly become aware of it."

Hm. "Canis, if you went through, how quickly could you open a boom tube back?"

"Mother Box would have to adapt to the local physics. Perhaps a few hours, perhaps a few days…" He shrugs. "Perhaps longer. If you wait, this pathway will not still be available."

"A Lantern could... Probably send a message back."

Alan frowns. "I thought we were sure this wasn't going to kill us?"

Diana nods. "It is unlikely, but we are taking the possibility that we are wrong into account in the thirty seconds allotted to us. Which have now elapsed." She rises off the ground and flies forward. "Thirty seconds, and then if there is no sign anything is wrong, follow me."

"Sir."

Alan smiles as Diana disappears. "It's a bit like a camping trip, isn't it?"

"Not if I can help it. If we turn up in the middle of nowhere, I'm building a log cabin."

Major Adams smiles. "Don't like roughing it, Orange Lantern? I thought you were supposed to be a military officer."

"Post-scarcity special forces, not industrial-age infantry. I went camping when I was younger, and in the unlikely event that Jade and I produce an outdoorsy offspring I may reacquaint myself with it. Otherwise, I fight to preserve civilisation and houses are far more civilised than tents."

He snorts with amusement, while Alan frowns.

"You and Jade talked about kids? I thought you said the plan was for the two of you to be engaged for years?"

"Not in.. specific terms. I'm just saying that if we did-."

"That's thirty seconds." John looks at the magical duo. "Doctor Fate? Zatara?"

Zatara nods. "As far as I can tell, they both made passage successfully."

John Quinn nods in agreement, and John Stewart nods an acknowledgement.

"Looks like we're up." John generates green armour for himself and then flies forward into the portal.

Brut and Canis bound through next, followed closely by Leonid. Major Adams walks forward at marching speed as Alan and I armour ourselves. We fly forward slowly with our personal lanterns in hand, letting Adams pass through the aperture before accelerating after him.

Passing into the witch-path… Doesn't feel like anything, and a quick glance at Alan doesn't show any particular response. In front of me is… Nothingness, with faint blue-white guidelines..? Reminds me a little bit of the animation that used to play on Stargate whenever anyone went through the gate, only less rollercoastery. Alan's still next to me, but I can't see Major Adams or anyone else. I'm.. getting a vague sense that there are other passageways here, curving up or down or off to the side. But… The one I'm on is most readily apparent, not… Brighter, exactly, but its existence is clearer.

Right, well, I don't know a lot about fae magic, but I do know that getting distracted around them is a bad idea. So no use of the orange light beyond the armour I've already got, no scanning and certainly no Ophidian. Just following the path, just following the path. There's no real sense of space; we could have been flying for miles or have barely moved. I could try talking to Alan but I'm.. concerned that might result in things going wrong.

Can't see anything ahead, and I'm not turning my head to check behind. The blue glow from Alan tells me that he's still there.

Huh. I wonder if arcane technology has advanced to the point where formerly dangerous forms of magic transportation are now safe? Definitely need to follow up with Morpheus and Mammon about magic-based starships. I doubt that the Sivanas would have made a temporary portal if a permanent one was possible, but if we can get Sephtian out to Gotham to dismantle the machine and work out how it works, we could learn all sorts of thi-.

The light at the end of the tunnel appears to be getting closer. It's been a fairly smooth journey so far, so I'm-.

The light appears to leap at us, and we appear in a ring of menhirs in.. an area of pastureland. A flock of sheep are already sleepily ambling away from our party -quick headcount, yes, everyone's here- as the group gets its bearings. It's night time here, though I'll hold off on making wide scale scans until I know who might get offended by that. Bit off that there's no security-.

Dr. Balewa waves his hands at the closest exit from the menhir… No, it's not just a ring. There's a geometric arrangement that just happens to have a circular outer ring. He gestures at the exit.

"There are bound spells of detection and protection. The protective spells are not designed to stop humans, but… Wonder Woman, Orange Lantern, you may be somewhat affected."

"Oi! Who goes there! Jeremiah, you lubberwort, if you're sneaking out to vex the landswarden again you'll feel the heel of my shoe!"

Diana smiles faintly. "Canis, can Motherbox tell you how long she will need?"

"Ping."

"She says that something is obscuring her senses. Weeks, perhaps, if it remains active."

A lantern glowing with eldritch green fire appears through the boughs of a nearby copse.

"Doctor Mist, is the ward dangerous?"

"I do not think it would trouble you greatly. It would be more on the level of a mild discomfort, and perhaps a reluctance to pass it."

"Orange Lantern, Starfire. Survey the local area. Green Lantern, go into orbit and scan the system. Doctor Mist, see what you can learn about local magic without disturbing the local people. Blue Lantern, remain here with Canis. Major Adams, accompany me as I greet the local watchman."

Handlewithcare · Aug 9, 2020

It's surprising that there is a local system.

I thought it would be one of them pocket universes with psychedelic physics.

Darko · Aug 9, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
"The portal is stable. I will take the lead, in case there are any difficulties in the journey which require a specialist. Follow me in thirty seconds."

Mr Zoat said:
"There are bound spells of detection and protection. The protective spells are not designed to stop humans, but… Wonder Woman, Orange Lantern, you may be somewhat affected."

Mr Zoat said:
"I do not think it would trouble you greatly. It would be more on the level of a mild discomfort, and perhaps a reluctance to pass it."

White quote marks.

Mr Zoat said:
Major Scott smiles.

'Adams'

Mr Zoat said:
slowly with out

'with our'

Mr Zoat said:
me if… Nothingness,

'me is...'

Mr Zoat said:
"As you have said, I am a Titan.

Has she been practicing some of her more esoteric and arcane abilities?

I remember OL thinking that it was good she was practicing them during the whole thing with the Angels.

Vaermina · Aug 9, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
"Post-scarcity special forces, not industrial-age infantry. I went camping when I was younger, and in the unlikely event that Jade and I produce an outdoorsy offspring I may reacquaint myself with it. Otherwise, I fight to preserve civilisation and houses are far more civilised than tents."

He snorts with amusement, while Alan frowns.

"You and Jade talked about kids? I though you said the plan was for the two of you to be engaged for years?"

Paragon would make a horrible father... Too much orange light...

Baladar · Aug 9, 2020

I'm still kind a hoping that they popped out in the world of Warhammer.

Darko · Aug 9, 2020

Vaermina said:
Paragon would make a horrible father... Too much orange light...

On the contrary, his empathy could allow him to more easily view the emotions of his children, so all those dramatic moments where parents and children can't understand each other practically won't exist with him.

He is also capable of experiencing other emotions to a great degree, as his ability to use a violet ring has shown.

He also greatly cares for those around him and is always trying to help them.

He's shown to be a good boyfriend to Jade, as he helped her with various issues, helped her get a job she likes, and is fully willing to wait before they get married and have children, and will have children with her if she likes it.

Renegade and the various other version of him who've adopted children have shown themselves to be good parents to their new children, so chances are very high paragon is also going to be a good father.

True his parenting most likely wont be typical, but it wont be bad, just different.

moralrelativity · Aug 9, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
"Look like we're up."

Look -> Looks

Mr Zoat said:
Pass into the witch-path

Pass -> Passing or The pass

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

Connoisseur.

Dedicated ragequitter

Veteran Lurker

Essentially Overworked

Connoisseur.

Dedicated ragequitter

Lord of nonsense

Connoisseur.

Connoisseur.

Bookwyrm

Connoisseur.

Experienced.

Connoisseur.

Well worn.

Connoisseur.

Dedicated ragequitter

Not too sore, are you?

Know what you're doing yet?

Dedicated ragequitter

Connoisseur.

Not too sore, are you?

Well worn.

Cabbitus Maximus

Dedicated ragequitter

Versed in the lewd.

Connoisseur.

Well worn.

Know what you're doing yet?

Connoisseur.

Recovering pendant.

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