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

[Jankl]

I don't remember. Did he?

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I think i might be misremebering. And confused vandal Savage with Nabu being stabbed with the Sword to put him out of his misery.

 

[Jankl]

It was Bane and Sportsmaster he killed with the Sword of the Fallen, not Savage.

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Nabu appeared in a physical body in the Renegade timeline after getting stabbed with the Sword of the Fallen.

 

[ShadowScion626]

It was Bane and Sportsmaster he killed with the Sword of the Fallen, not Savage.

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I still hate that Grayven doesn't actually use Assimilation anymore. It's one thing for Paragon not to do it, because as the name implies they are the version that's more morally close to the typical idea of heroes being "paragons" of virtue, but now even our much darker grey morality new god alternate doesn't use it either? Just feels like no matter what this cool and useful ability gets the shaft.

 

[TFTwink]

'Plan Q'."

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This implies there are at least 9 worse plans. Which, there probably are, I just find it funny that Lex in universe would immediately categorize it as such.

 

[RoninSword]

Nabu appeared in a physical body in the Renegade timeline after getting stabbed with the Sword of the Fallen.

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Because the Sword causes you to reincarnate as a baseline human.
But didn't he give Sportsmaster's body back to Paula? Not sure how to square that circle.

 

[Ngamer11]

But didn't he give Sportsmaster's body back to Paula? Not sure how to square that circle.

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If I remember correctly, the Renegade created a duplicate of Sportsmaster's body.

 

[Mr Zoat]

10th August 2013
09:02 GMT -5

"…so if any of you want to come, Earth is technically an involved party so we're allowed to send observers."

Wallace looks mildly pained. "I dunno, Oh El. I had to go watch a trial for a civics class, and they're a lot less interesting in real life than they are on T.V.."

Richard makes a gesture of appeal. "Come on, Wally. It's the trial of alien super-Hitler."

"Technically, Faora Hu-Ul was the one with the concentration camp. General Dru-Zod was really more of a super William the Bastard."

My American colleagues look blank, while Robert looks puzzled. Beryl's nodding though.

"William, Duke of Normandy and later king of England?" Richard appears to at least know who I'm talking about. "Have I not mentioned him before?"

Several of my former team mates glance around the circle, seeing if anyone else knows who I'm talking about.

Zatanna looks thoughtful. "No, I don't think you have."

"Ah, okay, sorry. But he's a better comparison."

Artemis frowns. "Was he really called that?"

"Well, not by his friends, but his parents weren't married and he was an arsehole. The-." I quietly huff. "The relevant part is that he had the entire population of Yorkshire killed when he didn't get his way, but if you don't know that… It doesn't really work."

Leonid awkwardly raises his left hand. "Ah, what is 'Yorkshire'?"

"A county in England."

"Ah. When did this happen?"

"About ten seventy, but we're… We're drifting off the topic."

Richard smiles. "Learn something new every day."

"Ugh!" Linda throws her head back. "No. Can I go now?"

"Uh." I gesture to Kaldur. "Kaldur?"

"While you are not required to attend the trial, you will need to remain here until everyone has given an update on their missions, which will happen after we have all decided whether or not we wish to attend."

Raquel frowns. "Is Icon coming along? This seems like his sorta thing."

"I haven't asked, but I suspect that Superman will mention it."

"I'll mention it. And he's probably gunna want me to go, so… Yeah, okay."

Amon nods. "I will come as well. Is there any doubt that he is guilty?"

"Not really. I mean, there's always the possibility of mind control or that the timaronians actually had some sort of doomsday bomb that he set off by accident, but I doubt it. I suspect that we'll get a Slobodan Miloševic-." And now they're all looking blank, except Linda who just looks annoyed.

Ring?

Oh.

"He didn't exist in this reality. Short version, he ordered a lot of civilians killed, ended up in the Hague, refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the tribunal, used every delaying technique he could to draw things out for years and finally died of a heart attack before any ruling could be made. Basically, the sort of person who would murder the population of a planet for political reasons isn't the sort who's going to engage with a trial. The only question is whether he'll do it intelligently or just spend the whole time ranting."

"I think…" Kon looks at Mitchell, who nods. "We should go. If the colony on Tartarath works, then one day other kryptonians are going to meet these people. I don't really want the only kryptonian anyone knows about to be a mass murderer."

Leonid nods. "I will talk to the Director, but I believe I should go as well. Unlike Miss Martian, my spaceship has a faster-then-light drive. It could be useful."

Artemis looks at me. "Is Cheshire going?"

"She hasn't said that she wants to, so I'm assuming not."

"Then I'll pass, too."

Beryl looks amused. "Are we going to understand anything they're saying?"

Zatanna nods. "I can do a translation spell." I wince. "Can't I?"

"Earth's unusually thaumically active. You probably could cast a translation spell, but it would exhaust you and would last a fraction as long as it usually would. Probably. Until we test it I can't say for sure."

Garth looks concerned. "What does that mean for us?"

"I don't know. Dream-Reality manipulation is possible, so you might just struggle actively using magic. Or you might be reduced to baseline human levels of physicality."

"Then…" He shakes his head, Tula doing the same. "I think that I will remain on Earth."

"We can test it first if you like?"

Tula nods. "We can't recreate the form of transformation that our ancestors used. Ahri'ahn deliberately avoided recording it. If our changes were removed, we could not get them back."

I nod back. "And you'd be stuck like Kaldur."

Her eyes widen. "That wasn't what I meant!"

I smile, snorting with amusement as she turns to Kaldur, genuinely afraid that she's alienated him. Instead, he smiles faintly. "I understand how you feel." He touches his neck, where his gill slits are on show. "I think that I would find it disconcerting if a part of my body disappeared, even if it was temporary." He looks at me. "I am sorry, but my responsibilities on Earth will not allow me to be away."

"Um." Robert looks uncertain. "The languages? If you don't think Zatanna can translate what they're saying, how are we going to understand anything?"

Canis sniffs. "Just learn their languages. They are not so complicated."

Robert blinks at him, then turns towards the next person in line. Unfortunately for the linguistically ungifted, that's Beryl, who appears to give it a moment's thought, then shrugs with a smirk. "Sounds fun."

Kaldur looks curious. "I did not realise that your ability worked on languages."

"I can't just click my fingers and learn a new language, but I can learn them pretty quick. Never tried it with an alien language, but if I walk around for a bit I can try it out."

Arisia perks up. "I can translate for anyone near me. And…" She looks at Ghia'ta, who nods. "Star Sapphire can too."

"Electronic translators will be available for everyone in their preferred language, though they can have trouble with technical or informal language. So who else is coming?"

…

"Anyone?"

 

[GigaVanguard]

Italics tag left open.

 

[CrazyNoVa]

Well, I've always told myself that whatever happens, this can't possibly be as batshit crazy as that one time in the comics when Superman accidentally skewered a dude with a cricket bat.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Italics tag left open.

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Thank you, corrected.

 

[Ngamer11]

I smile, snorting with amusement as she turns to Kaldur, genuinely afraid that she's alienated him. Instead, he smiles faintly. "I understand how you feel." He touches his neck, where his gill slits are on show. "I think that I would it disconcerting if a part of my body disappeared, even if it was temporary." He looks at me. "I am sorry, but my responsibilities on Earth will not allow me to be away."

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I think that should say 'would find it'.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

10th August 2013
09:02 GMT -5

"…so if any of you want to come, Earth is technically an involved party so we're allowed to send observers."

Wallace looks mildly pained. "I dunno, Oh El. I had to go watch a trial for a civics class, and they're a lot less interesting in real life than they are on T.V.."

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True enough. TV dramas usually cut out 90% of the procedural stuff and nearly all of the book-keeping and ceremonial stuff unless it's absolutely plot-relevant. Even things like selecting a jury get skipped because 'ugh, boring.'

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Richard makes a gesture of appeal. "Come on, Wally. It's the trial of alien super-Hitler."

"Technically, Faora Hu-Ul was the one with the concentration camp. General Dru-Zod was really more of a super William the Bastard."

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If the name isn't familiar, he's better known as William the Conqueror.

My American colleagues look blank, while Robert looks puzzled. Beryl's nodding though.

"William, Duke of Normandy and later king of England?" Richard appears to at least know who I'm talking about. "Have I not mentioned him before?"

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Seriously, if you mentioned 1066, Battle of Hastings, Bayeux Tapestry or anything like that... Eh, they probably still wouldn't recognise him.

Several of my former team mates glance around the circle, seeing if anyone else knows who I'm talking about.

Zatanna looks thoughtful. "No, I don't think you have."

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To be fair, it's not a subject that would come up in general conversation, is it?

"Ah, okay, sorry. But he's a better comparison."

Artemis frowns. "Was he really called that?"

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Not to his face, generally, unless you wanted a thumping.

"Well, not by his friends, but his parents weren't married and he was an arsehole. The-." I quietly huff. "The relevant part is that he had the entire population of Yorkshire killed when he didn't get his way, but if you don't know that… It doesn't really work."

Leonid awkwardly raises his left hand. "Ah, what is 'Yorkshire'?"

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That would be the Harrying of the North? Basically, after he won the Throne of England via Hastings, there were a lot of Danelaw lords who objected, and William dealt with them messily.

"A county in England."

"Ah. When did this happen?"

"About ten seventy, but we're… We're drifting off the topic."

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I suspect Leonid (Starfire/Red Star) is feeling a little lost, given much of his education would have focused on Russian and Soviet history, not the geography of England.

Richard smiles. "Learn something new every day."

"Ugh!" Linda throws her head back. "No. Can I go now?"

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Ah, the fallen Angel Not-Supergirl. On what is effectively community service, hence her grumpiness?

"Uh." I gesture to Kaldur. "Kaldur?"

"While you are not required to attend the trial, you will need to remain here until everyone has given an update on their missions, which will happen after we have all decided whether or not we wish to attend."

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Get used to frustration, kiddo. This is how things are done.

Raquel frowns. "Is Icon coming along? This seems like his sorta thing."

"I haven't asked, but I suspect that Superman will mention it."

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Though OL doesn't know it, Clark has already approached Icon to as defence counsel, right? That basically being his day job, so to speak.

"I'll mention it. And he's probably gunna want me to go, so… Yeah, okay."

Amon nods. "I will come as well. Is there any doubt that he is guilty?"

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Good, having a near-kryptonian-level combatant will help, assuming his power can stay on that far away.

"Not really. I mean, there's always the possibility of mind control or that the timaronians actually had some sort of doomsday bomb that he set off by accident, but I doubt it. I suspect that we'll get a Slobodan Miloševic-." And now they're all looking blank, except Linda who just looks annoyed.

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Ah, another of those 'different national borders' things the DC Universe often suffers from.

Ring?

Oh.

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For reference: Slobodan Milošević. His stuff's a bit close to the cutoff, but as long as no arguments get started...

"He didn't exist in this reality. Short version, he ordered a lot of civilians killed, ended up in the Hague, refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the tribunal, used every delaying technique he could to draw things out for years and finally died of a heart attack before any ruling could be made. Basically, the sort of person who would murder the population of a planet for political reasons isn't the sort who's going to engage with a trial. The only question is whether he'll do it intelligently or just spend the whole time ranting."

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With any luck, he'll start doing a villainous monologue that leaves no doubt to his culpability. Especially if he finds out the trial will be seen by all the worlds that he would have conquered in Krypton's name...

"I think…" Kon looks at Mitchell, who nods. "We should go. If the colony on Tartarath works, then one day other kryptonians are going to meet these people. I don't really want the only kryptonian anyone knows about to be a mass murderer."

Leonid nods. "I will talk to the Director, but I believe I should go as well. Unlike Miss Martian, my spaceship has a faster-then-light drive. It could be useful."

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And it's not too far a trip, even at modest FTL speeds. The tricky part will be if it can carry everyone. I'm assuming it's got a decent crew capacity.

Artemis looks at me. "Is Cheshire going?"

"She hasn't said that she wants to, so I'm assuming not."

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Hoping to spend time with big sis, eh? Possibly not out of sisterly love, but still...

"Then I'll pass, too."

Beryl looks amused. "Are we going to understand anything they're saying?"

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See, she's got the right idea. Communication. I imagine translators will be available, though.

Zatanna nods. "I can do a translation spell." I wince. "Can't I?"

"Earth's unusually thaumically active. You probably could cast a translation spell, but it would exhaust you and would last a fraction as long as it usually would. Probably. Until we test it I can't say for sure."

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Which to some degree might make her somewhat less useful as a 'fix things' advantage.

Garth looks concerned. "What does that mean for us?"

"I don't know. Dream-Reality manipulation is possible, so you might just struggle actively using magic. Or you might be reduced to baseline human levels of physicality."

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Which is a big reduction when you consider the adaptions involved in being able to survive the ocean floor. Among other things, significant buffs to durability and strength.

"Then…" He shakes his head, Tula doing the same. "I think that I will remain on Earth."

"We can test it first if you like?"

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Eh, not everyone needs to be space adventuring.

Tula nods. "We can't recreate the form of transformation that our ancestors used. Ahri'ahn deliberately avoided recording it. If our changes were removed, we could not get them back."

I nod back. "And you'd be stuck like Kaldur."

Her eyes widen. "That wasn't what I meant!"

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Or worse, reduced to normal human levels permanently. They'd still be well-trained spellcasters, but not able to live in the underwater parts of Atlantean territory..

I smile, snorting with amusement as she turns to Kaldur, genuinely afraid that she's alienated him. Instead, he smiles faintly. "I understand how you feel." He touches his neck, where his gill slits are on show. "I think that I would it disconcerting if a part of my body disappeared, even if it was temporary." He looks at me. "I am sorry, but my responsibilities on Earth will not allow me to be away."

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That's fair.

"Um." Robert looks uncertain. "The languages? If you don't think Zatanna can translate what they're saying, how are we going to understand anything?"

Canis sniffs. "Just learn their languages. They are not so complicated."

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Or, again, translating devices. It might reduce the drama of it all if they're more like modern tools, inaccurate and slightly slower than real-time...

Robert blinks at him, then turns towards the next person in line. Unfortunately for the linguistically ungifted, that's Beryl, who appears to give it a moment's thought, then shrugs with a smirk. "Sounds fun."

Kaldur looks curious. "I did not realise that your ability worked on languages."

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What are languages but information?

"I can't just click my fingers and learn a new language, but I can learn them pretty quick. Never tried it with an alien language, but if I walk around for a bit I can try it out."

Arisia perks up. "I can translate for anyone near me. And…" She looks at Ghia'ta, who nods. "Star Sapphire can too."

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And her presence will lend a little officialness, being a rookei Green lantern (I imagine Tomar-Re will also be attending, as security if nothing else.)

"Electronic translators will be available for everyone in their preferred language, though they can have trouble with technical or informal language. So who else is coming?"

…

"Anyone?"

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Not a patch on the Rings', though.

Well, enough of the Team will be there to help out if something goes awry, at least. Including the Superboys, as a bonus, though Zod and Ursa might take exception if they realise they're 'Clones', given their stigma in Kryptonian society. And three Lanterns of different colours will also be a useful bit of support for the local constabulary.

 

[BlackCoat13]

Paul needs to advertise it better.
Paul: "Righteous face-punching is unlikely but not impossible."

 

[Bigreader]

Did I forget something happening to Kaldur?

 

[Prince Charon]

Zoat, we've established a few pages back that you don't know enough about worm to make a comment without starting a huge argument. It's 20x more complicated than every verse you've written about so far, and reading fics are the opposite of helping you understand it.

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No, it really isn't, given that he writes about multiple versions of DC and Marvel, it's just stranger and more complicated than he seems to think it is.

 

[Duke Long]

Did I forget something happening to Kaldur?

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No, it's just about how Garth and Tula are purebloods and he isn't.

For some reason I thought he got turned into a pureblood back when Gamemnae took over Atlantis, but looking back I think I misremembered.

 

[Vaermina]

"Not really. I mean, there's always the possibility of mind control or that the timaronians actually had some sort of doomsday bomb that he set off by accident, but I doubt it. I suspect that we'll get a Slobodan Miloševic-." And now they're all looking blank, except Linda who just looks annoyed.

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I reiterate my previous hope that the Timaronians accidentially blew themselves up with that Kryptonian tech Zod was there to retrieve.

Because it would be a great story twist.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I think that should say 'would find it'.

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Thank you, corrected.

 

[Prince Charon]

No, it's just about how Garth and Tula are purebloods and he isn't.

For some reason I thought he got turned into a pureblood back when Gamemnae took over Atlantis, but looking back I think I misremembered.

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I think Renegade Kaldur'am lost the gills when he became a New God, but I'm not sure what he's New God of, if anything yet.