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

Darko · 2026-01-13T13:09:08+0000

Chaoswind said:
If the objective is to cleanse the swamp why are they summoning demons and the girlfriend of Saturnus no less?

Mazikeen isn't Satanus's girlfriend.

And as fir why they're doing it, I'm guessing it's basically fighting fire with fire.

Though yeah, it is odd.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-13T13:23:06+0000

Chaoswind said:
If the objective is to cleanse the swamp why are they summoning demons and the girlfriend of Saturnus no less?

All of this is wrong.

The swamp (except that one cabin) was clensed over a year ago.

Unmaking the cabin wasn't the primary aim, but Blaze is on hand just in case.

They're summoning Mazikeen, who is lilim.

She never had much to do with Satanus, but was Lucifer's personal assistant for a while.

CrazyNoVa · 2026-01-13T13:23:34+0000

Mr Zoat said:
That's an interesting assumption with no basis in this story that you've made there.

Mr Zoat said:
He's never heard of anyone by that name.

Yeah, I know. I know I'm probably wrong, I'm just taking a shot in the dark based on what I remember from the Lucifer comic, which I haven't read in a while.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-13T13:27:14+0000

CrazyNoVa said:
Yeah, I know. I know I'm probably wrong, I'm just taking a shot in the dark based on what I remember from the Lucifer comic, which I haven't read in a while.

Parts of Lucifer are probably canonish for this story, but quite a lot of it isn't. The SI did have a bit of a look for Lucifer early on but came up with nothing. No one's seen him since the thing with the key.

CrazyNoVa · 2026-01-13T14:45:13+0000

Mr Zoat said:
Parts of Lucifer are probably canonish for this story, but quite a lot of it isn't. The SI did have a bit of a look for Lucifer early on but came up with nothing. No one's seen him since the thing with the key.

Then I assume Lucifer's club doesn't exist here either, otherwise Paul would have just looked there first. Would a power ring even be able to detect him, though? For the most part, he seems like a guy who values his privacy from otherwordly beings. Plus, he's been around for a long time, and he's definitely powerful and knowledgeable enough about magic to block power ring scans.

Duke Long · 2026-01-13T17:25:50+0000

Mr Zoat said:
I make a point of looking around at the bustling… What would you call this? Monastery? What's the opposite of a monastery? A lot of insects glowing with the orange light around… Something that feels a lot like the Orange Central Power Battery on Tamaran. Following on behind Hinon is a gaggle of psions, dressed in blues overalls with red trim. Hinon's wearing something similar, only with the red parts extended into a thing that can't decide whether it's trying to be a robe or a cloak.

'blue'?

Mr Zoat said:
I look left, where a tamaranean Orange Lantern is waving to me. I raise my left hand in acknowledgement. Of course.

"Dox is already helping you."

"The tamaranians are an extremely helpful people."

'tamaraneans'
Someone else made the same correction but I think you forgot to do it.

Mr Zoat said:
"I will need to consult more widely before I can give you a firm answer. I suspect… Scouting of the Reach interior, recovering parts of the enslaved population who can be purged of Reach modifications and give testimony to the doubtful."

I nod, smiling. "Not a problem at all. And what sort of level of damage would you like me to inflict? Tactical, strategic, Apokoliptic..?"

'giving'?

Very punny.

Mr Zoat said:
I know from the comics that Zor had a base here, a cabin which I found during my initial foray. Fortunately, no one was home. Alan was surprised when I asked about it; apparently Sargon the Sorcerer fought a magician called Zor once in 1936 and beat him pretty easily. Trapped him in his own paralysis spell, which… Doesn't sound like a good idea to me, but if he didn't cause any trouble afterwards...

The fact that he got beaten up by a superhero I've never heard of, and his appearance, made me assume he was just Evil Magician #45. Apparently he's some sort of fallen angel trying to destroy the universe, and he created the Sheeda? Should never judge a book by its cover I suppose. With the link to both the Sheeda and destroying the universe, I wonder if he was involved in Starbreaker eating the universe in the future.

Mr Zoat said:
A figure appears in the pentagram, a woman in a red cloak with a tall white half-mask covering the left side of her face. "I thought that you'd forgotten me."

Hooray, Mazikeen! Glad you pulled through on this one, I was hoping for this as soon as they started drawing the circle. Not quite sure why she's being summoned. I'm guessing it's partly to make up for missing the New Year's party, but perhaps her assistance is also being sought for examining this cabin?

I had forgotten that Oh El's relation to her is by way of technically sort of being her mother, that's pretty funny.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-13T20:03:12+0000

CrazyNoVa said:
Then I assume Lucifer's club doesn't exist here either, otherwise Paul would have just looked there first. Would a power ring even be able to detect him, though? For the most part, he seems like a guy who values his privacy from otherwordly beings. Plus, he's been around for a long time, and he's definitely powerful and knowledgeable enough about magic to block power ring scans.

Lucifer is perfectly capable of preventing a nosy Lantern detecting him. Lucifer's capable of... Just about anything, really. But you can't really have a club without people going to it, and if someone that powerful is around magical people are going to notice. The SI didn't just tell his ring 'Anyone with wings and no genitals around?', he asked people like John Constantine.

Duke Long said:
'blue'?

'tamaraneans'
Someone else made the same correction but I think you forgot to do it.

Thank you, corrected.

'giving'?

I don't believe so.

The fact that he got beaten up by a superhero I've never heard of, and his appearance, made me assume he was just Evil Magician #45. Apparently he's some sort of fallen angel trying to destroy the universe, and he created the Sheeda? Should never judge a book by its cover I suppose. With the link to both the Sheeda and destroying the universe, I wonder if he was involved in Starbreaker eating the universe in the future.

In the comic, he was defeated by the Spectre. Since I'm not using the Spectre, I had to pick someone else.

I had forgotten that Oh El's relation to her is by way of technically sort of being her mother, that's pretty funny.

Father. Lilith was her mother, so unless you want to get asari about it...

Duke Long · 2026-01-13T20:11:38+0000

Mr Zoat said:
Father. Lilith was her mother, so unless you want to get asari about it...

It's because of how Oh El thinks of the Ophidian as being feminine. I acknowledge that it's a somewhat torturous route for logic to take.

Steelplaza · 2026-01-13T21:16:49+0000

Mr Zoat said:
"Why..? Do you think..?" She checks her work against a design on her phone screen, then nods to herself. "That demons exist?"

"Classically, demons exist to tempt mortals into sin, and torment the ones who are tempted. It works as a metaphor as well as a literal description of events."

OL got asked why he thinks demons exist and came back with a religious explanation, but I think his real answer would be that he doesn't think it's an applicable question.

Why do demons exist? Why do humans exist? Why do stars exist? Why does anything exist? To admit a "why" is to say that demons are part of some grand plan, when perhaps it's more likely that they "just happened" as a consequence of sapient beings existing in magically active worlds.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-14T06:17:13+0000

18th August 2013
06:53 GMT -5

Mazikeen and I stand atop an orange platform, watching as Angelika-

Wooosh!

-takes out her disquiet on the inoffensive structure.

"Is there something I'm missing about that house?"

"I only have Hell to compare it to."

"Yes, but you hung around Lucifer before he quit. I assumed that you were a little better travelled than most of the loyal opposition."

She turns her head towards me with exaggerated slowness. "What transpired here?"

"I think it was the base of operations of an evil wizard or spirit named Zachary Zor. It's possible that the sheeda were also using it for something."

"And what did either part do?"

"The sheeda may have been breeding spine riders in the swamp… Though that could have been Queen Gloriana Tenebrae's faction, Melmoth's faction, or just some sheeda who were left over from the last Harvest. Or maybe Zor had them as pets." Hm. "Yes, actually, they got out after Sargon fought him, so that's more plausible. According to Sargon's report, Zor was just doing evil for the fun of it. Which makes no sense to me, but…"

I shrug, and she nods as another plume of golden fire consumes another portion of the building.

"Is she doing something other than burning it?"

She focuses on the Angelica's work. "Heaven's fire is intended to erase things from creation which should not be. She looks to be burning an error out of reality."

"Well, as long as she's happy. Uh, look, obviously I didn't mean to cut your last visit short-."

"You shoved me though a portal with no warning."

"We got hit by the Anti-Life. I don't exactly know what would have happened if you'd been hit, but I doubt that it would have been anything good. You… Weren't affected, were you? If you were, we have a fix-"

"No.

"-but-." I nod, exhaling. "Good."

"You have a cure for Anti-Life?"

"Get one of each of the seven colours of power ring together, combine their outputs and blast the transmission network."

She half-smiles. "Life trumps Anti-Life."

"Yep."

"But how did you know that?"

"Perhaps I'm more optimistic than I let on."

She snorts. "I doubt it."

"Or I heard about how Morpheus got his goggles back from… Whatshisface. That demon."

"Choronzon."

"That's the fellow."

"Then it seems that your report was misleading. Dream's final form in that contest was hope."

"Mm. Well, we tried that, and it could push it back a little for a few minutes, but that was it. Hope without an underlying basis is just a delusion. Um. Look, I've been wondering how to bring it up, and… You can tell me-."

"Is this about my face?"

"I like seeing people reach their full potential. I don't like seeing people who matter to me damaged."

"Ah?" She reaches up and removes her half-mask, revealing the flayed flesh and empty eye socket beneath. Strangely, there's no visible bone, even around the eye orbit. "Whah's 'ang?"

"What do you mean 'what's wrong'? Your face looks like it's been flayed, your struggle to speak comprehensibly with only one cheek, and it looks like it's painful. I want to help."

"'ow?"

"You're the Ophidian's daughter, so just feed you more orange light until you're… Complete, I guess. If I can't do it, I can just take you to the Orange Central Power Battery and have her do it."

"The Ophidian ikn't-."

I hold up my left hand, letting the orange light pool… And we both watch is orange mist rises, billowing through the air and flowing into the damaged part of her face. The results is a… Construct, mirroring the right side of her face.

"No?"

"The Ophidian's magic was used. I didn't emerge from one of her eggs."

I give her a flat look. "Yes, I worked that out. But as far as beings in her weight class go, I think that counts."

She looks mildly disgruntled, putting the half-mask back on as the construct fades. "I'm not used to people approaching me directly and… Earnestly. When we first met I assumed that you were another magician attempting to advance himself."

"When in fact I can't even use magic. Is there something that I can do to convince you of my authenticity?"

"I would believe you if Lucifer vouched for you."

"Well, if I see him…"

One eyebrow frowns. "Have you met him?"

"No. He's just about the only individual from the monotheistic mythos I haven't met. Not unless he's decided to stick a yellow balloon with a smiley face on in where his head used to be."

"I doubt it. Lucifer was always a strong proponent of human moral freedom. Boss Smiley is the opposite."

"Then what the heck is he? He's too powerful for a newly created god, the whole… Concept of political machination doesn't lend itself to such overt power, and our society's only become powerful enough for that sort of thing relatively recently so he can't be an elemental. Is he a demon?"

"No."

"Lilim?"

"My other mother birthed many strange creatures, but not so far as I remember."

"Then-."

CMPF!

The house folds in on itself, giving me a brief view of a surprised Angelica before our surroundings warp and I'm drawn-

BlackCoat13 · 2026-01-14T06:23:56+0000

Mr Zoat said:
But as far as beings in her weight lass go, I think that counts."

class

I don't remember this character. 'The Ophidian's Daughter'.

crazygrox · 2026-01-14T06:26:20+0000

Mr Zoat said:
"Then it seems that your report was misleading. Dream's final form in that contest was hope."

"Mm. Well, we tried that, and it could push it back a little for a few minutes, but that was it. Hope without an underlying basis is just a delusion

Wasn't there another incident afterwards where they got Alan and the power of the dreaming to work against one of the Greek gods infected with antilife?
I forgot whether that actually worked and how the incident was resolved, but I walked away with the impression that it worked.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-14T06:33:49+0000

BlackCoat13 said:
class

Thank you, corrected.

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-01-14T07:00:36+0000

Mr Zoat said:
18th August 2013
06:53 GMT -5

Mazikeen and I stand atop an orange platform, watching as Angelika-

Wooosh!

-takes out her disquiet on the inoffensive structure.

With prejudice, by the looks of it. I can understand why, given what she said about it being fundamentally wrong. With any luck, this might even improve the overall quality of Slaughter Swamp's general atmosphere.

"Is there something I'm missing about that house?"

"I only have Hell to compare it to."

And I'm guessing it's unpleasant even compared to that.

"Yes, but you hung around Lucifer before he quit. I assumed that you were a little better travelled than most of the loyal opposition."

She turns her head towards me with exaggerated slowness. "What transpired here?"

Bad things. Things that might have well made even the First go 'That's nasty.'

"I think it was the base of operations of an evil wizard or spirit named Zachary Zor. It's possible that the sheeda were also using it for something."

"And what did either part do?"

Ah, the joy of dealing with people not as well-read on superhero things as OL is.

"The sheeda may have been breeding spine riders in the swamp… Though that could have been Queen Gloriana Tenebrae's faction, Melmoth's faction, or just some sheeda who were left over from the last Harvest. Or maybe Zor had them as pets." Hm. "Yes, actually, they got out after Sargon fought him, so that's more plausible. According to Sargon's report, Zor was just doing evil for the fun of it. Which makes no sense to me, but…"

I wonder if Mazi could understand that kind of motivation. She's seen being devoted to such things before, after all.

I shrug, and she nods as another plume of golden fire consumes another portion of the building.

"Is she doing something other than burning it?"

That's not simple fire, after all. Would think Mazi would be uncomfortable seeing such sanctic energies being tossed around, and very glad they're not being tossed in her direction.

She focuses on Angelica's work. "Heaven's fire is intended to erase things from creation which should not be. She looks to be burning an error out of reality."

"Well, as long as she's happy. Uh, look, obviously I didn't mean to cut your last visit short-."

To return to that tapestry comment I made yesterday, she's snipping out the burnt strands and weaving in new ones in their place...

"You shoved me though a portal with no warning."

"We got hit by the Anti-Life. I don't exactly know what would have happened if you'd been hit, but I doubt that it would have been anything good. You… Weren't affected, were you? If you were, we have a fix-"

...OL, you seriously are not considering firing off another White Light burst for one person, are you?

"No.

"-but-." I nod, exhaling. "Good."

Thank goodness for that.

"You have a cure for Anti-Life?"

"Get one of each of the seven colours of power ring together, combine their outputs and blast the transmission network."

Which is no small task, so talking about it with her probably isn't too much of a breach of informational security.

She half-smiles. "Life trumps Anti-Life."

"Yep."

I'm impressed she caught that so quickly. Then again, what is the Source of all things but Life in totalis?

"But how did you know that?"

"Perhaps I'm more optimistic than I let on."

Yes, being very canny about his metaknowledge is a good idea...

She snorts. "I doubt it."

"Or I heard about how Morpheus got his goggles back from… Whatshisface. That demon."

A pleasant part of the early chapters of Sandman, though it did put him on an antagonistic heading against Lucifer.

"Choronzon."

"That's the fellow."

"Then it seems that your report was misleading. Dream's final form in that contest was hope."

And what is Hope if not a part of Life?

"Mm. Well, we tried that, and it could push it back a little for a few minutes, but that was it. Hope without an underlying basis is just a delusion. Um. Look, I've been wondering how to bring it up, and… You can tell me-."

"Is this about my face?"

Oh, she didn't get it fixed yet? I assume the mask is articulated enough to compensate for any missing mouth anatomy then

"I like seeing people reach their full potential. I don't like seeing people who matter to me damaged."

"Ah?" She reaches up and removes her half-mask, revealing the flayed flesh and empty eye socket beneath. Strangely, there's no visible bone, even around the eye orbit. "Whah's 'ang?"

A strange image, but a powerful one in terms of intimidation. People aren't comfortable seeing what under our skin, after all.

"What do you mean 'what's wrong'? Your face looks like it's been flayed, you struggle to speak comprehensibly with only one cheek, and it looks like it's painful. I want to help."

"'ow?"

I doubt him simply healing her would suffice. Heck, repaired flesh may well fall away from her muscles because of ontological inertia.

"You're the Ophidian's daughter, so just feed you more orange light until you're… Complete, I guess. If I can't do it, I can just take you to the Orange Central Power Battery and have her do it."

"The Ophidian ikn't-."

As far as OL is concerned, Best Snek is, whatever the genders involved. Heck, the Ophidian doesn't even technically have relevant genitalia, really.

I hold up my left hand, letting the orange light pool… And we both watch is orange mist rises, billowing through the air and flowing into the damaged part of her face. The results is a… Construct, mirroring the right side of her face.

"No?"

I wonder how she'd do with a Ring, if only to continually feed her Orange Light...

"The Ophidian's magic was used. I didn't emerge from one of her eggs."

I give her a flat look. "Yes, I worked that out. But as far as beings in her weight lass go, I think that counts."

At that level, intent counts for more than any physical action, after all.

She looks mildly disgruntled, putting the half-mask back on as the construct fades. "I'm not used to people approaching me directly and… Earnestly. When we first met I assumed that you were another magician attempting to advance himself."

"When in fact I can't even use magic. Is there something that I can do to convince you of my authenticity?"

The perils of a being who deals in avarice and desires: not being able to take things at face value. She can't help but look for 'Cui bono' - 'Who Profits?'

"I would believe you if Lucifer vouched for you."

"Well, if I see him…"

One eyebrow frowns. "Have you met him?"

That would be a fascinating meeting, but not one likely to ever happen...

"No. He's just about the only individual from the monotheistic mythos I haven't met. Not unless he's decided to stick a yellow balloon with a smiley face on in where his head used to be."

"I doubt it. Lucifer was always a strong proponent of human moral freedom. Boss Smiley is the opposite."

No, the smiling freak is entirely about cultural domination, outside influences and the surrender of independence to greater authority. Namely his, though his agents. All the power of the throne, none of the risk.

"Then what the heck is he? He's too powerful for a newly created god, the whole… Concept of political machination doesn't lend itself to such overt power, and our society's only become powerful enough for that sort of thing relatively recently so he can't be an elemental. Is he a demon?"

Ah, the inevitable question of what he is.

"No."

"Lilim?"

"My other mother birthed many strange creatures, but not so far as I remember."

Demons are honestly too mundane in comparison to the bastard...

"Then-."

CMPF!

The house folds in on itself, giving me a brief view of a surprised Angelica before our surroundings warp and I'm drawn-

Oh, dear. That was rather unexpected, If Angelica's reaction was any guide.

Well, it looks like OL is in for a peculiar day. Perhaps the smiling bastard took notice of their conversation and felt like teaching someone a lesson about loose lips. Or some remnant of the Sheeda or Zor's magic 'cooked off' under Angelica's purification... Regardless, Mazikeen's days with 'uncle OL' seem doomed to be troublesome.

Tbryan · 2026-01-14T07:05:38+0000

BlackCoat13 said:
class

I don't remember this character. 'The Ophidian's Daughter'.

It's Mazikeen from the Sandman and Lucifer comics, and she first appeared in this story in Vantavendi (part 19)

In the Lucifer comic it was revealed that Lilith made her with the serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, who in that continuity was a male demon named Ophur.

The Blackest Night event also strongly hinted that Ophidian was the serpent who tempted Eve.

Seems like Zoat decided to replace Ophis with Ophidian in Mazikeen's backstory

Someguy Somewhere · 2026-01-14T07:17:48+0000

BlackCoat13 said:
class

I don't remember this character. 'The Ophidian's Daughter'.

Back here .

Short Version, She's a demon that was created using the Ophidian's power, and she sees the Greed Snake as her Father, since her mother was Lilith aka Adam's first wife. That makes her an 'Lilim' due to her mother, and ....well we don't know What she gets from the Ophidian, but since the greed snake doesn't have a Mortal's Eye View OL has stepped forward to fill in the parental role of his snakey half.

EDIT: Dang, League of Shadow'ed

AverusBlack · 2026-01-14T07:23:58+0000

OL being sent off on an incident with an angel on one shoulder, a demon on the other.

This feels like the setup to a punchline of some kind, either metaphorical or literal.

BR549 · 2026-01-14T08:17:31+0000

AverusBlack said:
This feels like the setup to a punchline of some kind, either metaphorical or literal.

A priest, a minister, and a rabbit walk into a blood bank.

The rabbit, asked what his blood type is, responds "I suspect that I'm a Type O".

AverusBlack · 2026-01-14T08:33:38+0000

BR549 said:
A priest, a minister, and a rabbit walk into a blood bank.

The rabbit, asked what his blood type is, responds "I suspect that I'm a Type O".

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

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