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

[Mr Zoat]

'it affects.'?
or
'of the effect.'?
'with a'
'take it'

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[boo600]

Nothing." I remove the poncho from Tygra and float it over to Lion-O. "Your turn."

Lion-O is staring wide-eyed at-.

I disintegrate the copy I made of his brother's skin.

Click to shrink...

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Ah. That was good.
Yellow lanterns can be hysterical when they're not a genocidal rapey sinestro stooge.

 

[Mr Zoat]

14th December 2282
14:27 GMT -7

President Hayes doesn't quite look at me as I pour him a cup of tea. Most of the tea the government of Britain gave me as a 'thank you for getting lost' gift went down with my saucer, but I had a small sealed pack in my robes that was shielded from the ant acid.

Didn't take long to convey Krona's corpse to somewhere where Controller 'We Don't Use Names' could pull it back into his reality. His ring took even less time as it hasn't left my neck once since I acquired it. The damage I managed to cause to my brain only took ten minutes to fix; it's a common enough injury amongst those who are new to their powers and don't know any better, as well as front line fighters who would rather lay in a medical tent than in a grave.

Still not looking at me, he picks up his cup and takes a sniff.

"What's in it?"

"Tea."

He gives me a 'Really?' look.

I shrug as I resume my seat. "Camellia sinensis, or more commonly 'the tea plant'. It's grown on huge plantations in India-. Or it.. was, before the war. I haven't sent anyone scouting quite that far."

"Pre-War tea?"

"No." I smile faintly. "Britain was a seafaring nation long before the Industrial Revolution. They send wooden sailing ships there."

"They've sailed to India." He sighs as he leans back in his chair, mildly disturbed. "That makes our efforts seem positively lazy."

"Americans don't drink all that much tea, and you would have to get through Chinese waters to get there." I pick up my own cup and take a sip. Yep, that's boiled leaf water alright. "And Britain has far easier borders to secure."

He finally takes a sip, and doesn't appear to find it too disagreeable. "But we've got a straight shot to Australia, and their huge reserves of uranium. At this point it would be easier to meet our needs by importing it than to get a big enough pre-War mine operating here to meet our needs."

I raise my hands in a gesture of surrender. "I do advanced aircraft. If you want boats, make friends with the Shi."

"I'll make friends with the Shi for advanced ship construction techniques." He takes another sip. "Krono… Paul?" I shrug. "What the Hell was any of that?"

I look out through the window in my office door, at the hulking power armoured bodyguards lurking there to keep threats and inconvenient people away. A glance out of the window behind me shows more in the street outside making sure that no one points a rocket launcher at my office. Hayes's bodyguard are heavily vetted and mind probed, but…

I raise my right hand and close it, and the edges of the room shimmer as external sounds cut out. Then I reach into my robes and pull out the thong carrying the orange power ring before pulling it over my head and laying it on the table.

"That's where it all started. That ring."

He frowns at it for a moment. "Alien? That guy who showed up making demands?"

"Yes. Him, or someone like him." I sigh, remembering my arrival in the Nevada skies. The life I had before. "I've told people that I was born before the War, and that's true. What I skip over is that I was… Absent, for the intervening period."

"Abducted by aliens?" He smiles weakly. "I understand keeping it quiet, but you've… Got some pretty solid evidence in your corner right now."

"Possibly. I don't know. I mean, I know that the Controllers made that ring, but I have no idea if they're the ones who snatched me out of my bed and brought me to the here and now or not."

"And they're different to the zetans."

"The best I can do is probably." I shrug. "Zetans appear to be the standard kidnap-and-experiment type. Controllers aren't interested in that sort of thing. But… There are always exceptions."

"Like 'Krona'. So if they're so powerful, how did you kill him?"

I wince slightly. "We've experimented with telepathic weapons here. We used a device we call the Dream Twister to combine the efforts of a group of telepaths to tear his mind apart."

"I think I remember asking about that. Your people stonewalled me."

I nod. "The reason that I've been less than forthcoming about our experimental weapons-. Some types of psychic weapon wouldn't exactly be less damaging than nuclear weapons have been."

He frowns curiously. "What kind of damage?"

"I'm not sure. That's the problem. Get a pre-War nuclear warhead and strip out the cobalt jacket and you get a weapon that only leaves the place it exploded dangerously radioactive for a few years. Telepathic weapons? Psychic weapons?" I look him directly in the eyes and shrug. "They change the nature of local reality. Is it dangerous? Permanent?" I shrug again. "Have you heard of the Kremlin?"

"That's… Where the Russian government used to be based, isn't it?"

I nod. "There's a certain amount of evidence that suggests that the Russian government was experimenting with telepathic weapons before the war. The Kremlin… The people in Moscow don't look at it. The ones who do find themselves drawn towards it. Those who go, don't come back. In another place they've got ghosts who kill you if you don't give them a pre-War password. I can tell you what happens if you use nuclear weapons. I can't tell you what happens if we use psychic weapons."

"If I get desperate for strategic weapons, I've got the silos in the Divide. I'm happy to leave interfering with the structure of spacetime to the experts."

I hadn't been sure where he'd come down on that. I guess the Controller left him more shaken up than I assumed.

"So…" He points at the ring. "What does it do?"

"Anything I want. Repair a pre-War machine for giving humans psychic powers? Done. Bypass the security? Done. Use it without making my brain explode? Done. Survive in space with only my pyjamas on?"

He looks surprised. "Really?"

I nod. "It causes mental degradation with prolonged use and it ran out of power in a few weeks, but it got me started. I went after psychic powers because I wanted a substitute, but even with everything I can do now, this…" I shake my head. "Doesn't hold a candle to what that ring can do when fully charged."

"So if you..? Charged it up and headed to Arizona..?"

"The Legion have a grand total of nothing that can stop me. I could find every Legion-supporter and kill them as easily as you would stub out a cigarette. But… The whole point of this is to rebuild human civilisation. If I do it-."

He snorts quietly. "Even more people would worship you than do now."

"People would get used to other people doing things for them at no cost to themselves. There's nothing that I need, no… Goal that I'm pursuing that needs it." I shake my head. "But I am not the man to turn down that sort of power. I just… Don't want to use it unless I have to."

"I'm not the man to turn down that sort of power either. But I haven't tried nuking Flagstaff or Phoenix." He shakes his head. "I don't know. You're my guy for otherworldly affairs, but if that can do everything that you say it can…"

"Remember how I said that it causes mental degradation?" He nods. "That's one of the things it does. It convinces you that the only way you can get what you want is by using it."

His eyes widen slightly as he recognising the implication. "Did you..?"

I shrug. "Ran out of power before it could become a problem. But I can see how it could have become a problem."

He nods. "I suppose that another crazy telepathic god is the last thing we need, after the last three." He reaches across the table and pushes the thong back towards me, careful not to touch the ring itself. "I think it's best that you keep it."

I nod, pick it up and put the thong over my neck. "In other news, I might have antagonised Doki Doki into sending ARGOS after me. If he arrives then we can alter his programming so that he'll ignore her from now on. I've got-." Ugh. "I had an example circuit board for you, but it went down with my saucer so you'll have to wait for it until the recovery operation is finished."

"That's fine. Any plans for contacting that 'Controller' again?"

I finger the ring, remembering how it made me feel, the power that was at my command.

And then I let it go.

"I think it's probably best to leave him be."

 

[Ciber]

remember when we had renegade and paragon options? and we also had a common sense option? I think this would be a great spot to insert the common sense badge image.

 

[Vaermina]

I finger the ring, remembering how it made me feel, the power that was at my command.

And then I let it go.

"I think it's probably best to leave him be."

Click to shrink...

Showing once again that most Paul's need a major Orange Light detox to try and stop being insane.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

14th December 2282
14:27 GMT -7

President Hayes doesn't quite look at me as I pour him a cup of tea. Most of the tea the government of Britain gave me as a 'thank you for getting lost' gift went down with my saucer, but I had a small sealed pack in my robes that was shielded from the ant acid.

Didn't take long to convey Krona's corpse to somewhere where Controller 'We Don't Use Names' could pull it back into his reality. His ring took even less time as it hasn't left my neck once since I acquired it. The damage I managed to cause to my brain only took ten minutes to fix; it's a common enough injury amongst those new to their powers and don't know any better, as well front line fighters who would rather lay in a medical tent than in a grave.

Click to shrink...

Cheeky, skipping over the discussion. But given it would mostly be exactly what Krono summarised, it's understandable. I'm impressed he isn't going gung-ho with the Ring, but I suspect the Controller held off on a recharge just yet... You know, get a few more interesting novel technologies out of him.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Still not looking at me, he picks up his cup and takes a sniff.

"What's in it?"

Click to shrink...

Water, traces of leaves, maybe milk and sugar depending on taste. Pity lemons are probably long extinct except in some forgotten vault. I hear that gives it a tang. Don't drink it or coffee myself...

"Tea."

He gives me a 'Really?' look.

Click to shrink...

Ask a stupid question, sir...At least he didn't get a snappy answer in reply.

I shrug as I resume my seat. "Camellia sinensis, or more commonly 'the tea plant'. It's grown on huge plantations in India-. Or it.. was, before the war. I haven't sent anyone scouting quite that far."

"Pre-War tea?"

Click to shrink...

I imagine that would age rather badly. Like, 'break down into poison' badly.

"No." I smile faintly. "Britain was a seafaring nation long before the Industrial Revolution. They send wooden sailing ships there."

"They've sailed to India." He sighs as he leans back in his chair, mildly disturbed. "That makes our efforts seem positively lazy."

Click to shrink...

They're an island nation with a comparatively small area. America is so large it has multiple timezones and geographical regions. Is it so unrealistic that they'd recover faster?

"Americans don't drink all that much tea, and you would have to get through Chinese waters to get there." I pick up my own cup and take a sip. Yep, that's boiled leaf water alright. "And Britain has far easier borders to secure."

He finally takes a sip, and doesn't appear to find it too disagreeable. "But we've got a straight shot to Australia, and their huge reserves of uranium. At this point it would be easier to meet our needs by importing it than to get a big enough pre-War mine operating here to meet our needs."

Click to shrink...

Unless someone pulled an Arasaka (From Cyberpunk RED) and laid self-replicating sea mines. And whatever population survives in Australia is likely to have their own opinions about foreigners. Seriously, it's probably all 'Mad Max' down under. At least in the first few decades post-war...

I raise my hands in a gesture of surrender. "I do advanced aircraft. If you want boats, make friends with the Shi."

"I'll make friends with the Shi for advanced ship construction techniques." He takes another ship. "Krono… Paul?" I shrug. "What the Hell was any of that?"

Click to shrink...

I suspect that name will become something of a private thing for friends. Or he'll rearrange his name so 'Krono' becomes a surname.

I look out through the window in my office door, at the hulking power armoured bodyguards lurking there to keep threats and inconvenient people away. A glance out of the window behind me shows more in the street outside making sure that no one points a rocket launcher at my office. Hayes's bodyguard are heavily vetted and mind probed, but…

Click to shrink...

Who knows, sometimes.

I raise my right hand and close it, and the edges of the room shimmer as external sounds cut out. Then I reach into my robes and pull out the thong carrying my orange power ring before pulling it over my head and laying it on the table.

"That's where it all started. That ring."

Click to shrink...

Interesting. I doubt this one got propiety unlocked, so it might just have been the way he thought it that let him call it 'my ring'. Remember when that was a thing?

He frowns at it for a moment. "Alien? That guy who showed up making demands?"

"Yes. Him, or someone like him." I sigh, remembering my arrival in the Nevada skies. The life I had before. "I've told people that I was born before the War, and that's true. What I skip over is that I was… Absent, for the intervening period."

Click to shrink...

Still keeping the 'I don't think this is my universe' idea under his hat, so to speak. After all, he can't entirely be sure of that.

"Abducted by aliens?" He smiles weakly. "I understand keeping it quiet, but you've… Got some pretty solid evidence in your corner right now."

"Possibly. I don't know. I mean, I know that the Controllers made that ring, but I have no idea if they're the ones who snatched me out of my bed and brought me to the here and now or not."

Click to shrink...

And even the ring's origin is a big assumption, based on metaknowledge.

"And they're different to the zetans."

"The best I can do is probably." I shrug. "Zetas appear to be the standard kidnap-and-experiment type. Controllers aren't interested in that sort of thing. But… There are always exceptions."

Click to shrink...

They got all that out of their system literal eons ago.

"Like 'Krona'. So if they're so powerful, how did you kill him?"

I wince slightly. "We've experimented with telepathic weapons here. We used a device we call the Dream Twister to combine the efforts of a group of telepaths to tear his mind apart."

Click to shrink...

God-like power and immortal body doesn't necessarily translate to perfect psychic defences, after all.

"I think I remember asking about that. Your people stonewalled me."

I nod. "The reason that I've been less than forthcoming about our experimental weapons-. Some types of psychic weapon wouldn't exactly be less damaging than nuclear weapons have been."

Click to shrink...

As in 'turn entire chunks of Earth into drooling vegetables' deadly?

He frowns curiously. "What kind of damage?"

"I'm not sure. That's the problem. Get a pre-War nuclear warhead and strip out the cobalt jacket and you get a weapon that only leaves the place it exploded dangerously radioactive for a few years. Telepathic weapons? Psychic weapons?" I look him directly in the eyes and shrug. "They change the nature of local reality. Is it dangerous? Permanent?" I shrug again. "Have you heard of the Kremlin?"

Click to shrink...

A good reason to be very careful with them.

"That's… Where the Russian government used to be based, isn't it?"

I nod. "There's a certain amount of evidence that suggests that the Russian government was experimenting with telepathic weapons before the war. The Kremlin… The people in Moscow don't look at it. The ones who do find themselves drawn towards it. Those who go, don't come back. In another place they've got ghosts who kill you if you don't give them a pre-War password. I can tell you what happens if you use nuclear weapons. I can't tell you what happens if we use psychic weapons."

Click to shrink...

That's rather concerning. Fortunately, Krono won't have to worry himself about it for a long time, if ever.

"If I get desperate for strategic weapons, I've got the silos in the Divide. I'm happy to leave interfering with the structure of spacetime to the experts."

I hadn't been sure where he'd come down on that. I guess the Controller left him more shaken up than I assumed.

Click to shrink...

Not that Krono's people are experts themselves. Still, that's what research is for...

"So…" He points at the ring. "What does it do?"

"Anything I want. Repair a pre-War machine for giving humans psychic powers? Done. Bypass the security? Done. Use it without making my brain explode? Done. Survive in space with only my pyjamas on?"

Click to shrink...

Been there, done that, wishes he'd made a t-shirt about it now.

He looks surprised. "Really?"

I nod. "It causes mental degradation with prolonged use and it ran out of power in a few weeks, but it got me started. I went after psychic powers because I wanted a substitute, but even with everything I can do now, this…" I shake my head. "Doesn't hold a candle to what that ring can do when fully charged."

Click to shrink...

Which raises the question: Will he use it, and when?

"So if you..? Charged it up and headed to Arizona..?"

"The Legion have a grand total of nothing that can stop me. I could find every Legion-supporter and kill them as easily as you would stub out a cigarette. But… The whole point of this is to rebuild human civilisation. If I do it-."

Click to shrink...

Even a Lantern can be killed, and there are weapons in the Fallout Universe that could probably manage it.

He snorts quietly. "Even more people would worship you can do now."

"People would get used to other people doing things for them at no cost to themselves. There's nothing that I need, no… Goal that I'm pursuing that needs it." I shake my head. "But I am not the man to turn down that sort of power. I just… Don't want to use it unless I have to."

Click to shrink...

I see. Emergency last resort, then. The nuclear option, if you will.

"I'm not the man to turn down that sort of power either. But I haven't tried nuking Flagstaff or Phoenix." He shakes his head. "I don't know. You're my guy for otherworldly affairs, but if that can do everything that you say it can…"

"Remember how I said that it causes mental degradation?" He nods. "That's one of the things it does. It convinces you that the only way you can get what you want is by using it."

Click to shrink...

Wanting for everything is a drawback, especially when it can let you get it.

His eyes widen slightly as he recognising the implication. "Did you..?"

I shrug. "Ran out of power before it could become a problem. But I can see how it could have become a problem."

Click to shrink...

Heh. A rare case of common sense in an alt!Paul. At least towards mind-altering Rings. He's just traded one powerset for another, with the associated drawbacks, of course.

He nods. "I suppose that another crazy telepathic god is the last thing we need, after the last three." He reaches across the table and pushes the thong back towards me, careful not to touch the ring itself. "I think it's best that you keep it."

I nod, pick it up and put the thong over my neck. "In other news, I might have antagonised Doki Doki into sending ARGOS after me. If he arrives then we can alter his programming so that he'll ignore her from now on. I've got-." Ugh. "I had an example circuit board for you, but it went down with my saucer so you'll have to wait for it until the recovery operation is finished."

Click to shrink...

And that's assuming it survived the crash. Hopefully the cargo spaces weren't compromised what with the bat-monsters banging on the ship.

"That's fine. Any plans for contacting that 'Controller' again?"

I finger the ring, remembering how it made me feel, the power that was at my command.

Click to shrink...

Perfect chance for the Interrupt icon, but there's also the problem of how to contact him. I doubt he left a communicator.

And then I let it go.

"I think it's probably best to leave him be."

Click to shrink...

Considering what he built without the Ring, i can understand his resistance to make use of it again...

Logical enough reasons not to go full Orange Lantern uplift on the Earth, I suppose. Especially with a link as weak as an Orange Lantern with minimal actual training and a full awareness of how mind-altering the Ring can be. And trading local stuff for barely-reproducible Maltusian tech would be... Well, it'd take them a while just getting to the level of infrastructure needed to build it.

---

...as well front line fighters who would rather lay in a medical tent than in a grave.

Click to shrink...

Something feels off there. Missing word, maybe?

He takes another ship.

Click to shrink...

He takes another sip.

"Even more people would worship you can do now."

Click to shrink...

"Even more people would worship you then they do now."

 

[Mr Zoat]

Interesting. I doubt this one got propiety unlocked, so it might just have been the way he thought it that let him call it 'my ring'. Remember when that was a thing?
Something feels off there. Missing word, maybe?
He takes another sip.
"Even more people would worship you then they do now."

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[Duke Long]

The damage I managed to cause to my brain only took ten minutes to fix; it's a common enough injury amongst those new to their powers and don't know any better, as well front line fighters who would rather lay in a medical tent than in a grave.

Click to shrink...

'who don't'?
'as well as'

"And they're different to the zetans."

"The best I can do is probably." I shrug. "Zetas appear to be the standard kidnap-and-experiment type. Controllers aren't interested in that sort of thing. But… There are always exceptions."

Click to shrink...

'Zetans'?

 

[Mr Zoat]

'as well as'
'Zetans'?

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[Duke Long]

We've seen three alternates in this episode that had no working ring - Pull, Krono and Peter - and two of them don't want to make extensive use of a ring. That makes me wonder if that's a sign that Peter will experience problems with orange light madness or somesuch. Of course it could be nothing.

 

[Huttj509]

We've seen three alternates in this episode that had no working ring - Pull, Krono and Peter - and two of them don't want to make extensive use of a ring. That makes me wonder if that's a sign that Peter will experience problems with orange light madness or somesuch. Of course it could be nothing.

Click to shrink...

I mean, he was grappling with his mortality, considering cybernetics, and then ring options show up? He's definitely vulnerable.

 

[Jirachi]

Yeah, I have to say, it does often feel like Paragon Paul has a bit of a brain worm in his head that says that the way to solve things:tm: is through at least the fruits of his ring - all other things being equal he tends to really prefer doing things with his ring or with technology that his ring creates, probably a bit more then is entirely-entirely justified. And outside of an enlightened lantern, I have to imagine that's a lot worse...

 

[Mr Zoat]

11th May 2024
23:29 GMT

I stand… At attention. No, that's-. At ease, as Anissa descends through the sky. She's not going at anything like her highest speed; from what Invincible was able to tell me, she's the strongest viltrumite female in existence and her abilities are closer to Omniman's than his.

Invincible emphasised how much of an honour this is for me. I'm not sure if that's him talking or the actual official Viltrumite Empire position. She doesn't exactly seem to be in a hurry to get down here. She's looking around at… My work, and… Sniffing the air? I did some air purification work, but I didn't think things were bad enough to build an atmospheric cleaning plant.

Physically… Pale skin, black hair cut short, and… Honestly, her body is the perfect mix of feminine and athletic. She's wearing the white and pale grey bodysuit with the odd loincloth-like flap that is the standard for most viltrumites. I'm not sure how the super strength will factor in-.

"So." I don't jump at her speed as she appears in front of me, but only by cheating. "You're… 'Invincible'?"

"Ah. No, sorry. Were you expecting him?"

She immediately loses interest, half-turning away. "He's supposed to be mating with me. Tell me where to find him."

Scan. "Ah… The other side of the Atlantic, but… I thought that you were here to see me?"

That earns me a look of mild distaste. "Why would that be?"

I hold out a hologram projector and trigger the replay.

"Or we could just nominate the one guy on the planet who's made himself useful. So I don't really know anything about what other viltrumites like doing on dates, but maybe you should pick out some restaurants and get some nicer clothes?"

Her look of distaste increases as she stares at the image.

"You."

"If you wish to confirm your… Ah, orders, I can take you to Omniman?"

She takes a moment to master herself, her face returning to neutral. "I was simply told that I would be mating with-. Someone born on Earth. I am… Surprised that a human was selected. How 'useful' have you been?"

I gesture to the buildings around us. "This is my work. This and… Every building in the same style around Earth. Their.. support infrastructure, power supplies… I've also helped Invincible with his… Public information campaign-."

"That will no longer be necessary. We have professionals to handle that."

I nod. "I'm glad to hear it. I'll ensure that they have all information about Earth's communications infrastructure, though I must warn you that it's fairly… Disunified."

"I expected as much. We have integrated worlds as weak as Earth into the Viltrumite Empire before." She takes a slow breath. "I suppose that it is… Useful that you considered the matter."

I smile politely. "Thank you."

"I still don't understand why Omni-Man believes that a construction engineer is an appropriate choice of mate, but I am an obedient soldier of the Viltrumite Empire and I will endure… You. Where is your..? Residence."

"Oh, I'm not a.. construction engineer." I reach through the structure of the building I'm standing on and add a thin layer of armour plating to the exterior. It takes a few moments but I've gotten good at this over the last few months. "I can transmute matter."

She looks… Less unimpressed. "Are you a warrior?"

"No. I can fight, but I've found this to be a more productive application of my abilities. And… I couldn't possibly equal the combat effectiveness of a viltrumite."

Not until I work out whether doing so would result in increased status or an immediate mark of death.

"Now, I've been wondering how you…" I look at her face, trying to get some sort of feedback. "How you wanted to do this?"

"You're a viltrumoid. Our mating practises are the same." She considers me for a moment. "You do know how to mate?"

"Yes, yes, but-. You're clearly not enthusiastic about this. We have in-vitro fertilisation clinics. If you wanted to make this a purely medical procedure, that can be arranged. The medical team would need more information on viltrumite physiology than they have at the moment, but it should be possible."

"That would be worse."

"Alright, but… I've been doing a lot of research on… Optimal pregnancy management… For humans, because I.. can't get information on viltrumite pregnancies. And… The mother being stressed has measurable negative affects on the foetus. What can I do to make this better for you?"

She looks mildly affronted. "Stress won't hurt a viltrumite foetus."

"Right, but Invincible's powers only became active in his late teens. Before that he was no stronger than a normal human. While it's not wise to assume things based on a single example, it's more likely that the-. Our foetus would develop in a similar way."

She takes another calming breath. "What other measures will I need to take to ensure that my child is as healthy as it can be?"

"Low stress during pregnancy. Human.. pregnancies are nine months, which is how long Invincible's mother carried him. At least six months of breastfeeding after that, and again, since stress hormones can be conveyed via your milk it would be best to avoid excess stress during that time. Then there's diet: your nutritional requirements will obviously change from normal as you create a new person."

"What are your recommendations for avoiding..? Stress?"

"Light exercise only, no combat, and-" Her face becomes something between downcast and angry. "-build a good relationship with the child's father and with a wider social circle."

"For how long?"

"Fifteen months minimum. Probably longer, depending on how quickly we conceive and how quickly they move entirely onto solid foods."

Her eyes drift away slightly as she considers the issue, and I risk a scan, not of her body but of her desires. Oh. She's… Old. I mean, I knew that viltrumites live a long time, but I assumed that they look it. Omniman looks like a well-preserved middle-aged man, while she looks… Younger. Her desires are less… Confused than Invincible's. Affirmation of strength and loyalty, and as far as I can tell she finds the idea of bearing a child at all distasteful. But that I can work with. She doesn't appear to be particularly bothered by the fact that I'm an alien, just by my apparent weakness and passivity. But her pride would never allow her to deliberately flub a mission.

I'm going to have to fight someone, aren't I? I've been avoiding-.

She focuses on me, having reached a decision. "If you want to build a 'good relationship' with me, you will need to convince me that you can fight."

"No one's really using Pluto. I could blow it up, if you like."

"What is 'Pluto'?"

"A lump of rock and ice that is just barely large enough to count as a planet."

She rolls her eyes, thinking about it. "Any viltrumite could destroy that."

"I'd offer to destroy a larger planet, but that might reduce this system's value to the Empire. We could go to another system?"

"No. Two other viltrumites accompanied the fleet. I will ask one of them to volunteer to fight you. If you can survive, you will have proven that you are an adequate mate."

I nod. "Ah. My orders don't allow me to damage Earth, but I can fight away from the planet?" She nods. Ah. Of course, if I actually kill a viltrumite, then that could get me in trouble. "What happens if..? I actually win?"

She stares at me for a moment, as if seeing some new and astonishing thing previously unseen by mortal eyes.

And then she folds over.

"Haahahaha!"

 

[Thundersmight94]

Woo, I enjoy the chapters where we get to see the Lord Protector Paul for Thundercats and Invincible Universe Paul. It's fun to see him in a universe that is similar to the main universe, but not as much baggage.

 

[Cuchulin]

Possibly the best way for Invincible Paul to bond/gain favor with Mark is through Comic books since the main version of Invincible is a comic book fan.

 

[Whenever Possible]

Oh that laughter is definitely going to precede a poorly-thought-out offer that Anissa will likely regret making likely until she finishes inevitably going native.

 

[Zig]

"What happens if..? I actually win?"

She stares at me for a moment, as if seeing some new and astonishing thing previously unseen by mortal eyes.

And then she folds over.

"Haahahaha!"

Click to shrink...

Ah taking the Hawkeye vs Hulk approach. Probably the best way to deal with a Viltrumite.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

11th May 2024
23:29 GMT

I stand… At attention. No, that's-. At ease, as Anissa descends through the sky. She's not going at anything like her highest speed; from what Invincible was able to tell me, she's the strongest viltrumite female in existence and her abilities are closer to Omniman's than his.

Invincible emphasised how much of an honour this is for me. I'm not sure if that's him talking or the actual official Viltrumite Empire position. She doesn't exactly seem to be in a hurry to get down here. She's looking around at… My work, and… Sniffing the air? I did some air purification work, but I didn't think things were bad enough to build an atmospheric cleaning plant.

Click to shrink...

And given how sensitive her senses are, it probably wouldn't make much difference. She'd probably be able to smell the lingering traces of pollution on the surface of buildings. Because Viltrumite senses are almost as bullshit as kryptonians?

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Physically… Pale skin, black hair cut short, and… Honestly, her body is the perfect mix of feminine and athletic. She's wearing the white and pale grey bodysuit with the odd loincloth-like flap that is the standard for most viltrumites. I'm not sure how the super strength will factor in-.

Click to shrink...

That is an odd choice, the loincloth. I would have suggested it's for modesty, given the skin-tight nature of the rest of their clothes... But a Viltrumite will happily fight entirely nude without noticing.

"So." I don't jump at her speed as she appears in front of me, but only by cheating. "You're… 'Invincible'?"

"Ah. No, sorry. Were you expecting him?"

Click to shrink...

I'm betting people have gotten used to jumpscares with Omni-man and Invincible in charge... They do seem to forget that not everyone can see them moving at superspeed.

She immediately loses interest, half-turning away. "He's supposed to be mating with me. Tell me where to find him."

Scan. "Ah… The other side of the Atlantic, but… I thought that you were here to see me?"

Click to shrink...

Let's hope she doesn't press the issue, given what happened in canon...

That earns me a look of mild distaste. "Why would that be?"

I hold out a hologram projector and trigger the replay.

"Or we could just nominate the one guy on the planet who's made himself useful. So I don't really know anything about what other viltrumites like doing on dates, but maybe you should pick out some restaurants and get some nicer clothes?"

Click to shrink...

Ah, the fun of the lady discovering she's been hooked up with a human.

Her look of distaste increases as she stares at the image.

"You."

Click to shrink...

Hey, now, he's more powerful than he looks. How much of that can carry over into his DNA, I don't know.

"If you wish to confirm your… Ah, orders, I can take you to Omniman?"

She takes a moment to master herself, her face returning to neutral. "I was simply told that I would be mating with-. Someone born on Earth. I am… Surprised that a human was selected. How 'useful' have you been?"

Click to shrink...

Hey, now. Humans have many talents, especially in the fields of that little thing we call 'love'.

I gesture to the buildings around us. "This is my work. This and… Every building in the same style around Earth. Their.. support infrastructure, power supplies… I've also helped Invincible with his… Public information campaign-."

"That will no longer be necessary. We have professionals to handle that."

Click to shrink...

Probably a good thing, though I suspect the tone will take a sharply stern turn.

I nod. "I'm glad to hear it. I'll ensure that they have all information about Earth's communications infrastructure, though I must warn you that it's fairly… Disunified."

"I expected as much. We have integrated worlds as weak as Earth into the Viltrumite Empire before." She takes a slow breath. "I suppose that it is… Useful that you considered the matter."

Click to shrink...

Well, at least she can appreciate a sensible worker.

I smile politely. "Thank you."

"I still don't understand why Omni-Man believes that a construction engineer is an appropriate choice of mate, but I am an obedient soldier of the Viltrumite Empire and I will endure… You. Where is your..? Residence."

Click to shrink...

Ah, the lady just wants this over and done with, huh? Understandable. She probably doesn't have much patience for this sort of thing.

"Oh, I'm not a.. construction engineer." I reach through the structure of the building I'm standing on and add a thin layer of armour plating to the exterior. It takes a few moments but I've gotten good at this over the last few months. "I can transmute matter."

She looks… Less unimpressed. "Are you a warrior?"

Click to shrink...

I mean, if you're concerned about breaking him...

"No. I can fight, but I've found this to be a more productive application of my abilities. And… I couldn't possibly equal the combat effectiveness of a viltrumite."

Not until I work out whether doing so would result in increased status or an immediate mark of death.

Click to shrink...

And how long he could survive, in the case of the latter.

"Now, I've been wondering how you…" I look at her face, trying to get some sort of feedback. "How you wanted to do this?"

"You're a viltrumoid. Our mating practises are the same." She considers me for a moment. "You do know how to mate?"

Click to shrink...

Would have been a bit hard for Mark to fit in if he wasn't human-looking enough downstairs.

"Yes, yes, but-. You're clearly not enthusiastic about this. We have in-vitro fertilisation clinics. If you wanted to make this a purely medical procedure, that can be arranged. The medical team would need more information on viltrumite physiology than they have at the moment, but it should be possible."

Click to shrink...

And if that fails, just transmute the appropriate genetic material together himself and implant it...

"That would be worse."

"Alright, but… I've been doing a lot of research on… Optimal pregnancy management… For humans, because I.. can't get information on viltrumite pregnancies. And… The mother being stressed has measurable negative affects on the foetus. What can I do to make this better for you?"

Click to shrink...

Heh. She didn't come this far not to get laid, huh?

She looks mildly affronted. "Stress won't hurt a viltrumite foetus."

"Right, but Invincible's powers only became active in his late teens. Before that he was no stronger than a normal human. While it's not wise to assume things based on a single example, it's more likely that the-. Our foetus would develop in a similar way."

Click to shrink...

Never mind the process of birth. I hope he plans to assist, at least with a force-field tunnel or similar to prevent... Unpleasant complications.

She takes another calming breath. "What other measures will I need to take to ensure that my child is as healthy as it can be?"

"Low stress during pregnancy. Human.. pregnancies are nine months, which is how long Invincible's mother carried him. At least six months of breastfeeding after that, and again, since stress hormones can be conveyed via your milk it would be best to avoid excess stress during that time. Then there's diet: your nutritional requirements will obviously change from normal as you create a new person."

Click to shrink...

Though this is all assuming that her body operates anything like a human woman's...

"What are your recommendations for avoiding..? Stress?"

"Light exercise only, no combat, and-" Her face becomes something between downcast and angry. "-build a good relationship with the child's father and with a wider social circle."

Click to shrink...

...Not really blowing up her skirt here, Matty...

"For how long?"

"Fifteen months minimum. Probably longer, depending on how quickly we conceive and how quickly they move entirely onto solid foods."

Click to shrink...

Or the baby could come out flying, and things get a bit quicker from there.

Her eyes drift away slightly as she considers the issue, and I risk a scan, not of her body but of her desires. Oh. She's… Old. I mean, I knew that viltrumites live a long time, but I assumed that they look it. Omniman looks like a well-preserved middle-aged man, while she looks… Younger. Her desires are less… Confused than Invincible's. Affirmation of strength and loyalty, and as far as I can tell she finds the idea of barring a child at all distasteful. But that I can work with. She doesn't appear to be particularly bothered by the fact that I'm an alien, just by my apparent weakness and passivity. But her pride would never allow her to deliberately flub a mission.

Click to shrink...

I suspect those viltrumite 'smart molecules' are part of the appearance thing. Omniman knows older men are taken more seriously on Earth. So he looks older. But Anissa is young, and probably a little vain, sooo...

I'm going to have to fight someone, aren't I? I've been avoiding-.

She focuses on me, having reached a decision. "If you want to build a 'good relationship' with me, you will need to convince me that you can fight."

Click to shrink...

Great minds think alike, it seems. Hopefully Matthew can survive the testing.

"No one's really using Pluto. I could blow it up, if you like."

"What is 'Pluto'?"

"A lump of rock and ice that is just barely large enough to count as a planet."

Click to shrink...

Heh. At least he still thinks of it as one.

She rolls her eyes, thinking about it. "Any viltrumite could destroy that."

"I'd offer to destroy a larger planet, but that might reduce this system's value to the Empire. We could go to another system?"

Click to shrink...

Can't do it on Earth, after all. Matthew's still putting it back together, you know.

"No. Two other viltrumites accompanied the fleet. I will ask one of them to volunteer to fight you. If you can survive, you will have proven that you are an adequate mate."

I nod. "Ah. My orders don't allow me to damage Earth, but I can fight away from the planet?" She nods. Ah. Of course, if I actually kill a viltrumite, then that could get me in trouble. "What happens if..? I actually win?"

Click to shrink...

So, agree to a non-lethal fight. No fatal maiming, for instance.

She stares at me for a moment, as if seeing some new and astonishing thing previously unseen by mortal eyes.

And then she folds over.

"Haahahaha!"

Click to shrink...

...And Matthew's ego takes another hit.

Well, that went... About as well as could be expected. At the least, she didn't toss him down and pulverise his pelvis... Yet. Wonder how she'll take to human culture, even as traumatised as it is? Assuming she gets past the 'what weaklings they are.' phase at all. And meanwhile, Matthew gets to see how he can stack up against a Viltrumite... Fingers crossed for luck!

---

...she finds the idea of barring a child at all distasteful.

Click to shrink...

...she finds the idea of bearing a child at all distasteful.

 

[GigaVanguard]

I really enjoy the Invincible 'verse Paul segments. It's very interesting to see how he's adapted to being colonized and on the back foot, compared to many other Pauls whose rings have given them a fairly significant leg up on the majority of their setting.

 

[Mr Zoat]

...she finds the idea of bearing a child at all distasteful.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[FreeGod]

Well if the objective is surviving then I think that Matthew will be able to manage. Orange rings are good at that. Does running away count?

 

[Lord Ernest]

It's already a small miracle that she didn't decide to just "get it over with", if you know what I mean. I suspect that finding out Matthew is not Invincible might have thrown out her original plan for this encounter; i.e. most likely fight Invincible to determine his value and then "persuade" him, be it the easy way or the hard way.

The advantage Matthew has is that he's taking this apparently as serious as she is, maybe even more, and going at it like the "mission" that it is. If Anissa takes him up on his socializing and child rearing advice? Then I could see Matthew possibly starting her "contamination".

I'm wondering what he got from the Controller that now he's so confident possibly taking on a Viltrumite, though. He did provide a heck of a sample and Jevek seems to not be trying to short change any of these Lanterns, so whatever Matthew acquired should be good.

 

[moralrelativity]

Her desires are less… Confused than Invincible's. Affirmation of strength and loyalty, and as far as I can tell she finds the idea of bearing a child at all distasteful.

Click to shrink...

I don't understand this because I can't work out what you're trying to say with the last part. Is "finds" supposed to be "doesn't find"?

 

[Chaoswind]

It's already a small miracle that she didn't decide to just "get it over with", if you know what I mean. I suspect that finding out Matthew is not Invincible might have thrown out her original plan for this encounter; i.e. most likely fight Invincible to determine his value and then "persuade" him, be it the easy way or the hard way.

The advantage Matthew has is that he's taking this apparently as serious as she is, maybe even more, and going at it like the "mission" that it is. If Anissa takes him up on his socializing and child rearing advice? Then I could see Matthew possibly starting her "contamination".

I'm wondering what he got from the Controller that now he's so confident possibly taking on a Viltrumite, though. He did provide a heck of a sample and Jevek seems to not be trying to short change any of these Lanterns, so whatever Matthew acquired should be good.

Click to shrink...

Javek is certain he can turn effigy into a Viltrumite chimera, would be funny if Matthew turned himself into one using Omniman and Invincibles DNA as that will place him near the Viltrumite peak.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I don't understand this because I can't work out what you're trying to say with the last part. Is "finds" supposed to be "doesn't find"?

Click to shrink...

No? She finds distaste in the idea of have a child. It's a perfectly clear sentence as far as I can tell.

 

[Old Knife]

Ah. The one Paul I totally wish to go full Larfleeze.
Shame.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Ah. The one Paul I totally wish to go full Larfleeze.
Shame.

Click to shrink...

He's not exactly a deep character.

 

[WereDragon]

Anissa

Click to shrink...

Very much his type.
Thinking on it the only SIs who didn't hook up with a 'bad girl' of some description are Krono, who got his wife assigned to him by a glorified dating App, and Lord Protector who picked the sensible administrator and widow Khoah.

 

[m_d]

I'm wondering what he got from the Controller that now he's so confident possibly taking on a Viltrumite, though. He did provide a heck of a sample and Jevek seems to not be trying to short change any of these Lanterns, so whatever Matthew acquired should be good.

Click to shrink...

This didn't read to me as someone who was confident. I read it as someone who was cautiously feeling things out in as inoffensively disarming a way as he can to get a better idea of what strategy would best serve his goals.

I couldn't possibly equal the combat effectiveness of a viltrumite."

Not until I work out whether doing so would result in increased status or an immediate mark of death.

Click to shrink...

I'm going to have to fight someone, aren't I? I've been avoiding-.

She focuses on me, having reached a decision. "If you want to build a 'good relationship' with me, you will need to convince me that you can fight."

Click to shrink...

Of course, if I actually kill a viltrumite, then that could get me in trouble. "What happens if..? I actually win?"

Click to shrink...

Though speaking of what Jevek is doing. I wonder if observation and analysis of Invincible (I noticed that Matthew isn't doing the thing that some of his alternates do where he thinks of costumed people by their "real" names, so I'm going to follow suit in this case) and also potentially Anissa's and Matthew's child in development as hybrids (it's not clear what the time rate ratio between Jevek's universe and Invincible's is. For that matter, the method he's using to scan and observe other universes may not be bound to a set time ratio.) aided him in developing his process to use Viltrumite blood to augment humans. For that matter, I wonder if Matthew is going to figure that out. He may be in a very good position to follow that process, at least for awhile, and with his own genes even, which might come in handy.

A not-serious related idea that is probably out of character for Matthew, though I could maybe see a different alternate doing it, is volunteering to gestate the baby on Anissa's behalf using his ring or maybe other tech (I don't know the setting's magitech levels) to reconfigure himself to be able to do so. Then Anissa could keep fighting and wouldn't need to avoid stress during the pregnancy. Matthew would instead need to do those things, which I would imagine he would be in favour of. He could also follow the pregnancy and hybridization even more closely. Maybe that could be a conversation in an Eros episode.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Very much his type.
Thinking on it the only SIs who didn't hook up with a 'bad girl' of some description are Krono, who got his wife assigned to him by a glorified dating App, and Lord Protector who picked the sensible administrator and widower Khoah.

Click to shrink...

widow Khoah.