Mr Zoat
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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
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Ngamer11
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That cop talking about Paul's admission of the Justice League's takeover of Earth has me wondering what the general populace thinks of him now. They saw him as the Cake Guy but also acknowledge that he should be in the Justice League, regardless of his stated reasons for not joining. Depending on how many people know the plan to purge Earth of the Anti-Life was his, they might low-key be scared of what his presence in any place might mean and think of him as the JL's unofficial dirty jobs guy.
Steelplaza
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I was looking through some older updates set in the immediate aftermath of the anti-life crisis yesterday, and there's one where OL literally begins a conversation by asking, "What morally dubious thing would you like me to talk you into today, Kal-el?"
Ngamer11
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I was thinking what the general public, as in civilians, military officers, and government personnel, think of Paul. The Justice League knows Paul is fully willing to cross lines they themselves are hesitant or refuse to cross so long as he thinks it is the right, or at least most pragmatic, thing to do.
Prince Charon
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Which episode was that, please?
Ngamer11
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It happened in part 5 of Episode 143: Reconstruction.
Anarkic (part 4)
New
Mr Zoat
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1st May 2013
08:52 GMT -5
His face hardens, and he leans back a little in his chair, not focusing on us. Considering his options, I imagine.
Alan turns towards me, raising his eyebrows. "Orange Lantern?"
"A group of professional thieves working for someone wouldn't have direct contact. If they'd demonstrated that they were competent and knew how to keep their mouths shut, there would be at least one degree of separation between the person directing them and the team. There can't be direct communication because the big boss needs to be insulated, but there can't be too many gaps because the more people know the higher the chance of miscommunication or leaks. I'd imagine that our friend here has only met the person who gives him orders… Once? Maybe not even that. There's a protocol for communication, but the thing is, any protocol that doesn't involve direct meetings can be learned by a sufficiently clever observer."
He doesn't look worried, but he is making a point of controlling his expressions rather more tightly.
"Let us assume that the lawyer you contacted is… Probably burnable. Just there to handle the initial stuff, while your director tries to decide how much it's worth helping you. Now, if he thinks that you're moonlighting, things are about to get jolly interesting, because once you get released on bail he's going to want a rather sharp talk with you. Now, given the current environment I doubt that whoever it is would have you killed to ensure your silence or anything like that, but they might actually let you go to prison without a fight as a reminder to check who it is that's sending you messages a bit more carefully."
I shrug, smiling.
"I suppose we'll get some inkling based on how quickly the lawyer turns up. How long has it been?"
Johanna shrugs. "Just a few hours, yes? It was a Sunday, and it was unexpected. People are busy. It is not something to worry about. Unt the police must schedule things after completing their forensic examinations or how would they know what to ask you? Hm."
He blinks, slowly. "Are you making an offer, or are you just blowing smoke up my ass?"
"We have no authority to make an offer. Though I.. suppose, that if you had been induced to burgle LexCorp under false pretences, that might work in your favour. If only to reassure your ultimate employer that you were loyal to them. At least to the degree that you don't go spilling your guts when anyone applies any pressure."
"You think talking to you would convince someone that I don't talk."
"I'm not asking you who your regular sponsor is. I'm not much interested in them. I'm interested in someone who might have used you as a distraction by pretending to be them, and if that did happen, then you'd be off the hook with your employer. Plus, since you've asked for a lawyer, nothing you say here is admissible as evidence."
He smiles. "Law-yer."
I shrug. "As you will. I respect your good judgement. But I wonder… If someone did use you as a distraction… How much do they respect you?"
I smile at Alan and Johanna.
"I don't believe our friend is interested in talking to us. Shall we try the others?"
1st May 2013
08:56 GMT -5
"Lawyer."
Alan frowns. "If-."
"Lawyer." The interviewee takes a sip of water from their glass. "Lawyer now?"
1st May 2013
09:03 GMT -5
"…really great cake." I wince. "I just watched the whole thing. Snack and a show. Thought about keeping it but…" He shrugs. "I could not find out how it tasted, could I?"
Johanna is openly staring at me. I ignore her, maintaining my smile and clicking the fingers of my right hand together. A piece of paper with a rationalisation of the recipe appears and floats over to him.
"Here. Share it with your friends."
He takes it with a smile. "Will do. Also, lawyer."
1st May 2013
09:10 GMT -5
"Hey babe." Our guest leers at Johanna. "You seein' anybody?"
Johanna's eyes narrow-. I step in between them, leering back.
"Hey yourself, big boy. I am, but what she doesn't know doesn't hurt her, r-?"
"Lawyer."
1st May 2013
09:12 GMT -5
"Just to be clear, I wouldn't cheat on Jade for information."
"But I suppose that his criminal record wouldn't be a problem." Alan doesn't look impressed. "What was your plan if he was okay with it?"
"I can see people's emotions. It wasn't an issue."
"Paul, sometimes, things happen in prison-."
"Yes. To him. As a result he finds the idea viscerally disgusting. Also, once we're done here I need to see whether or not it's possible to convict his attacker." I sigh. "Probably
won't be, but I want to try."
The door opens again, and the sergeant brings in a member of the roof team-
"Whaw!"
-who smiles broadly when he sees us. No identifying documents on him, and fingerprints and facial recognition scans didn't reveal his identity. We only know that his name is 'Chris' because one of the others calls him that.
"Are you finally going after LexCorp?!"
"Not… Right now, not without evidence of an immediate threat or of significant wrongdoing. Do you have any such evidence?"
"No." He shakes his head as he takes his seat. "They stopped us too quick. But you can get it! The link to their main computer is right there!"
Somehow I don't think convicting this one will be all that difficult.
Alan smiles kindly. "Now why do you think we need to do that, son? What do you think they've been up to?"
I mentally add 'recently'.
"Tons of stuff! The stuff at Cadmus, the alien in South America, and Lex Luthor totally vanished while the Anti-Life was happening!"
"Well… Okay, but none of that's a smoking gun. Plenty of people went into hiding when the Anti-Life was being broadcast."
"But where! Where did he go? And why…"
I tune him out as I try to study his emotional network-. And get rebuffed. Hm. He doesn't act like a hardened operative, and can't be out of his early twenties. Curious. His records-.
Don't… Exist. Even the custody log appears to have suffered an accident. Either someone is actively sabotaging an awful lot of places, or-.
Someone's using John's history erasure ritual. And while we can't track the records, we should be able to track the magic.
08:52 GMT -5
His face hardens, and he leans back a little in his chair, not focusing on us. Considering his options, I imagine.
Alan turns towards me, raising his eyebrows. "Orange Lantern?"
"A group of professional thieves working for someone wouldn't have direct contact. If they'd demonstrated that they were competent and knew how to keep their mouths shut, there would be at least one degree of separation between the person directing them and the team. There can't be direct communication because the big boss needs to be insulated, but there can't be too many gaps because the more people know the higher the chance of miscommunication or leaks. I'd imagine that our friend here has only met the person who gives him orders… Once? Maybe not even that. There's a protocol for communication, but the thing is, any protocol that doesn't involve direct meetings can be learned by a sufficiently clever observer."
He doesn't look worried, but he is making a point of controlling his expressions rather more tightly.
"Let us assume that the lawyer you contacted is… Probably burnable. Just there to handle the initial stuff, while your director tries to decide how much it's worth helping you. Now, if he thinks that you're moonlighting, things are about to get jolly interesting, because once you get released on bail he's going to want a rather sharp talk with you. Now, given the current environment I doubt that whoever it is would have you killed to ensure your silence or anything like that, but they might actually let you go to prison without a fight as a reminder to check who it is that's sending you messages a bit more carefully."
I shrug, smiling.
"I suppose we'll get some inkling based on how quickly the lawyer turns up. How long has it been?"
Johanna shrugs. "Just a few hours, yes? It was a Sunday, and it was unexpected. People are busy. It is not something to worry about. Unt the police must schedule things after completing their forensic examinations or how would they know what to ask you? Hm."
He blinks, slowly. "Are you making an offer, or are you just blowing smoke up my ass?"
"We have no authority to make an offer. Though I.. suppose, that if you had been induced to burgle LexCorp under false pretences, that might work in your favour. If only to reassure your ultimate employer that you were loyal to them. At least to the degree that you don't go spilling your guts when anyone applies any pressure."
"You think talking to you would convince someone that I don't talk."
"I'm not asking you who your regular sponsor is. I'm not much interested in them. I'm interested in someone who might have used you as a distraction by pretending to be them, and if that did happen, then you'd be off the hook with your employer. Plus, since you've asked for a lawyer, nothing you say here is admissible as evidence."
He smiles. "Law-yer."
I shrug. "As you will. I respect your good judgement. But I wonder… If someone did use you as a distraction… How much do they respect you?"
I smile at Alan and Johanna.
"I don't believe our friend is interested in talking to us. Shall we try the others?"
1st May 2013
08:56 GMT -5
"Lawyer."
Alan frowns. "If-."
"Lawyer." The interviewee takes a sip of water from their glass. "Lawyer now?"
1st May 2013
09:03 GMT -5
"…really great cake." I wince. "I just watched the whole thing. Snack and a show. Thought about keeping it but…" He shrugs. "I could not find out how it tasted, could I?"
Johanna is openly staring at me. I ignore her, maintaining my smile and clicking the fingers of my right hand together. A piece of paper with a rationalisation of the recipe appears and floats over to him.
"Here. Share it with your friends."
He takes it with a smile. "Will do. Also, lawyer."
1st May 2013
09:10 GMT -5
"Hey babe." Our guest leers at Johanna. "You seein' anybody?"
Johanna's eyes narrow-. I step in between them, leering back.
"Hey yourself, big boy. I am, but what she doesn't know doesn't hurt her, r-?"
"Lawyer."
1st May 2013
09:12 GMT -5
"Just to be clear, I wouldn't cheat on Jade for information."
"But I suppose that his criminal record wouldn't be a problem." Alan doesn't look impressed. "What was your plan if he was okay with it?"
"I can see people's emotions. It wasn't an issue."
"Paul, sometimes, things happen in prison-."
"Yes. To him. As a result he finds the idea viscerally disgusting. Also, once we're done here I need to see whether or not it's possible to convict his attacker." I sigh. "Probably
won't be, but I want to try."
The door opens again, and the sergeant brings in a member of the roof team-
"Whaw!"
-who smiles broadly when he sees us. No identifying documents on him, and fingerprints and facial recognition scans didn't reveal his identity. We only know that his name is 'Chris' because one of the others calls him that.
"Are you finally going after LexCorp?!"
"Not… Right now, not without evidence of an immediate threat or of significant wrongdoing. Do you have any such evidence?"
"No." He shakes his head as he takes his seat. "They stopped us too quick. But you can get it! The link to their main computer is right there!"
Somehow I don't think convicting this one will be all that difficult.
Alan smiles kindly. "Now why do you think we need to do that, son? What do you think they've been up to?"
I mentally add 'recently'.
"Tons of stuff! The stuff at Cadmus, the alien in South America, and Lex Luthor totally vanished while the Anti-Life was happening!"
"Well… Okay, but none of that's a smoking gun. Plenty of people went into hiding when the Anti-Life was being broadcast."
"But where! Where did he go? And why…"
I tune him out as I try to study his emotional network-. And get rebuffed. Hm. He doesn't act like a hardened operative, and can't be out of his early twenties. Curious. His records-.
Don't… Exist. Even the custody log appears to have suffered an accident. Either someone is actively sabotaging an awful lot of places, or-.
Someone's using John's history erasure ritual. And while we can't track the records, we should be able to track the magic.
Last edited:
Coltsguy
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Now we're getting somewhere! Also:
They'd be getting off the hook.
Chojin Patriarch
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I'd say those options are limited, at best. Face them now, and risk reprisals later. Clam up, and maybe his real boss doesn't have him 'collected'. Let his lawyer do that talking and maybe he gets off... Let's see what he picks.
Ah, the classic issue of covert crimes. Are the orders you're getting really from your boss, or someone very clever?
I think he's already learned that lesson, but prison would make it stick.
That's have to be a very good retainer for super-prompt service.
I think we can skip the nice talk. Not legally admissible and all that.
And while he might not get killed over this, he may well end up wishing he had.
Yes, you say that, OL, but would his boss believe that? The difference is a heck of a lot of pain in his future.
Not much at all, going by Lonnie's demonstrated character...
I suspect this is going to be like a brick wall...
Man of few words...
Of course OL's got a fan.
Yes, Johanna, that actually happened. Also, jerk move, pal.
Quickly, before he gets to find out what his own penis tastes like...
Heh, that was a quick turnaround. Tough luck, horndog.
Empathic vision, Alan. I know you're probably not used to it, but...
Assuming he isn't already out, anyway.
...Well, that isn't suspicious at all, no sir!
Oh, there's definitely a backstory there.
Kid seems eager to go to jail. I bet he'll be crowing about this all the way to the dock.
Yeah, a comprehensive list would take a while.
He's not a tin-hatter, is he? although a lot of this is public information.
Oh, that's significant.
It's not likely to be John himself, though. He should still be recovering, right? Of course, there's plenty of trenchcoat brigade to look up...
Well, then. This guy definitely seems like a good lead. Admittedly, not necessarily to Anarky, but a lead's a lead. If nothing else, he's talkative enough and hopefully dumb enough to spill something useful. Let's hope he says enough to be useful before their lawyer gets here and busts in. Gods bless dumb criminals...
Vaermina
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Or someone has a minor casualty based super power.
Because that seems a lot more likely then someone knowing an extroidinarily specific ritual invented by a single person who isn't known for sharing.
Darko
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"off the hook"
This is the guy you're working with.
Well Paul's have weird attractions.
Mr Zoat
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Thank you, corrected.
SirKaid
Know what you're doing yet?
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Alan, if that mattered he wouldn't be dating Jade. She was a member of the League of Assassins.
Ngamer11
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Found an error in the TOC. This should say 24.
Mr Zoat
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Thank you, corrected.