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

[Mr Zoat]

18th July 2013
14:05 GMT -5

I grunt in disappointment as I jink aside, tossing the car and generating a vertigo inducer construct. Feels like a while since I've used one of those. Neither of the Operatives react to it, one-. He's using a plasma aura around his body to change direction in mid-air to clumsily fly after me, and the other-

Blam!

-just blasted himself away because they're doing a sacrificial play.

Whoever programmed their brains did good work, but the fact is that it's just not adequate to the situation.

I ignore the one running, create an ion cannon and fire at the decoy. His plasma field fails immediately, dropping him to the ground. He lands well, rolls and comes up to a crouch but my claw construct is already there and tearing his New God belt off his waist.

"No!"

Interesting that doing that didn't make him feel fear, but after a brief delay his body begins shrivelling up in the same way that Mr. Blank's did. Not quite as far, because this is someone who took a bit more exercise-.

"Stanley Adams."

"Whu-?"

"Your name, sir. Stanley Ad-."

"I don't.. use…"

"I know, and I will ensure-" I send the belt into subspace and land, depositing him on the tarmac. If nothing else I can get Canis to look at the bloody thing. "-that you get actual therapy, instead of a mind wipe. But-."

Kara appears in front of me, the other Operative hanging from her right hand, stripped of his belt. "I got him!"

"Good work. Um. Where's his belt?"

She smiles broadly. "I tossed it!"

"You tossed-? Kara, do you remember our 'what goes up must come down' talk?"

"Oh, I aimed!" She nods emphatically. "I guarantee that it won't hit anything that anyone worth caring about cares about."

18th July 2013
14:07 EST

I don't move, but I can't prevent myself from breathing in a little sharply as some.. sort of large projectile punches a hole in my office window and embeds itself in the wall behind my desk. Mercy lunges towards me with her force field activating as I try to analyse-.

Is that a cummerbund?

18th July 2013
14:07 GMT -5

"Anyone at all!"

"Okay." I'll find out where it went later. "Can you put that guy down-. Put on the ground, not drop."

She doesn't look even slightly guilty as she descends to ground level and releases her hold. I attach ultra-strength chains to both of them, which is probably excessive without their belts but I'd rather not take the risk.

"Okay, Stanley-."

"Why are you restraining me? I was doing useful work!"

"Yes, you were doing useful work, then you decided to abandon your worksite and drive across the country. I'm trying to find out why."

"Huh?" He blinks, his mouth hanging open for a moment. Then he looks around. "Where-? I wasn't… Here…"

"Stanley, a few of your friends have been worried about you. Do you remember why you agreed to become a Peace Operative?"

"I…"

He looks up at me, but he's not struggling against his bonds anymore and looks more confused than angry.

"The video…"

"Yes, I understand that it's standard practise for Peace Operatives to create a video before the mind wipe happens. What did yours say?"

"It-. Ah, that I.. tried to go back to my old life, but couldn't handle it without that-. The sense of purpose I got from being a Justifier. I don't remember it now, but I think that makes sense. I know I haven't had a problem since I got this done."

"What's the most recent thing you remember?"

"Tossing cars in a portal?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"I-. I'm not-." He blinks heavily, shaking his head. "That's the last thing I remember clearly…"

"But?"

"Ah… The Peace Agents are always completely clear about what we're doing and why. And I don't remember being told… But it was like I got an order without getting an order?"

"Did Mannheim ever give you orders personally?"

"I-" He shakes his head. "Wouldn't remember either way. Do you.. think he did it? Is he even still alive?"

Check location…

"He's alive because he got affected by something even stronger than what the Justifiers got, but I don't see how he could have done anything to you as he is now. You don't feel that compulsion now?"

"No, I just… Feel confused. My partner might be able to tell you more." I look at the other Operative, who appears to be a little woozy from Kara's treatment. "No, no, the A.I. they pair us with. It should have been monitoring me-. Or it might have been affected too." He suddenly looks a lot more concerned. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Alright. Robin, you get all that?"

"I can't believe someone infiltrated their command and control system already. I'll call the G.P.A."

"Good. Supergirl, please gently take these gentlemen to Robin. Can you do that?"

"Sure thing!"

"Thank you. Canis?"

"He is.. gone."

"Gone?"

"It is as if he used a boom tube without leaving any residue."

"A hush tube?"

"I know of no such device."

"They exist, and they're quieter. I just-."

My armour flashes up an alert as the cars carrying the other five Operatives vanish.

"They've got the others. We need to know where they are-."

Emergency alert from: Ted Kord.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Late Winter, IC 690

Diabo stands facing my shrine, staring at the place where my ring had rested for years and frantically trying to take his mind off his forthcoming Triumph.

"If the other gods hate you, why do they permit you this?"

"A modest temple in an out-of-the-way location? What do you think that they should have done?"

"If… You are bound to that ring… Why not destroy it?"

"Because then I would appear in the realm of the gods, with access to my full power. I would kill or bind the gods I disapproved of and crown myself king of the others. Then my new pantheon would work to set this world to rights."

He stares down at me.

"What?"

"You have that power?"

"Not like this, no."

"But… You could slay Hardy?"

"The gods of this world are powerful and wilful, I grant them that much. They are also ignorant and lazy, self-indulgently playing with mortals for entertainment and self-glorification. I am not ignorant and I am not lazy and their weaknesses are vulnerabilities I can ruthlessly exploit."

"Is..? That why Giselle backs down whenever you..?"

"Partially. It's more because she shares their vices. How often do you think she encounters something that can actually hurt her?"

"Few things can harm an Apostle."

"Fighting things that cannot hurt you does not demonstrate courage. Four hundred years of life and the most she can say about her life is that she woke a dragon up one time. I had worn a ring much like this one for a year and a day before I slew two Apostle-equivalents. And honestly? If it wasn't for the social significance of the event I doubt that it would stand out in my memory. Someone who takes power should do so with a purpose, not because 'why not?'."

"Uh…" He contemplates the physical structure of my ring for a moment. "Is that something that you want me to do?"

"No. I find brute force solutions inelegant, and slaying or binding gods would probably cause all sorts of unpleasant knock-on effects across the physical world. It's better to work at it gradually." Hm. "Up to a point. If we reach the stage where your magicians can create a type of device called a Branch of Yggdrasil then we can consider taking a more aggressive approach."

"I'm sure that will take a very long time, whatever it is."

"Yes, I believe that you're right."

"What does it..? Do?"

"It would connect the magic systems of this world to the magic systems of my world of origin. In practical terms, I could regain a physical body and act independently, as well as gaining the ability to call upon my allies to assist me."

"I.. see."

"Oh, don't worry. I'd get you a new ring. It would have all the same powers, it just wouldn't be my vessel."

"Ah. T-thank you for your consideration."

"I seldom abandon projects when they're half-complete."

"What..? What exactly happens if the other gods try and..? Stop you?"

"That depends on what they do exactly. If they try and involve themselves in the affairs of the world in a constructive way then they're doing what I'd want them to do anyway. If they try escalating against my operations directly then I'll remind them why they did this to me in the first place."

"Why..? Did they do this to you in the first place?"

"You'd have to ask them. I suspect that it was a combination of wanting to deny me the ability to change things as I wanted and amusement at punishing my 'hubris'. And… Perhaps a belief that if I existed as they do I would inevitably come to share their perspective."

"What..? What exactly would happen to the Saderan Empire if you were..? Freed?"

"You would be my primary agent, so I imagine whatever you wanted. Alternately, if you preferred doing something else with your life, I could handle it myself. But as I said, that is at best a very long way off."

"And none of your allies-?"

"…out of my way!"

Diabo turns around as someone-. Eithne, bellows something from the antechamber. She had best not be taking her disgruntlement out on my priests. I've got a few new ones these days and I haven't learned all of their names yet.

"The Prince-."

"I'll find him myself!"

Diabo looks around, but this isn't a big temple and there aren't any other exits. "Can you close the door?"

"Yes, but it's not that thick. I really think it would be best just to see what's bothering her so much." He doesn't move, and-. Are the walls shaking? Gosh, she must be in a bit of a mood. "Look, she did a good and faithful job during the campaign, and that means that you're obliged to answer her concerns."

"What? I'll uphold our deal, that doesn't mean-."

"She has to continue to believe that you will uphold the deal. And that requires you to perform a degree of personnel management."

He nods hesitantly, and walks towards-.

Chief Eithne stomps into my inner sanctum, gourd of… Rotgut clasped in her right hand. She waves it at Diabo. Ah, no, she's the one waving. "Hey! You!"

"Yes?"

"Your brother! Queen Tyuule!"

"Yes..? He took her as a sex slave after winning his war against your people. I've tried-."

"A slave! HAH!"

She doesn't sound happy-.

She throws the gourd at the floor, shattering it and spilling what's left of her liquor across the flagstones.

"We all THOUGHT she sold us out so that SHE'D be safe! We all thought it was HER fault!"

I feel the emotion drain from Diabo. "Only someone who doesn't know Zorzal would surrender to him. Even I'd consider hemlock preferable. I suppose it's her fault for not knowing that, but that's about it." Diabo sniffs. "He boasted about it, once. He said that he'd still have won, but that the queen convinced herself that if he got her that he'd be merciful to the rest. I didn't realise that you didn't kn-."

"WHY!? WHY?!"

"He has no morals or compassion, but he also has no fear." He walks slowly towards her. "If you told him that his cruelty might cause a slave to stab him tomorrow he'd probably say 'but that's tomorrow' or 'that's why I wear armour' or 'not if I stab them first'. And then he'd stab them to put fear into the rest. And that's why I need to become Emperor. Because if he does that as a prince, he'll do worse once our father dies."

Diabo bows his head.

"I'm getting a Triumph tomorrow. I made a pact with our father that if I mastered black powder weapons for Sadera then I'd be made Crown Prince. Zorzal might have conquered your people but he spent Saderan blood like chipped copper pieces to do it. My victory was far more clean, and we gained a tributary and full coffers from it rather than a lot of wasteland we can't protect and don't have the people to settle. Soon, Zorzal will start trying to kill me, and I'll have to kill him."

"He's scum! He's an oath-breaker!"

"He's my brother. And plenty amongst both of our peoples have done worse. Don't get histrionic just because you were on the receiving end this time. And sober up." She gasps as the effects of the alcohol are expunged from her body. "You need to make a good showing to convince the senate to put our pact into practice, and you won't do that if you're drunk."

She takes a moment to process what she's been told.

"You need your brother dead?"

Diabo walks past her towards the exit.

"Not yet."

She falls in behind him. "I want to be the one who kills him."

"I'll see what I can do."