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

ZzzSlothzzZ · Sep 5, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
But it's probably best to change the topic now before the human talks him into anything

Stupid sexy humans.

Chojin Patriarch · Sep 5, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
25th October 2013
13:43 GMT -7

"So what did you do before the war?"

Knock Out glances down at the human standing near his feet. Ratchet was overseeing the process of pumping energon into the mechanisms around the 'Last Autobot', and there wasn't anything for him to do. Slipstream was back on the surface since bringing a Seeker down these corridors would be ridiculous and Jack was needed to act as a living authentication system.

Not a lot of flying room in the deep tunnels under the planet, no. I see they had no difficulty in finding the place, at least. Not surprising given they basically found a detailed map from Vector Sigma. I would have expected some defences, though...

"Why do you want to know?" He smiles sarcastically. "Planning on adding me to your transformer harem?"

"Harem?"

And I can just hear that proud sneer. If he was a femme, he'd totally be the alpha-bitch of the organisation. Sadly, that was Starscream's job.

"I know you've only got one so far, but I suppose you have to start somewhere. And I am a fine piece of machinery."

"No. You said 'harem'. A transformer would usually say 'team' or 'squad'." Scrap. "Transformers don't have a concept of a harem because-."

Ah, Pull knows Transformers too well to fool, eh? He's got you, Knockout.

"Yeees, we don't reproduce like that. I've been on Earth long enough to learn English. Don't read too much into it."

The human look up at his f-. He's not considering it, is he? Best… Head that off.

I mean, Cybertronians are something of a social species. They tend to go a little batty if they're alone for long periods... And I doubt Slipstream is getting that kind of spark-buzz from humanity.

"I was an engineer. I came to Cyberton from Velocitron with a magna-wrench in my hand and a dream in my brain module. I wanted to make my business the number one place for bodywork and performance-enhancing tune-ups in all of Cybertron." The irritation he used to feel about what actually happened is still there, though the vorns have left it somewhat muted. "What actually happened is that I got stuck in Uraya doing fuel system rebuilds for idiots who didn't watch their fuel additive intake. Between rationing and the start of the uprising there wasn't much demand for anything else."

Ah, I can just imagine his frustration at an endless parade of racing dude-bros with 'Customer States...'-worthy ailments.

"So how did you end up with the Decepticons?"

"They were the best clients. Sure, they weren't interested in speed, but they were more willing to be… Experimental with their upgrades. I started working in the underground gladiator circuits, fell into medicine for the extra energon, and…Joining the Decepticons just felt like a natural move."

Yeah, I can just picture the pit-bosses jonesing for proper medics to patch up their investments.

"No great ideological commitment?"

"Heh, you've come to the wrong 'con if you're looking for that. No, it was always a matter of convenience." He waves his right arm. "And then the War dragged on-"

Let's not forget a certain handsome soldier-bot with a fabulously top-heavy build...

"Yeah."

"-and spare parts became harder to come by, and I got used to cannibalising dead transformers-"

...Well, they don't really need the parts anymore, I suppose? Not that different to organ donation amongst humans.

"Um."

"-for parts. And the fuel efficiency drives! Oh, don't get me started on the fuel efficiency drives. There's more to life than miles-per-gallon!"

Like the quality of your paint-job, and the sheen of your latest waxing?

"So why are you here?"

"Where else would I go? Ratchet's busy running the show, so they need someone who knows his way around a hyperspanner."

Though I bet Ratchet would give it up in a spark-pulse if he could...

"But what's in it for you?"

"Hm, steady supply of energon… Components… Subj-ah, patients... Eventually, they might even get around to restoring some of Cybertron's road networks."

That's probably a few vorns off, though. Surely you can find something else to do for that time?

"Earth has complete road networks. And race tracks. We have energon, and several world governments are gathering and stockpiling it. Earth also has the wrecks of every vehicon who died during your fights with the Autobots-."

"Eeeeeeehhhh. I'll pass. There's only so many times I can stare at a vehicon's internal systems before it all blurs together."

And he's probably seen a few, given how effective the Autobots were.

"Vehicons were a product of rationing, weren't they? Megatron needed warriors in the field and workers in the mines, but he didn't have enough energon to suppose a larger population of regular transformers…"

"That was part of it, certainly. Standard parts allows for standard production, which made it easier to keep them in the field."

No doubt the parts aren't suitable for proper transformers, though? I remember the consternation when Bumblebee lost his Transformation Cog...

"Do you think they'd want to be upgraded?"

"I'm not sure they have wants." But that is an interesting idea, isn't it? Replacing bland and boring components with something with a little character. "Out of… Curiosity, where are those vehicon bodies being kept?"

I mean, they do have some personality quirks. Presumably the oldest vehicons have the most differentiation. The challenge being getting there as a disposable mook.

"If you want test cadavers, I'm sure that we can come to terms. Human governments want transformers willing to explain transformer technology to them."

"Is that what Slipstream's been doing?"

Pfft, as if. Slipstream's not a scientist. She's a soldier.

"No, she doesn't have the knowledge required. We've just been introducing more mundane technology from other worlds. You'd be in demand. You could probably name your price."

And isn't that an interesting proposition. No more road races for him. No, he could own his own racetrack, a proper course designed to test the participants to their limits. But the only other transformer would be Slipstream, and she wouldn't be changing to a ground-based altmode any time soon. Unless he could dig them up from somewhere like Skyquake-. No, that wasn't going to happen.

I'm sure plenty of human racers would pay well for such a challenging track.

"And I was thinking that while the war might be over… What exactly is the draw of Cybertron? Energon? Ratchet will share that design, and that's only an issue in the long term."

"Mining energon isn't easy."

Given the number of times we saw deposits explode, usually as the result of fighting? Yeah.

"It is when you can pay humans to throw manpower at it. Sure, one human is never going to match a vehicon, but hundreds with the right equipment will match the peak output the Decepticons managed." Hm. Could be true. "But what about inviting other transformers?"

"Like who?"

Oh, I'm sure you have a little black book of names somewhere, 'hot rod'.

"Anyone who doesn't want to live on Cybertron. Team Prime are going to be putting this place back together for a very long time. Sure, I can see some transformers being interested in that, but Decepticons… Well, most Decepticons are used to living violent lives, and we've got Unicron's internal systems to pacify. If it's company you want then I doubt you'll have trouble finding takers."

"What's in it for you?"

Gee, plentiful energon, locals happy to see you and the promise of a good scrap now and again? How could any bot resist?

"I get to have a medic around in case something happens to Slipstream. Don't worry: your sculpted aft is entirely safe from my clutches."

Hm… Worth thinking about. Definitely worth thinking about. But it's probably best to change the topic now before the human talks him into anything.

Something he's very good at, you'll notice.

"What exactly got the Autobots so excited about this..? 'Last Autobot'?"

"The Last Autobot was created as a failsafe in case transformers were ever near extinction and Unicron woke up with no one left to fight him. Among other things, he is supposed to have the ability to raise transformers from the dead."

...Yeah, that'll get Knockout's attention.

Knock Out frowns. "How?"

"I don't understand the mechanism. Supposedly, he raises his hands, wrecks self-repair and their spark reinstalls itself. He needs massive amounts of energon, but that's not really a problem any more."

Assuming Synthetic is as effective as the real thing in that particular use.

Knock Out watches as Bulkhead hauls away one empty tanker and replace it with a full one. The human is correct. Actually, that might mean that refuelling Metroplex might be possible one they build a big enough production facility. He wasn't exactly fast, but working on a titan, that would be interesting.

Wait.

And yes, that would take a lot of Energon. Metroplex is no small bot.

"And he can resurrect anyone?"

"Any transformer. Actually, he might be able to resurrect any Primus-derived species, Vector Sigma wasn't clear."

Which covers quite a few species seen in various continuities...

"And there aren't any..? Oh I don't know, restrictions..?"

"He pre-dates the War, so he's not going to care whether or not they were a Decepticon. The only.. issue would be if they were contaminated with dark energon. Because the whole-"

Ah... Yeah, bad news for you, then, unless you pray really hard at him?

No.

"-point is to fight-."

That episode... was not fun for anyone involved in the story, really.

"I-." Knock Out takes a half-step away from the human, uncertain of the stability of his own legs. "I need a moment."

"Knock Out? Are-?"

And with this, you really start to feel for the bot, no matter how much you might dislike him...

Horror and disgust war for dominance in his spark. He barely hears the humans.

"Not now. Just-. Not now."

Bot's got some spark-searching to do, I think.

Man, I can just hear Knockout's voice in his lines. A pity he gets such a punch in the fuel-tank. Then again, he might get lucky, and earn himself a miracle... We can but hope so, anyway. At least this sub-plot is coming to a head, and soon, the hand of the Creator will be up and about. The worry is whether he'll approve of the current state of things or not.

Darko · Sep 5, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
And I can just hear that proud sneer. If he was a femme, he'd totally be the alpha-bitch of the organisation. Sadly, that was Starscream's job.

Ha!

Though Knock Out comes at a close second an d has the benefit of being likeable.

Khornelius · Sep 5, 2022

BR549 said:
...it was then discovered that the mixture of Dark Energon and Synthetic Energon resulted in a zombie apocalypse, with Cylas as Paitent Zero...

Honestly I always likened them to Vampires more than Zombies. Though I guess we could go down the middle and call them Jiangshi.

Old Knife · Sep 5, 2022

.. Some thing personal has happened. The demands are going to come fast and hard.

NightmareWarden · Sep 5, 2022

I wonder what synthetic energon and dark energon would feel like to an organic like Paul who is interfacing with the unfortunate transformer. A bad shroom trip? Crack? Synthetic weed (shudders)?

w34v3r · Sep 5, 2022

Chemical burns I imagine.

Lord Ernest · Sep 5, 2022

Probably something like a quick trip to late stage crack addiction, I imagine.

jasonh23761 · Sep 5, 2022

I do so enjoy rediscovering the comedy of the Transformers wiki every few weeks or so. It amuses me how the editors are fully aware they're getting far too into the weeds into a franchise designed to sell toys and have thus decided to just own it.

Having said that I don't mean to cast aspersions at Transformers as a whole.

Katillno · Sep 5, 2022

I wonder if there still is a chance for breakdown to be revived after all it was his body not his spark that was contaminated

Duke Long · Sep 5, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"If I lift this sheet of, are my balls still gonna be there?

'off'
Also, missing the closing speech marks.

Mr Zoat said:
Well, the only person I know of whose spoken to him recently is Sandman

'who's'

Mr Zoat said:
"-to get that to happen. That sort of things looks very self-serving, for obviously reasons."

'obvious'

I'm making my way through the backlog after not reading for a month. I thought it was pretty interesting that Paul was fine with absorbing order magic into his soul, and the anti-supervillain law that Renegade got made was neat. Nice to see Sephtian again, too.

Mr Zoat · Sep 5, 2022

Duke Long said:
'off'
Also, missing the closing speech marks.
'who's'
'obvious'

Thank you, corrected.

I'm making my way through the backlog after not reading for a month. I thought it was pretty interesting that Paul was fine with absorbing order magic into his soul, and the anti-supervillain law that Renegade got made was neat. Nice to see Sephtian again, too.

Technically, the Bill that passed changed some procedures. It isn't a law in the sense that it contains anything a person can be prosecuted for.

Duke Long · Sep 5, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Technically, the Bill that passed changed some procedures. It isn't a law in the sense that it contains anything a person can be prosecuted for.

Ah, sorry. I don't really know much of anything about legal terminology.

BrotherofaStudio · Sep 5, 2022

Gotta say I'm impressed that The Last Autobot is being included, I hope that Optimus will be among those resurrected but that probably is the whole point. Knock Out has a lot to think about, starting a new life on Earth but also realizing that he made it impossible for Breakdown to be brought back is a very hard pill to swallow.

SotF · Sep 5, 2022

Khornelius said:
Honestly I always likened them to Vampires more than Zombies. Though I guess we could go down the middle and call them Jiangshi.

Yeah, the zombie apocalypse was earlier in the series, with a couple times...

Dreadwing could also be restored...potentially Skyquake as well, though the Dark Energon contamination there might be an issue due to Starscream being an idiot

Coda · Sep 5, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Cyberton

Is this correct or is it supposed to be "Cybertron"?

The Froggy Ninja · Sep 5, 2022

BR549 said:
So Knock Out just realised that no, there is no hope for resurrecting Breakdown - and it's his own personal fault.

Well, we know it's an issue but it might not be a total deal breaker, especially since the body was infected well after the Spark vacated it.

Mr Zoat · Sep 5, 2022

Coda said:
Is this correct or is it supposed to be "Cybertron"?

Thank you, corrected.

Stsword · Sep 5, 2022

NightmareWarden said:
I wonder what synthetic energon and dark energon would feel like to an organic like Paul who is interfacing with the unfortunate transformer. A bad shroom trip? Crack? Synthetic weed (shudders)?

I suspect it might be worse than that in this story.

Zoat seemingly made his cosmology so that people have potential soul structures that will be filled when exposed to appropriate energies, the background magic in setting with background magic, but empty in settings without until exposed to appropriate energy.

While there are Transformers universes that explicitly have magic, Prime isn't really one of them, although Zoat could have certainly canon wielded it in.

But as I've commented before, Energon is basically supernatural energy in several continuities.

So in this story a human exposed to energon, synthetic energon, or dark energon might grow a soul out of those energies.

Which I think would have interesting theological implications to the the Transformers- Is a human soul made out of energon a spark?

So Transformer Paul might have a soul made out of energon already, or be on his way anyway, which might aid him if he ever decides to go full transformer like the Gorlamites from IDW.

BR549 · Sep 6, 2022

It may or may not be similar due to the fact T-Paul is from another universe and didn't, as the 'native' humans did, grow up on the dormant Unicron.

But we saw what happens when a human* is exposed to Dark Energon, and it was basically terminal poisoning.

* Assuming, of course, that Raf is actually human. There are a lot of fan theories that the show almost went out of its way not to confirm or deny - and in fact once had Miko in universe speculating - that the's some sort of Pretender or other "organic Cybertronian". Given his reaction to Dark Energon and, more specifically, the fact that ordinary Energon reversed the effects...

SotF · Sep 6, 2022

BR549 said:
It may or may not be similar due to the fact T-Paul is from another universe and didn't, as the 'native' humans did, grow up on the dormant Unicron.

But we saw what happens when a human* is exposed to Dark Energon, and it was basically terminal poisoning.

* Assuming, of course, that Raf is actually human. There are a lot of fan theories that the show almost went out of its way not to confirm or deny - and in fact once had Miko in universe speculating - that the's some sort of Pretender or other "organic Cybertronian". Given his reaction to Dark Energon and, more specifically, the fact that ordinary Energon reversed the effects...

Dark Energon has differing effects on Cybertronians as well, from poisoning to whatever the hell happened with Megatron...

Then you have Cylas and that entire thing of fuckery.

Remember that Prime is Aligned Continuity which includes the Cybertron Games

Mr Zoat · Sep 6, 2022

Uncomplicated Good Works

25th November 2012
15:01 GMT -8

Interceptor -Linda Anderson, apparently- sighs heavily as she floats away from the latest shipping crate of basic supplies that she's dropped off. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that the JSI were happy to be relatively open-handed where civilian relief is concerned. Or perhaps it's just their way of keeping the clearly-wavering Interceptor on-side.

We haven't been able to put Earth 666 back together. That's probably impossible. But we've just about finished injecting Polyfilla into the largest cracks so water can't get-.

The local Supergirl speeds past with another shipping container, drops it off and speeds off again immediately.

Interceptor frowns. "She should slow down. She's been working non-stop since she got back. People can't work at full intensity without a break."

Ring?

"She heard you, slowed down for about half a second and then sped up again. I don't think she's going to be listening to reason on the subject."

"I can understand being dedicated, but-."

I generate a sound baffle around us.

"When he was possessed, the local Superman spread-. The demon possessing him, I should say, used him to spread its magic to everyone close to him. Supergirl ended up torturing people to death for his amusement. She remembers everything she did under the influence with perfect clarity. We offered to remove or suppress the memories but she refused."

"Damn. And she's me?"

"No, you're you. She's a little like you, accounting for growing up in a different situation. Genetically, she's pretty much identical, if that's what you mean."

Interceptor seems to find the idea a little off-putting.

"Not met parallel versions of yourself before?"

"No. I wasn't even sure I was an alien."

I raise my left eyebrow. "Really?"

"Metahumans can have very different physiology to normal humans. It wasn't that much of a stretch."

"Alright."

I take a moment to open my awareness of the desires of the survivors below. Like the survivors of other disasters I've worked on they're mostly simple and short term, but I… I make an effort not to think of them like the Ophidian does, but as a human who could have similar experiences would.

"I wouldn't be astonished if the JSI had information on the subject that they were sitting on, though I suppose that if you take the promotion, you'll have full access."

"It doesn't matter. I don't remember anything about it, and America is my home."

"Well, fine, but having seen the way America celebrates Saint Patrick's Day, you won't exactly be an outlier if you acknowledge the traditions of two cultures."

"Why did they send me away?"

"I'm not completely sure, but if your Krypton is like most other Kryptons I've encountered, it exploded. The people didn't get enough notice to carry out an evacuation, so the only survivors were the children of a doomsday prepper and his brother; your uncle and father respectively. Except in.. your parallel, your cousin appears to have not arrived on Earth."

"So he could be somewhere else."

"Or he might never have been born. Our Kara Zor-El was a teenager when she got into her pod, but from what you've said, it sounds like you were younger."

She nods. "I've been on Earth since I was a baby."

"I can give you a cultural and historical database if you want. No trouble."

"I guess it's worth having in case someone else turns up."

I nod, fabricating an ultra-density data stick and floating it over to her. She takes it with a nod of gratitude.

"So where's your alter ego?"

"I don't know. No one's mentioned him. There might not be one, he might have died during…" I look around at the wrecked city below us. "This, or he might have taken one look at the place and legged it. Which is a pretty rational thing to do."

"You said you fixed it. Why couldn't he?"

"Without wanting to get too much into emotional spectrum theory, I'm a lot more powerful than a standard Lantern. And I had external help."

"People from the… What did you call them, Justice League?"

"Ah… My Superman, yes. The rest were from Earth Ten, because demon cultists from here had opened portals to there and were making attacks."

"Earth Ten?"

"Nazi Earth." She stares. "I know, they're a… Fixer upper. We're working on it."

"You're fixing Nazis?"

I generate another data stick and float it over to her. "A full analysis of their history, culture and my efforts to aid Overman and Overgirl as they try to reform them."

"I got disturbed by Commander Scott making a deal with the dominators because the JSI has been on a hate campaign against them for as long as I can remember. The idea that he talked to them, handed people over, goes against everything the JSI has been saying. I saw you react when he admitted it… But you're fine with actual Nazis?"

"My Alan Scott is a good friend of mine. Hearing something I don't think he'd ever say said so casually shocked me. And it… Made me re-examine my own thinking, because… I've done a lot worse than Commander Scott and I've been about as bothered by it as he is. But Nazis are just Nazis, you know? Probably the worst idea to ever come out of Europe. And when the few I actually like are the ones who realise that their society is messed up but don't know how to fix it… I'm not a Nazi. I've never been tempted by the idea. There's no personal connection there. It's not that I think Commander Scott is morally worse or anything."

She appears somewhat mollified.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'll think a little better about my colleagues who are less ruthless than me. Probably make a bit more effort to hold back in fights. No more 'I don't see any point in keeping you alive'. You?"

"If I'm being promoted off the front lines, I'm not going to have the opportunities to change how I fight. I could try being less ruthless, but that's going to create a lot more problems if I try making it policy."

"I don't know what to suggest. Try talking to Lantern Jordan, see if there's any species in the region you could ally with. I've started a program to provide funding to extreme scientists in order to encourage them to stay on the straight and narrow."

She nods. "We've got an internal program, but I could expand it."

"Beyond that… If I knew the answers, I'd have solved the problem."

My ring shimmers as Lantern Holt transmits a new request.

"Back to work, then."

Idkusername · Sep 6, 2022

"I am the heart of my snake.
Orange is my blood and metaphysical is my soul.
I have crated over a thousand Lanterns,
Aware of every gain and loss.
Have withstood pain to gain enlightenment ,
Yet these rings will never stop yearning.
So, as I pray-!"

Darko · Sep 6, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
The local Supergirl speeds past with another shipping container, drops it off and speeds off again immediately.

Interceptor frowns. "She should slow down. She's been working non-stop since she got back. People can't work at full intensity without a break

She really wants to make-up for what she did.

Mr Zoat said:
but as a human who could have similar experienced would.

"experiences"

Mr Zoat said:
"I wouldn't be astonished if the JSI had information on the subject that they were sitting on, though I suppose that if you take the promotion, you'll have full access

Yeah, they're xenophobic, so they may have thought that she'd have conflicting loyalties if she found out.

Maybe we'll see the spell be broken in this episode.

Katillno · Sep 6, 2022

Huh could be a fun swap if her Kal-El arrives to earth a teenager

Impatient_Quill · Sep 6, 2022

Idkusername said:
"I am the heart of my snake.
Orange is my blood and metaphysical is my soul.
I have crated over a thousand Lanterns,
Aware of every gain and loss.
Have withstood pain to gain enlightenment ,
Yet these rings will never stop yearning.
So, as I pray-!"

Sorry, but is there a Grail War Paul wouldn't just rofflestomp at this point?

Chojin Patriarch · Sep 6, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Uncomplicated Good Works

25th November 2012
15:01 GMT -8

Interceptor -Linda Anderson, apparently- sighs heavily as she floats away from the latest shipping crate of basic supplies that she's dropped off. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that the JSI were happy to be relatively open-handed where civilian relief is concerned. Or perhaps it's just their way of keeping the clearly-wavering Interceptor on-side.

Well, given she may well be one of the most physically powerful beings on their Earth, I can see why. Although just lugging crates of supplies around might simply be boring her...

We haven't been able to put Earth 666 back together. That's probably impossible. But we've just about finished injecting Polyfilla into the largest cracks so water can't get-.

The local Supergirl speeds past with another shipping container, drops it off and speeds off again immediately.

It might be years before it's functioning anywhere near modern levels of society again. On the upside, they aren't going to be having too much trouble with overpopulation for a while?

Interceptor frowns. "She should slow down. She's been working non-stop since she got back. People can't work at full intensity without a break."

Ring?

I mean, she's got a lot of pain to work out. Maybe she feel if she works herself to exhaustion, then maybe she'll feel a little better about what 'she' did.

"She heard you, slowed down for about half a second and then sped up again. I don't think she's going to be listening to reason on the subject."

"I can understand being dedicated, but-."

There are limits, yes. Even for kryptonians.

I generate a sound baffle around us.

"When he was possessed, the local Superman spread-. The demon possessing him, I should say, used him to spread its magic to everyone close to him. Supergirl ended up torturing people to death for his amusement. She remembers everything she did under the influence with perfect clarity. We offered to remove or suppress the memories but she refused."

...Yeah, not a fun time for anyone. No wonder she's driven, with all those ghosts on her mind.

"Damn. And she's me?"

"No, you're you. She's a little like you, accounting for growing up in a different situation. Genetically, she's pretty much identical, if that's what you mean."

So, Linda here is their Kara Zor-El. I mean, folks have been saying as much, but I wanted to wait until it was confirmed in-story... Still, one more for the Bingo card.

Interceptor seems to find the idea a little off-putting.

"Not met parallel versions of yourself before?"

Given how they reacted to your arrival in their world... I wonder how many dimensional travellers are stuck in their super-jails?

"No. I wasn't even sure I was an alien."

I raise my left eyebrow. "Really?"

...I man, it'd be pretty obvious, what with the super-human physique. Especially if her Krypton was more of a genetic engineering paradise of super-beings than most.

"Metahumans can have very different physiology to normal humans. It wasn't that much of a stretch."

"Alright."

Heck, consider their Power Girl, the Ancient Atlantean powerhouse (Barring a round of Infinite Crisis...)

I take a moment to open my awareness of the desires of the survivors below. Like the survivors of other disasters I've worked on they're mostly simple and short term, but I… I make an effort not to like of them like the Ophidian does, but as a human who could have similar experienced would.

"I wouldn't be astonished if the JSI had information on the subject that they were sitting on, though I suppose that if you take the promotion, you'll have full access."

I mean, they probably have the pod she arrived on Earth in. That's got to be somewhere in their labs or vaults...

"It doesn't matter. I don't remember anything about it, and America is my home."

"Well, fine, but having seen the way America celebrates Saint Patrick's Day, you won't exactly be an outlier if you acknowledge the traditions of two cultures."

Then again, it depends on what Krypton she's from... The Silver Age Sci-Fi paradise? The Post-Crisis Cold and Clinical Scientific Society? Or something way more out there...

"Why did they send me away?"

"I'm not completely sure, but if your Krypton is like most other Kryptons I've encountered, it exploded. The people didn't get enough notice to carry out an evacuation, so the only survivors were the children of a doomsday prepper and his brother; your uncle and father respectively. Except in.. your parallel, your cousin appears to have not arrived on Earth."

...Yet. Wonder what his JSI Codename would end up being? Kid Interceptor?

"So he could be somewhere else."

"Or he might never have been born. Our Kara Zor-El was a teenager when she got into her pod, but from what you've said, it sounds like you were younger."

If their world IS under the same spell as Trinity's was, and isn't just 'this alternate Earth is real somewhere' in action, then that's entirely possible. Elseworlds and altered realities can get weird that way.

She nods. "I've been on Earth since I was a baby."

"I can give you a cultural and historical database if you want. No trouble."

It might not be accurate to your own Krypton, but it could be a start. And if hers is one of the shitty ones, Earth 16's could be better.

"I guess it's worth having in case someone else turns up."

I nod, fabricating an ultra-density data stick and floating it over to her. She takes it with a nod of gratitude.

Just some light reading, especially for a Kryptonian's speed.

"So where's your alter ego?"

"I don't know. No one's mentioned him. There might not be one, he might have died during…" I look around at the wrecked city below us. "This, or he might have taken one look at the place and legged it. Which is a pretty rational thing to do."

I'd lean towards 'no local counterpart'. Otherwise they might have recognised you, since a Paul with a Power Ring would have found something to make do.

"You said you fixed it. Why couldn't he?"

"Without wanting to get too much into emotional spectrum theory, I'm a lot more powerful than a standard Lantern. And I had external help."

In other words, he invested more character points into 'Orange Light Shaman' instead of other classes, for those juicy end-of-tree buffs...

"People from the… What did you call them, Justice League?"

"Ah… My Superman, yes. The rest were from Earth Ten, because demon cultists from here had opened portals to there and making attacks."

Ah, this might get awkward.

"Earth Ten?"

"Nazi Earth." She stares. "I know, they're a… Fixer upper. We're working on it."

It still sounds bad when you just say 'Nazi Earth', OL.

"You're fixing Nazis?"

I generate another data stick and float it over to her. "A full analysis of their history, culture and my efforts to aid Overman and Overgirl as they try to reform them."

I mean, with levers like those, anyone could move the world...

"I got disturbed by Commander Scott making a deal with the dominators because the JSI has been on a hate campaign against them for as long as I can remember. The idea that he talked to them, handed people over, goes against everything the JSI has been saying. I saw you react when he admitted it… But you're fine with actual Nazis?"

Did he say he was 'fine'? Besides, most of the atrocities are done and gone, and those who committed them old or dead...

"My Alan Scott is a good friend of mine. Hearing something I don't think he'd ever say said so casually shocked me. And it… Made me re-examine my own thinking, because… I've done a lot worse than Commander Scott and I've been about as bothered by it as he is. But Nazis are just Nazis, you know? Probably the worst idea to ever come out of Europe. And when the few I actually like are the ones who realise that their society is messed up but don't know how to fix it… I'm not a Nazi. I've never been tempted by the idea. There's no personal connection there. It's not that I think Commander Scott is morally worse or anything."

Because even 'want the ends, want the means' has limits.

She appears somewhat mollified.

"So what are you going to do?"

Besides helping fix this mess for a while? After all, he and his friends do have to get back to Earth 16.

"I'll think a little better about my colleagues who are less ruthless than me. Probably make a bit more effort to hold back in fights. No more 'I don't see any point in keeping you alive'. You?"

"If I'm being promoted off the front lines, I'm not going to have the opportunities to change how I fight. I could try being less ruthless, but that's going to create a lot more problems if I try making it policy."

Yeah, some bright spark would get the idea to take advantage of your' gentler and softer' practices and do something foolish.

"I don't know what to suggest. Try talking to Lantern Jordan, see if there's any species in the region you could ally with. I've started a program to provide funding to extreme scientists in order to encourage them to stay on the straight and narrow."

She nods. "We've got an internal program, but I could expand it."

I can't imagine it's easy keeping Malign Hypercognitives on task.

"Beyond that… If I knew the answers, I'd have solved the problem."

My ring shimmers as Lantern Holt transmits a new request.

"Back to work, then."

A hero's work is never done...

So, a new episode begins. Where will this go? Who knows, since Bond Cold Openings are a thing. But I expect we'll be back on Earth 16 for the meat of the plot. Can't spend all their time universe-hopping. Perhaps we'll get to see some of the results of all OL's good work over the past couple of in-universe years...

Cuchulin · Sep 6, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
It still sounds bad when you just say 'Nazi Earth', OL.

Agreed, might be better to say post-Nazi Earth or Axis Earth since most people (even most Germans) are exactly Nazi's anymore and they are slowly growing out of it with help from Overman as well as a few others.

Stsword · Sep 6, 2022

I wonder who Paul would include in a list of "probably friendly aliens in this universe."

Tamaraneans generally aren't in a position to help anyone.

Thanagarians are sometimes cool, and sometimes "Hey let's pull a Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy and blow up the Earth for a space highway."

A good chance that Mars is a dead planet, it often is in DC.

New Genesis maybe?

Doccer · Sep 6, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
You said you fixed it. Why couldn't he?"

*Snort* what you think he knew how to weild PCP right at the first second? Takes time to become that powerful.

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

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