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

rkyeun · Jun 19, 2023

Delicious delicious quantaloos.

Prince Charon · Jun 19, 2023

Duke Long said:
I wonder if he'll install a little more functionality in his light armour after this. It seems like it doesn't really do anything except functioning as, well, light armour.

Yeah. It isn't even providing any light!

(Not that it could here, but it seemed like someone would make that joke at some point.)

dw7thdoctor · Jun 19, 2023

With how Paul's soul is going to end up It making think he's going to parent Jade and todd in this universe. an orange Jade I'll give, but now there is a reason why and child he had will be connected to the show lands.

Mr Zoat · Jun 19, 2023

dw7thdoctor said:
With how Paul's soul is going to end up It making think he's going to parent Jade and todd in this universe. an orange Jade I'll give, but now there is a reason why and child he had will be connected to the show lands.

I think Titian is a nice name for a girl.

Bud-E · Jun 19, 2023

Can Paul actively control his fertility? I know he's not exactly human anymore and we've seen him effortlessly alter his biology before.

Ardy · Jun 19, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
I think Titian is a nice name for a girl.

with a name like that they better have superpowers if they want to get through middle school

Mr Zoat · Jun 19, 2023

Bud-E said:
Can Paul actively control his fertility? I know he's not exactly human anymore and we've seen him effortlessly alter his biology before.

He can control pretty much any part of his body. He could fill his testicles with milkshake if he really wanted to.

PDV · Jun 19, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"No. I am not. I have once again led my team-. Led my friends into a place of utter desolation."

"That's your job. Half your job. Heroes go into places like this and fix them. So so far, you're doing fine."

"What is the other half?"

"Leading them out again"

An adventurer is just a professional lost person. They keep getting stuck in places no one wants to be, and then are professionally good at levaing.

RoninSword · Jun 19, 2023

Doesn't Paul end up slowly losing whatever extra magic his tattoos pickup? It's why he say, doesn't have energy from when he was in Desire's domain left over. It basically bled off.

Stsword · Jun 19, 2023

RoninSword said:
Doesn't Paul end up slowly losing whatever extra magic his tattoos pickup? It's why he say, doesn't have energy from when he was in Desire's domain left over. It basically bled off.

Considering Alan started transforming into a will elemental from so much green light soaking into his soul I suspect there is a point of no return, but before that, yeah, whatever effects of his tattoos soaking in a particular form of energy seems to be temporary.

Coda · Jun 20, 2023

Ardy said:
with a name like that they better have superpowers if they want to get through middle school

I mean, there's always the Most Common Super Power...

Mr Zoat said:
"I will be interested to see if that remains true."
Then… It's not as if light has been added so much as the darkness… Retreats slightly, rolling back like an ooze, and revealing… A sort of… Washed out… Desaturated landscape of bare earth and sandstone. On top of a small rise to my right there's a small copse of apparently dead trees, their bent and wizened trunks completely bereft of leaves.

Missing blank line.

Mr Zoat said:
cowards and caitiff

Unless this is a stock phrase, "caitiffs" I think is the plural?

Mr Zoat said:
The path begin curving in that direction.

begins

Mr Zoat · Jun 20, 2023

13th February 2013
21:32 GMT -5

"…direction of my life, that when I return to you I am found worthy. I submit myself entirely to your desires." "Bind Us Together."

I feel a something as Vykin finishes his prayer, though I don't know whether or not it's a sign that what we want has actually-.

"I… Believe that I can feel them."

"Good show. Looks like the Source believes in you."

"That… Is not how it works." He rises to his feet. "But I thank you. Have all of my friends confided in you?"

"Not Serifan. Though I have my suspicions. Where are we heading?"

"In that direction." He points in-. Well, a direction. "Is there a path that way?"

No. "There's a path that… Might go that way."

"Then that is the path we will have to take."

"There… Is an alternative." He looks at me attentively. "There's an animal that's sort of circling around this island. If we jump off, we can probably land on it. Then we'll have however long it takes to throw us off to work out how to get it to go in the direction we want."

"I am not skilled in animal handling. Are you?"

"No. Normally I can just bypass that using my rings to make animals want what I want them to want. But that's… Not reliable with creatures from the Shadowlands. At least, not on the one example of a Shadowlands creature I tried it on. What is it your Source-gifted power does?"

"It allows me to control magnetic fields. Though now that I once more have-" He clenches his right hand into a fist and rotates it, small metal balls rising off his vambrace. "-a degree of control, I can move and reshape magnetic objects."

"Can you put it around your body and fly? Because that's the best approach."

"If you wish to risk your life to my uncertain control, yes, that is something which I can do."

"That-. Okay."

I crouch down and put my left hand on the inscription knuckles-first, making sure that my ring's sigil is touching it. Whatever it is down there might be immune to being assimilated or branded, but there are less extreme mind-altering abilities available to me. John said that as far as he could tell, the Great Darkness didn't have any kind of plan, and that the damage it caused was more as a result of a thing of its level of power throwing its weight around than any sort of active malice.

It didn't want power, because it already had that.

It didn't want worship, because it already had that and didn't appear to notice.

It didn't want to touch the material universe, because it could already do that.

In its place, I'd have stayed where I was and played Populous. But it flailed around for a bit and then swanned off to the Source because… It wanted purpose.

My rings spark with orange light.

"Okay. I think I understand. This realm is defined by the Great Darkness. Its desires are paramount, not mine."

"And I can only touch the Source through it."

"But… I think…"

Its desires define local desire, but there's almost nothing to make it fade. Which means I should be able to touch…

Yes, like that.

Touch it and twist and pull.

Did that work?

Vykin is staring downwards. "I can… Feel…"

"Yes. Get ready, because while I know its approximate size and shape I have no idea what it actually looks-"

There's a pale yellow-. That's an eye, with a cross-shaped pupil, set in a navy blue hide-. And there's another, and another, erupting through the shroud containing this tiny islet and… Now they've split into two rows and I've got no idea what they're seeing and I can only assume that they're not designed for normal light.

"-like."

"It seems quite large."

"Yes it does." I stand as its body moves just far enough away that it's entirely outside of the 'clear' area around the islet. Another tug… "Okay, I'm encouraging it to orientate itself in the direction you pointed. But as I said, I'm not entirely sure of its dimensions, so…"

Metal flows along his arms, forming gauntlets around his hands.

"I will be ready for a treacherous surface."

Your purpose lies that way. Your purpose lies that way.

I move to the edge of the islet.

Your purpose lies that-

I step off, leaning forward and trying to provide as much air resistance as possible.

-way.

I fall I fall I fall I think it's here-.

Ougff!

Grab the-! Grab the-! Grip with the knees!

There's a vibration in my feet as Vykin lands a short distance away from the… Tendrils? Whiskers? That I'm currently grabbing onto. He rolls over twice, trying to slap his hands down on the rough skin of the creature but being prevented from doing so by his own momentum. Sliding towards a drop he whips his head around and throws his arms towards me, metal flowing together and extending into a thin tether line. It's going to-.

Wrapping my legs around one tendril and gripping the other with my left hand, I lean towards it with my right forearm at the ready-.

And that's the second time I've had my shoulder dislocated! But the armour mesh holds, and the wire wraps around my vambrace and pulls, giving Vykin something to hold onto and this is much less fun when I'm able to feel pain!

Vykin gets his feet back under him just in time for the creature we're standing on to undulate, sending him tottering-

"Ah!"

-to the side.

"Which way?! Nod your head!"

He staggers in my direction, small droplets of metal running down his body and coating the bottom of his boots to let him grip better, using momentary eye contact to indicate which of his jerky body motions is supposed to be my guide.

Your purpose lies that way.

I feel the creature move again, but this time Vykin is close enough to grab his own tendril, and pulls the metal wire off me to better attach himself. And I know how to get my arm back in its socket but I can't really do it here.

So I guess I'll just have to hang on tight.

Mr Zoat · Jun 20, 2023

Coda said:
Missing blank line.
Unless this is a stock phrase, "caitiffs" I think is the plural?
begins

Thank you, corrected.

NightmareWarden · Jun 20, 2023

Any guesses on which of the Forever People will pop Paragon!Paul's humerus back into his shoulder socket? Or do we think Paul will delay until he can ~~employ his preferred technique of removing the limb and regrowing it~~ fix it himself?

I remember a few years ago readers suggested that every Paul should wear their ring on one of their ribs or another internal finger-sized body part in order to counter of the most common Lantern weaknesses. Well I'd say this arc's rituals are a point against such paranoia. God, having to pull something like that out of yourself with a knife or something, what a terrible thought. Though the rest of the Corps doesn't have this excuse... unless "I don't want it inside me" generally hard enough to overcome...?

mastermenthe · Jun 20, 2023

NightmareWarden said:
Paul should wear their ring on one of their ribs or another internal finger-sized body part in order to counter of the most common Lantern weaknesses

A spare ring. Not his main ones.

Chojin Patriarch · Jun 20, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
13th February 2013
21:32 GMT -5

"…direction of my life, that when I return to you I am found worthy. I submit myself entirely to your desires." "Bind Us Together."

I feel a something as Vykin finishes his prayer, though I don't know whether or not it's a sign that what we want has actually-.

Honestly that's probably just his Godspeech. I suppose that if OL isn't listening specifically for it, all he picks up is a slight tickle in his soul. Still, the fact he was able to muster that much power bodes well for you all getting out of there.

"I… Believe that I can feel them.

"Good show. Looks like the Source believes in you."

...Not quite how faith works, but given his rather mercenary relationship with his deities (Eris and Hades) I'm not surprised.

"That… Is not how it works." He rises to his feet. "But I thank you. Have all of my friends confided in you?"

"Not Serifan. Though I have my suspicions. Where are we heading?"

I'm betting the Anti-Life exposure preyed on his fear that he could never be as cool as the cowboys he seems to idolize. That he'll never amount to anything special...

"In that direction." He points in-. Well, a direction. "Is there a path that way?"

No. "There's a path that… Might go that way."

Honestly, unless one of you can fly, you're stuck following the paths you can find...

"Then that is the path we will have to take."

"There… Is an alternative." He looks at me attentively. "There's an animal that's sort of circling around this island. If we jump off, we can probably land on it. Then we'll have however long it takes to throw us off to work out how to get it to go in the direction we want."

...Boy, that sounds like a rather desperate shortcut. Sure you don't want to take the safer route?

"I am not skilled in animal handling. Are you?"

"No. Normally I can just bypass that using my rings to make animals want what I want them to want. But that's… Not reliable with creatures from the Shadowlands. At least, not on the one example of a Shadowlands creature I tried it on. What is it your Source-gifted power does?"

One sample does not a standard make. But it still feels foolish to do this...

"I allows me to control magnetic fields. Though now that I once more have-" He clenches his right hand into a fist and rotates it, small metal balls rising off his vambrace. "-a degree of control, I can move and reshape magnetic objects."

"Can you put it around your body and fly? Because that's the best approach."

...Magneto-style? I suppose that might work. Though it might be a little uncomfortable, depending on what parts of his costume are metal.

"If you wish to risk your life to my uncertain control, yes, that is something which I can do."

"That-. Okay."

Yeah, that kind of puts OL in an uncomfortable position of his own: Not In Control.

I crouch down and put my left hand on the inscription knuckles-first, making sure that my ring's sigil is touching it. Whatever it is down there might be immune to being assimilated or branded, but they are less extreme mind-altering abilities available to me. John said that as far as he could tell, the Great Darkness didn't have any kind of plan, and that the damage it caused was more as a result of a thing of its level of power throwing its weight around than any sort of active malice.

Interesting. Trying to find some measure of Want in this realm? Seems like long odds.

It didn't want power, because it already had that.

It didn't want worship, because it already had that and didn't appear to notice.

It didn't want to touch the material universe, because it could already do that.

Yet what can you want when you have that kind of power?

In its place, I'd have stayed where I was and played Populous. But it flailed around for a bit and then swanned off to the Source because… It wanted purpose.

My rings spark with orange light.

Goddamit, talk about rolling a natural twenty on his skill check...

"Okay. I think I understand. This realm is defined by the Great Darkness. Its desires are paramount, not mine."

"And I can only touch the Source through it."

Like a giant moody filter over everything. But turn your head the right way...

"But… I think…"

Its desires define local desire, but there's almost nothing to make it fade. Which means I should be able to touch…

You're really lucky the DM likes you, OL. Most would put the kibosh on those sort of shenanigans.

Yes, like that.

Touch it and twist and pull.

Phrasing!

Dang, that sounds more like it should be on the NSFW side...

Did that work?

Vykin is staring downwards. "I can… Feel…"

And now he's doing the accidental double entendres too!

"Yes. Get ready, because while I know its approximate size and shape I have no idea what it actually looks-"

There's a pale yellow-. That's an eye, with a cross-shaped pupil, set in a navy blue hide-. And there's another, and another, errupting through the shroud containing this tiny islet and… Now they've split into two rows and I've got no idea what they're seeing and I can only assume that they're no designed for normal light.

Like a school of deep-sea fish. Strange, ethereal things that no man has ever seen.

"-like."

"It seems quite large."

Let's hope it's not carnivorous, then. Like a Whale Shark.

"Yes it does." I stand as its body moves just far enough away that it's entirely outside of the 'clear' area around the islet. Another tug… "Okay, I'm encouraging it to orientate itself in the direction you pointed. But as I said, I'm not entirely sure of its dimensions, so…"

Metal flows along his arms, forming gauntlets around his hands.

Ah, preparing some grappling gear? Time to ride the worm...

"I will be ready for a treacherous surface."

Your purpose lies that way. Your purpose lies that way.

Just don't send it haring off before you get on it, OL.

I move to the edge of the islet.

Your purpose lies that-

Oh, this is gonna suck. And hurt.

I step off, leaning forward and trying to provide as much air resistance as possible.

-way.

I fall I fall I fall I think it's here-.

Ugh, falling blindly is the worst kind of falling. Can't even brace for...

Ougff!

Grab the-! Grab the-! Grip with the knees!

...Impact. Hopefully he landed with his knees rather than somewhere more sensitive.

There's a vibration in my feet as Vykin lands a short distance away from the… Tendrils? Whiskers? That I'm currently grabbing onto. He rolls over twice, trying to slap his hands down on the rough skin of the creature but being prevented from doing so by his own momentum. Sliding towards a drop he whips his head around and throws his arms towards me, metal flowing together and extending into a thin tether line. It's going to-.

Goddamit, Vy! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, will you!

Wrapping my legs around one tendril and gripping the other with my left hand, I lean towards it with my right forearm at the ready-.

And that's the second time I've had my shoulder dislocated! But the armour mesh holds, and the wire wraps around my vambrace and pulls, giving Vykin something to hold onto and this is much less fun when I'm able to feel pain!

...Ow. I suppose that's only natural when you get a 95-kilogram-plus (about 200 pounds in American weight) humanoid moving at speed suddenly pulling on one of the weaker joints of the human body.

Vykin gets his feet back under him just in time for the creature we're standing on to undulate, sending him tottering-

"Ah!"

And having that weight swinging back and forth with your shoulder as the fulcrum point isn't fun, either.

-to the side.

"Which way?! Nod your head!"

Worry about getting him settled first.

He staggers in my direction, small droplets of metal running down his body and coating the bottom of his boots to let him grip better, using momentary eye contact to indicate which of his jerky body motions is supposed to be my guide.

Your purpose lies that way.

Well, as long as it doesn't go too fast, you should be fine now.

I feel the creature move again, but this time Vykin is close enough to grab his own tendril, and pulls the metal wire off me to better attach himself. And I know how to get my arm back in its socket but I can't really do it here.

So I guess I'll just have to hang on tight.

There's always the Lethal Weapon method...

Seems a bit risky to hitch a ride of a flying... Fish? Whale? Thing. But I suppose they feel moving slowly across the paths would be too inefficient, especially given the loose time pressure they're under. After all, nothing says Lyssa Drak has to keep whatever portal she made to enter this place open. And I doubt they have the metaphysical oomph to force a way out from this side...

A few corrections, Mr Zoat:

"I… Believe that I can feel them.

Missing Closing Quotation Mark.

"I allows me to control magnetic fields.

"It allows me to control magnetic fields.

...but they are less extreme mind-altering abilities available to me

...but there are less extreme mind-altering abilities available to me

...errupting through the shroud containing this tiny islet and…

Likely 'erupting', unless he was dragging it out for style.

...assume that they're no designed for normal light.

...assume that they're not designed for normal light.

Lord Ernest · Jun 20, 2023

I'm not on that "internal ring" camp, honestly, the most dangerous adversaries are those that can supress power rings, bypass constructs and/or pinpoint your Emotional Spectrum energy device. And for those type of enemies, I don't think where the ring is exactly, is all that important.

For the rest of the Corps, I believe most have seen the demonstrations of the Illustres "sparring" with other members and removing from them the rings as a humbling lesson. Unless they believe themselves more in control of the Orange Light than the Illustres himself, knowing that is possible for someone to remote call the ring would discourage any idea of "internalizing" it, I think.

RoninSword · Jun 20, 2023

The only Paul we've seen who literally internalized his ring was Sybarite, and he did it in part to stop people from realizing it was a Power Ring.

ZzzSlothzzZ · Jun 20, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Populous.

Mr Zoat · Jun 20, 2023

QuestingDuck
You know what you did. Remove it.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Missing Closing Quotation Mark.
"It allows me to control magnetic fields.
...but there are less extreme mind-altering abilities available to me
Likely 'erupting', unless he was dragging it out for style.
...assume that they're not designed for normal light.

Thank you, corrected.

Darko · Jun 20, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
I'm betting the Anti-Life exposure preyed on his fear that he could never be as cool as the cowboys he seems to idolize. That he'll never amount to anything special

He does look like he's the youngest member of his team, so he may desire to prove himself worthy, so that could be it.

Though it could be something similar to Bear and he was forced to use his talents for killing and may have been shown that "cowboys'' were far from noble heroes that are of ten seen in old movies.

Instead if a John Wayne movie he got Blood Meridian.

Ardy · Jun 20, 2023

Darko said:
He does look like he's the youngest member of his team, so he may desire to prove himself worthy, so that could be it.

Though it could be something similar to Bear and he was forced to use his talents for killing and may have been shown that "cowboys'' were far from noble heroes that are of ten seen in old movies.

Instead if a John Wayne movie he got Blood Meridian.

he got stuck in blazing saddles

Mr Zoat · Jun 21, 2023

13th February 2013
21:36 GMT -5

"We are close."

"Good. Great."

I've been trying to work out how fast we're moving by checking the hole in the sky, but it's not working and the combination of the wrongness and the pain from my shoulder combined to be worse than the sum of their parts.

"Apropos of nothing, have you ever shoved a dislocated arm back into a shoulder socket before?"

"No. Moonrider once suffered a similar injury. It took Bear three attempts to correct it. He was quite embarrassed."

"I wouldn't complain, but I shoot with my right hand."

"I believe that you have done enough."

"I can never do enough. I'm an Orange-"

The creature we're riding on turns slightly, and I clench aaaaaargh my jaw as a new wave of pain shoots into my brain.

"-Lantern. Okay, up or down?"

"Down."

Right. "Hold on."

The creature undulates, front end rising up before pointing down. Vykin and I keep our grips but we're face down towards whatever it is that we're aiming at.

The creature remains silent as ever.

"I could try to use my metal to force it in, but that would risk injuring you further."

"I can fix any damage once we get out, and I can't really fight as I am. Have a go."

"You could fall."

"Just drag my body out when you leave and get someone to clone me a new one. I'll probably be fine."

"Very well." He tightens his grip on his tendril, and then tenses his forearms. The metal he had been using to maintain his grip drips upwards off him, coagulating into small balls before flying over to me and wrapping tight around my right upper arm, shoulder and chest. "Are you ready?"

"How close are we?"

"Close."

"Do it."

DDDDDDDDAAAAAAH-hah-ah-ah-ah-h-h-h.

…

Oh, I let go.

Ah. Ah! Spreadoutlookatthegroundforasloperollwiththe-!

Dah! Dagh!

Uh.

Cold… Pain, in-. Everywhere, except I don't think that I concussed myself. Right shoulder aches, but-. But the bone feels like it's back in. I… Think… I might have a broken left shin bone. I'm not sure, because I remember that in the immediate aftermath of a break you can't really feel it because the nerves are too damaged to relay the signal. But it certainly feels odd. Armour seems to have prevented me getting too torn up-.

Ah. Darn. Looks like a couple of broken fingers.

Gingerly, I lay my left palm-.

Owowowowowow.

I lay it on the ground and try and push myself up a little. To try and see what's going on.

From atop a tower of shadows Lyssa Drak looks down at me with an expression of mild surprise on her face.

"You're here. And not dead."

I glance left-. Bear's crouching behind a decayed stone wall, staring at me in surprise as shadows roil across the broken landscape. I flash him a smile.

"Interesting. These other people have been far less mentally resilient."

"Haa…"

Oh, winded too.

Vaguely bestial shadows chase Moonrider out from a broken down house, while Serifan's bullets are blocked by a shadowy talon.

Your purpose lies right there.

"And in this place-."

Oh it was a manta.

The many-eyed creature breaks through the darkness enshrouding the desolate plain we're on, smashing through the tower of shadows supporting Ms. Drak and… Sort of sucking a great deal of the shadow stuff into vents on its underside.

"By the Dark F-!"

"Hate to be a bother, Bear, but could you-?"

Between the roiling clouds of animated shadow and the sheer size of the thing, I can't tell where the manta creature ends. The sucking-. Ms. Drak grabs her book and is forced to walk inverted on its underside to try and escape the pull of the vents.

Bear hurries out of cover, grabs me and pulls me back behind his wall.

"Is Vykin okay?"

"He-."

The wash from the manta creature slams into us, and Bear digs his hands into the ground-. Then switches to a one handed hold to grab Serifan as he flies past, and throws him down next to me.

"He's on that."

Your purpose lies somewhere else!

A stronger suck and a sudden downdraft, and the creature begins pulling away, dragging the shadows with it. I can see the hole in the sky, and all around us is a… A town wrought in stone that was abandoned to the desert elements for a century or so.

I see a… Dot falling from the creature in the distance, wings of shadow forming on Ms. Drak's back as she swoops down safely.

"I can't… See him."

I touch-. OW! Broken finger, broken finger. Work through it, all pain is temporary. I draw the sigils necessary to utilise the Great Darkness.

"You two, touch here! Magic bypass!"

"Great!" Bear grins as he slaps-.

"Myfingersarebrokenpleasebecareful!"

Slaps the glyph. Strength for Protection.

"Sorry! But I feel better."

A little way to our right I see a wounded Lightray help a battered Dreamer towards us. Where did Vykin-?

The creature finishes flying over us and Vykin drops, metal tendrils webbing the tallest standing towers to bleed off his speed so that he lands on the ground with barely a sound.

"My friends. Even if we win, Lyssa Drak has no reason to let us leave."

Moonrider hobbles over, B'dg in his left hand. Vykin nods to them.

"It is time." We Are One.

Serifan's face falls. Are We?

Ngamer11 · Jun 21, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Oh it was a manta.

The many-eyed creature breaks through the darkness enshrouding the desolate plain we're on, smashing through the tower of shadows supporting Ms. Drak and… Sort of sucking a great deal of the shadow stuff into vents on its underside.

"By the Dark F-!"

It's nice to see Lyssa Drak getting surprised by Paul doing something unexpected. Paul hasn't really done anything like that lately, so I hope she'll be decisively defeated even if she'll probably get away.

Mr Zoat said:
"It is time." We Are One.

Serifan's face falls. Are We?

Vykin just means that they can work together now, right? Not that they'll try to summon Infinity Man? Also, Paul really needs to give Serifan a pep talk or something.

dw7thdoctor · Jun 21, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
the sun of their parts.

the sum total of their parts.

RoninSword · Jun 21, 2023

This is quite interesting, but I can't help but go on to think that even if (when) they get out of here, they don't have a lead on an Indigo Lantern anymore.

BR549 · Jun 21, 2023

dw7thdoctor said:
the sum total of their parts.

Not "sum total", just "sum".

RoninSword said:
This is quite interesting, but I can't help but go on to think that even if (when) they get out of here, they don't have a lead on an Indigo Lantern anymore.

Oh, but I think they do.

Lyssa Drak presumably still has our lizard-bird lady's Indigo Ring.

And Lyssa Drak is right there.

Chojin Patriarch · Jun 21, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
13th February 2013
21:36 GMT -5

"We are close."

"Good. Great."

Close to what, I'm sure they're about to find out. Hopefully they can dismount without suffering any more damage. Especially since OL doesn't have access to any healing equipment right now, so every injury suffered is a liability.

I've been trying to work out how fast we're moving by checking the hole in the sky, but it's not working and the combination of the wrongness and the pain from my shoulder combined to be worse than the sum of their parts.

"Apropos of nothing, have you ever shoved a dislocated arm back into a shoulder socket before?"

Trying to use a giant negative space wedgie as a landmark seems a little tricky. I doubt it obeys simple laws of optics like parallax.

"No. Moonrider once suffered a similar injury. It took Bear three attempts to correct it. He was quite embarrassed."

"I wouldn't complain, but I shoot with my right hand."

...I'm amazed Moonrider let him try three times, much less two. The whole thing sounds rather painful, after all.

"I believe that you have done enough."

"I can never do enough. I'm an Orange-"

But sometimes, OL, you can let others take the slack for a while. Even if you have to put up with the niggling sense that they're doing it wrong.

The creature we're riding on turns slightly, and I clench aaaaaargh my jaw as a new wave of pain shoots into my brain.

"-Lantern. Okay, up or down?"

He is going to be so happy when he can fix himself up, isn't he?

"Down."

Right. "Hold on."

Careful about thinking directions, OL. Don't want to zag when you wanted to zig.

The creature undulates, front end rising up before pointing down. Vykin and I keep our grips but we're face down towards whatever it is that we're aiming at.

The creature remains silent as ever.

No doubt if it is making 'sounds' they lack the equipment to perceive them.

"I could try to use my metal to force it in, but that would risk injuring you further."

"I can fix any damage once we get out, and I can't really fight as I am. Have a go."

Better a few wire cuts than being useless in combat, eh?

"You could fall."

"Just drag my body out when you leave and get someone to clone me a new one. I'll probably be fine."

And boy, for someone who was afraid of Death when they began this story, OL sure has become cavalier about it these days.

"Very well." He tightens his grip on his tendril, and then tenses his forearms. The metal he had been using to maintain his grip drips upwards off him, coagulating into small balls before flying over to me and wrapping tight around my right upper arm, shoulder and chest. "Are you ready?"

"How close are we?"

Hopefully this doesn't affect your loose control of the critter, because this is surely going to hurt.

"Close."

"Do it."

Careful, or you'll tense up and that'll make it harder.

DDDDDDDDAAAAAAH-hah-ah-ah-ah-h-h-h.

…

Ow. I kind of felt that.

Oh, I let go.

Ah. Ah! Spreadoutlookatthegroundforasloperollwiththe-!

I think this might be the perfect moment for a "Wha-ha-ha-hoooey!"

Dah! Dagh!

Uh.

Yeah, the worst part of a fall: The sudden stop at the end.

Cold… Pain, in-. Everywhere, except I don't think that I concussed myself. Right shoulder aches, but-. But the bone feels like it's back in. I… Think… I might have a broken left shin bone. I'm not sure, because I remember that in the immediate aftermath of a break you can't really feel it because the nerves are too damaged to relay the signal. But it certainly feels odd. Armour seems to have prevented me getting too torn up-.

Ah. Darn. Looks like a couple of broken fingers.

He'll be feeling all that later.

Gingerly, I lay my left palm-.

Owowowowowow.

...Or right now. At least he can work through the pain without his Ring.

I lay it on the ground and try and push myself up a little. To try and see what's going on.

From atop a tower of shadows Lyssa Drak looks down at me with an expression of mild surprise on her face.

Given she probably expected you to still be sitting on the rock you started on, that's to be expected.

"You're here. And not dead."

I glance left-. Bear's crouching behind a decayed stone wall, staring at me in surprise as shadows roil across the broken landscape. I flash him a smile.

He ain't got time to die.

"Interesting. These other people have been far less mentally resilient."

"Haa…"

...Oh, very eloquent, OL. Then again, you did drop out of the sky without a parachute.

Oh, winded too.

Vaguely bestial shadows chase Moonrider out from a broken down house, while Serifan's bullets are blocked by a shadowy talon.

Interesting that they're all together right now. I guess she tossed Vykin elsewhere to deprive them of their leader and assumed they'd crumble without him.

Your purpose lies right there.

"And in this place-."

...Oh, right, their ride's still heading this way.

Oh it was a manta.

The many-eyed creature breaks through the darkness enshrouding the desolate plain we're on, smashing through the tower of shadows supporting Ms. Drak and… Sort of sucking a great deal of the shadow stuff into vents on its underside.

Bizarre alien biology at its finest.

"By the Dark F-!"

"Hate to be a bother, Bear, but could you-?"

Heh. Reminds me of MCU Loki post-Hulking.

Between the roiling clouds of animated shadow and the sheer size of the thing, I can't tell where the manta creature ends. The sucking-. Ms. Drak grabs her book and is forced to walk inverted on its underside to try and escape the pull of the vents.

Bear hurries out of cover, grabs me and pulls me back behind his wall.

Because of course gravity is purely a matter of perspective in here.

"Is Vykin okay?"

"He-."

The wash from the manta creature slams into us, and Bear digs his hands into the ground-. Then switches to a one handed hold to grab Serifan as he flies past, and throws him down next to me.

Heh. I guess he wasn't ready for a blow like that.

"He's on that."

Your purpose lies somewhere else!

Yeah, best to get rid of the stage hazard now its usefulness is ended...

A stronger suck and a sudden downdraft, and the creature begins pulling away, dragging the shadows with it. I can see the hole in the sky, and all around us is a… A town wrought in stone that was abandoned to the desert elements for a century or so.

I see a… Dot falling from the creature in the distance, wings of shadow forming on Ms. Drak's back as she swoops down safely.

Okay, a nice battlefield for a boss fight. Pity OL's at HP Critical status.

"I can't… See him."

I touch-. OW! Broken finger, broken finger. Work through it, all pain is temporary. I draw the sigils necessary to utilise the Great Darkness.

Firing off a beacon for Vykin to track, eh?

"You two, touch here! Magic bypass!"

"Great!" Bear grins as he slaps-.

Ah, youthful enthusiasm, without thought for pain or tiredness.

"Myfingersarebrokenpleasebecareful!"

Slaps the glyph. Strength for Protection.

...Wait, do each of them contribute some spiritual aspect to their combined skillset? Are we going to have a Captain Planet moment? ...But who gets to be Heart?

"Sorry! But I feel better."

A little way to our right I see a wounded Lightray help a battered Dreamer towards us. Where did Vykin-?

Looks like the gang's almost all here. Just one squirrelly green lantern left to locate...

The creature finishes flying over us and Vykin drops, metal tendrils webbing the tallest standing towers to bleed off his speed so that he lands on the ground with barely a sound.

"My friends. Even if we win, Lyssa Drak has no reason to let us leave."

So perhaps she needs a reason to. Courtesy of you lot...

Moonrider hobbles over, B'dg in his left hand. Vykin nods to them.

"It is time." We Are One.

Serifan's face falls. Are We?

Ah, there we go, that's all of you. But, oh dear, someone's not on board?

Looks like their spirits aren't entirely in agreement on their course of action, courtesy of Serifan. Although even if they were, I'd have to wonder what they'd be trying to call up. Because the material shell of their big buddy is still on Earth and corrupted by Anti-Life. And I doubt the spiritual part isn't built to survive without some form of avatar.

Mr Zoat · Jun 21, 2023

dw7thdoctor said:
the sum total of their parts.

Thank you, corrected.

BR549 · Jun 21, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
I'd have to wonder what they'd be trying to call up. Because the material shell of their big buddy is still on Earth and corrupted by Anti-Life.

To be fair, "trap Finality Man here" wouldn't be the worst plan I've ever heard.

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

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