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

Mr Zoat · 2024-10-30T06:45:58+0000

Darko said:
"you saw"

Thank you, corrected.

Or is this how they treat actual interns?

This is not how they usually treat interns. Far too expensive.

Chojin Patriarch · 2024-10-30T07:01:09+0000

Mr Zoat said:
April 27th, 2013
09:59 EST

"Otis, what the h-?" Miss Teschmacher bites down whatever she was going to say. "What was that?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry-"

"I got chased around by a killer farming robot, I think I-"

Ah, they're definitely not having this conversation in front of Mitchell. Not that that stops him from listening in, of course, unless they went far enough to set up a white noise generator or something...

"-about the billing."

"-need to-. What?"

Excuse you? What, is Lexcorp Security taking a leaf out of the medical industry?

"You don't need to worry about the billing. They were previous generation missiles we had in inventory. Not good enough for rich countries and not cheap or simple enough for poor ones. They were already written off, so there's no need for internal billing."

"I wasn't worried about the billing, Otis. I was worried about dying!"

Yeah, money is not the issue here.

"Sure, you were worried about dying. That's natural. But you didn't die. The robots which tried to kill you got destroyed, and we're loading them up for full decommissioning now."

She sighs. "And I'll have to talk to the police…"

No thought to check why they went rogue, or do you know exactly why they did it?

"Ah, why?"

"For insurance. And because someone took a swing at LexCorp and we don't have the resources we used to so we can't be sure we can find them better than the police can. It's not like we're doing anything illegal here."

Not quite the power they used to be, but what is after the Anti-Life?

"Ah…"

"Are we?"

"I mean, I don't think so? I do security, not farming law. Do you wanna talk to Legal?"

Gee, it's like Lexcorp has secret divisions or something...

"That's not what I meant."

"Okay, what did you mean?"

Yes, let's not leave any ambiguity. You two really don't seem to part of the same conversation here.

"Why aren't we telling the police?"

"Because we know who did it. And you know Mister Luthor says that the insurance companies are held together with paper and rainbows these days."

Ah, that bad, eh? Not surprising, given recent events.

"So we're just not claiming-? We know who did it?"

"Sure. It's not complicated. And yeah, whole classes of assets lost insurance during the Anti-Life thing because there were too many claims to pay out. Most LexCorp stuff isn't financially insured."

Oh, joy, more economical mayhem.

"It can't have been the Justice League. He's Wonder Woman's son."

"Of course it wasn't the Justice League. The medic checked you out, right? You didn't get hit on the head? Concussion can be-."

It's totally not their style, after all. For one thing, leaguers won't go through agents. If they want to mess with you, they will do it in your face.

"I didn't get hit on the head."

"Now, you say that, but concussion can interfere with your short term memory, and… I don't want to have to insist, but-."

Never mind minor ear damage from the booms of the rockets...

"Fine, I'll get checked out. So who was it?"

"Normal procedure. For recuiting-."

...Oh, goddammit, Otis...

"Who are-? No. Otis, do not tell me you were trying to do a Wounded Gazelle Gambit?"

"Technically, no. It's really more of a heroic honeypot saviour complex thing. The idea is-."

Because of course that's a thing Lexcorp does to closeted metahumans.

"I know what the idea is! It's basically the only reason why Janet in reception still has a job!"

"Right. So, we put the potential recruit who's been keeping their powers quiet somewhere with someone, and they reveal those powers to them in order to keep them safe. Psychologically, it reinforces-."

That seems rather predatory, and more than a little creepy.

"I just said I know what the idea is."

"But you're acting like you don't, so-."

She's just gobsmacked that you tried it with a League-affiliated young superhuman. Who you aren't even sure is powered.

"That plan calls for using an attractive woman close to the target's age. He lives with Wonder Woman, and a island full of Amazons."

"Heh, yeah. I don't see the problem."

Otis... He has a wholly different base level for his standard of feminine beauty.

"Ah-. O-kay… Thank you..?

"Most teenaged guys aren't really that fussy about secondary stuff when it comes to short term attraction. A positive response from an attractive woman as more or less the same effect, regardless of relative attractiveness."

That's because when it happens, most teenage guys stop thinking with the head on their shoulders.

"He got cut, Otis."

"No, he came out of the tube like that."

Wrong kind of cut, Otis.

"With the robot's circular saw. He was bleeding. Did we power the robots with kryptonite again? Because from a farming point of view, that's a really problematic independent variable."

"No? There shouldn't be anything here powerful enough to hurt him."

...Wait, 'again'?

"Something was."

"Uh… We never.. did find out how the Alien stabilised his brain. I suppose they… Might have induced some sort of extra weakness, based on Project K-R's physiology."

So is it just Lexcorp policy that Superman doesn't get talked about as 'Superman'?

"Are you kidding me right now? Those robots aren't cheap, Otis! We didn't check if he even has powers?!"

"… Huh."

Yes, now you see the issue? You're honestly lucky Mitchell is easy-going enough to consider rampaging farming robots as 'just another day'.

"What exactly was the plan if I got cut in half? What was the plan if he got cut in half?"

"I've got a funeral suit."

I'm sure you'll look good in the coffin Lex buries you in when you fuck up this badly.

"That's it?! So the robots attacked us, and if he couldn't fight them off or just decided that I wasn't worth losing his secret identity over, we died?!"

"No, of course not. I was on overwatch, and Enginehead could take control at any point. I just couldn't come close in case he heard the rotor blades."

Well, that explains the quick response time, at least.

"At any point?"

"Well, okay, there'd be a slight delay; the system isn't really designed for that sort of control. But-"

Missing the point again, Otis.

"Geee-zus!"

"-I don't think that would have happened. Did you actually see the cut?"

...Huh, remarkably astute of him.

"W-? Ye-. No, not the actual cut, but I saw blood!"

"The Alien has used jam, ketchup and red ink mixed with P.V.A. to fake wounds before. You shouldn't assume he got hurt unless you say it with your own eyes."

Ah, of course. I assume that's what's in the fake blood capsules Mitchell has. Or at least a more advanced form of it.

"So you think..? He was always safe, and the only reason it looked like we were in danger is that he doesn't want to use powers in front of me?"

"Yeh."

Neatly summed up, really. And it was a good showing for him, if you didn't take that tack.

"Are you sure Lex signed off on this?"

"I was right there when he said it. Normal procedure."

Good grief. Otis really grabbed the wrong end of the stick, didn't he?

"We can't do the same thing again. He might call on his friends and family to investigate."

"That's a good point. Hm. I'll need to review the tapes and see if he was using his powers just a little. If we can spot that, you could talk to him about that in 'confidence'."

Assuming Mitchell doesn't just claim 'divine blessing' or something like that. I mean, how public is Superboy's blessing from Helios?

"As long as you don't expect me to actually honeypot him."

"He's three years old, Eve. I don't think-."

"He's three!?"

Counting from the time he was 'completed' in production, or from the time he was decanted? Either way, quite the surprise for her.

I give my head a small shake, returning my hearing to focusing on my immediate environment: the sky way above the farm complex, high enough that I can't be seen from the ground. It's a.. shame, but… I guess compared to some things LexCorp's done it's not that bad. I'll just have to keep in mind that next time they try, it's a fake.

Probably not the best attitude to take, Mitchell. Bad idea to get into that headspace, especially if the next time is real.

Well, good to see it was an entirely internal ploy. A stupidly dangerous one, even given the possible Kryptonian involved. And all because Otis misunderstood Lex's order concerning Mitchell. Hopefully they learned their lesson, and let's hope that Mitchell doesn't mistakenly treat the next attack as fake just because this was. And knowing his luck, and narrative causality, there will be another one.

PepeTheFrog · 2024-10-30T07:01:51+0000

If they know he's a Kryptonian how did they not realise Mitchell would hear them?

Rebu · 2024-10-30T07:52:27+0000

PepeTheFrog said:
If they know he's a Kryptonian how did they not realise Mitchell would hear them?

Miss T is a bit panicked and irrational right now, and Otis is not exactly the sharpest crayon in the box. Or possibly neurodivergent. Or both.

What I want to know is, do they have an equivalent procedure for suspected female heroes? And what if the suspected hero isn't straight?

EDIT: also I was wondering if someone would have this exact misunderstanding when Lex said "give him the usual".

david15 · 2024-10-30T07:57:32+0000

Rebu said:
Miss T is a bit panicked and irrational right now, and Otis is not exactly the sharpest crayon in the box. Or possibly neurodivergent. Or both.

What I want to know is, do they have an equivalent procedure for suspected female heroes? And what if the suspected hero isn't straight?

What about it? They first send a guy then a girl

Lord Ernest · 2024-10-30T08:00:17+0000

I'm kinda curious if Lex will find out about this gaff and what will he be thinking about.

I mean, yes it was stupid, but this is generally how they behave and proceed. He can't berate them for doing what they usually do, can he?

I do commend Mitchell for being smart enough to spy on them, thought for sure he would just pass that along or something. And if this does result in an actual event ocurring later on that gets out of hand because Mitchell thinks they're testing him again? It will be absolutely hilarious.

Mr Zoat · 2024-10-30T08:28:38+0000

Chojin Patriarch said:
...Wait, 'again'?

She is aware of Metallo.

PepeTheFrog said:
If they know he's a Kryptonian how did they not realise Mitchell would hear them?

They assume that he went home. Kryptonians can't hear everything anywhere.

Rebu said:
Miss T is a bit panicked and irrational right now, and Otis is not exactly the sharpest crayon in the box. Or possibly neurodivergent. Or both.

What I want to know is, do they have an equivalent procedure for suspected female heroes? And what if the suspected hero isn't straight?

EDIT: also I was wondering if someone would have this exact misunderstanding when Lex said "give him the usual".

Hah. Reminds me of a story about a British diplomat in the Middle East during the Cold War. He was at a bar when he was approached by an improbably attractive young woman. He thinks 'yeah, right' and politely tells her to sling her hook. That happens a couple more times and he does the same thing each time.

Then an improbably attractive young man approaches him.

The sad thing is that if it didn't work sometimes then they wouldn't do it.

I suspect that the female version also involves a woman, just a less attractive one.

Someguy Somewhere · 2024-10-30T17:02:23+0000

Low risk high reward, and the law of averages. Either they get nothing and go home, get shot down in such a dramatic way they can spin doctor it, get something and have black mail material, or get everything they wanted.

The only thing you really have to worry about is them turning the agent involved, and I'd assume that the young hot agents aren't that deeply involved enough to know anything important at that stage of their careers, so they're handlers can deal with them.

Ardy · 2024-10-30T18:02:53+0000

I'm a little concerned what would happen if it turns out that they double down and think "he's naive and hormonal, we just need to honeypot him harder."

I mean, he's WW's son and "The Alien's" Clone, he would have access to some prime data if they could turn him.

Something something stranger danger something something M'Gann is not a role model?

Ryumancer · 2024-10-30T18:04:22+0000

Ardy said:
I'm a little concerned what would happen if it turns out that they double down and think "he's naive and hormonal, we just need to honeypot him harder."

I mean, he's WW's son and "The Alien's" Clone, he would have access to some prime data if they could turn him.

Something something stranger danger something something M'Gann is not a role model?

Admittedly, it'd be really funny if they tried that and he filed a complaint for sexual harassment in the workplace.

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

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