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

Mr Zoat · Nov 11, 2024

Clell65619 said:
"closet window" ? I've never seen a closet with a window, so 'closest window'? Or maybe 'nearest window'?

Thank you, corrected.

Mr Zoat · Nov 12, 2024

April 28th, 2013
10:09 EST

From the sounds of things, the couriers are fighting the guys from the roof. More bullets follow, though the rate of fire isn't high. They're taking care and aiming their shots. The return fire is much less disciplined, but I guess they've got the bigger magazine-. Ah, gas canister? Either that or they've got some sort of air-to-plasma conversion system. Those are pretty energy intensive, but-.

I dash over and check first the gun I partially melted, and then the belt of one of the gunmen.

Ah. Doesn't look anything special, and they don't have a spare fuel cell. So they don't have unlimited ammunition. I don't know what they were thinking.

Cable ties.

I stamp my right foot, trying to hear echoes-. Okay, that's a cupboard, but all the doors have card readers. I try-. No, the visiting future intern doesn't get any access he doesn't need. That's… Good security, except it clearly doesn't stop the people who broke in and does stop the one guy trying to help.

I hurry back to Janet, who's still unconscious, and pull her lanyard over her head. I wonder why the courier people didn't take it? I… Guess she doesn't have access to wherever they wanted to get to either. Okay, cupboard, fingers crossed… A vacuum cleaner and some cleaning supplies, great. How about-. Ah, good! Some shelves with light bulbs and stuff, and one half-empty pack of cable ties. Okay, these aren't as strong as the ones meant to restrain people, but if I use a bunch of them…

And link them together when they're not long enough… Arms together, legs together, arms and legs together… I don't have anything I can really block their mouths with, not unless I want to risk them choking. But if I put them in different parts of the room then even if they wake up, they would have to squirm across the floor to get to each other, and it would still be pretty hard to get free with their hands tied up like that.

Alright, now-

"Agh!"

-what? I've heard more shots, but that's the first time I've heard one of them definitely hit the target. I need to get down there but I'm still supposed to be out of it. Maybe I can claim one of the gods made me immune? Or that I was faking?

No. People's lives are more important than my secret identity, even if they are thieves and would-be murderers. I can work something out. Still listening to try and work out where they've gone, I head out into the corridor and towards the stairs.

"…cut off. What do these guys even want?"

"Don't know, don't care. Looks like there's only three of them, so we should be able to outmanoeuvre them."

"Fuck off. Plasma guns? It's bugging out time."

"Relax. The program's still working. If we keep moving through the building and they keep following, we can double back and pick it up before we leave."

Okay, if… They're there, then…

I turn left, trying to work out how to flank them. I could fly, but if they see me… Concussion isn't a reliable way of removing a mem-.

I get a whiff of-. Burned flesh and blood. The kryptonian sense of smell is better than what humans have, but I don't really get a sense of direction. Try listening for… Moans? And… I stop jogging and sniff again, turning my head as I try to work out-.

"Uh-uuuugh…"

I head back to the stairs and hurry down. I could jump down, but that would make a big noise unless I flew, and… They're hacking the system. Even if the A.I. isn't seeing anything, they could have connected to the internal cameras themselves. It-.

Sniff, sniff.

Okay, through here. And-. Yeah, there are burns and bullet holes on the walls, and-. I guess whoever got shot ducked into a side room or something? I'm close enough that I should be able to hear their breathing.

Which way which w-?

Got it. Round to the right, scan Janet's card and into the… Slightly different office with a big computer monitor, then go to the office bathroom. Slow breathing suggests that he's nearly lost consciousness and won't be able to fight, but a normal human in my position would still need to be careful.

I push open the door slowly, but this door isn't blocking my vision. The man is slumped on the floor in front of the sinks. Looks like he was trying to.. clean the wound. His eyes come up but there's no strength in his arms to raise his gun.

"Uhhh…"

No one else around. I dash forwards and check the wound-. Oh. Looks like one of the plasma bolts hit him at an angle. It's burned through his overalls on the right side like it skimmed him, and the flesh underneath is red and black. And that's a really bad sign, because the heat from the bolt transferred into his torso. His lung might have been cooked, and if it had been the other side and gotten his heart then he'd be dead. As it is, he's probably got internal bleeding, he'll struggle to breathe and then there's the risk of infection… That rib is going to be cooked. Any weight on it and it could just snap, but… I don't know if it can be fixed anyway.

"Hey, buddy. Your phone got an external line?"

"Uhhh…"

Yeah. I carefully pat him down, but I don't find anything. I guess if you're picking a fight with an A.I. you don't really want to be carrying electronics. Okay then. With burns… I don't have any actual burn-.

I dash back into the office and look around-. Wall-mounted green case next to the fire extinguisher! I grab it and tear it open-. Burn dressing. It's not intended for plasma but it's the best idea I've got. I head back into the bathroom and tear the material of his overalls away from the site of the wound. There's… Some burned material stuck to the wound, but I can't get that off without making it worse.

"I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt."

I check the instructions, then pull the wrapping off the bandage, open it out and put it on the wound-

"Uhhh…"

"Sorry." Okay, that looks about right. I haven't ever put one of these on an actual person, so-.

So there's someone coming up behind me. They've just opened the door to the office. Their heartbeat sounds nervous but not scared; just the sort of thing a person would feel-.

I glance back.

The sort of thing a guy would feel getting into a dangerous situation he thought he could handle.

"So this is the best I can do." I can't put him in the recovery position without risking exacerbating his injury so that's out. Binding his arms creates the same problem. I can bind his legs-.

The guy behind me is heading to the bathroom door. I get up and fly just off the ground until I'm in one of the stalls. I use my flight ability to hold my weight while resting my feet on the rim of the bowl. Okay, that won't help if he actually looks into the stall, but if he's just checking the from the door-.

The door opens. I turn in that direction and use x-ray vision. Huh. Short guy, and the face mask is interfering with my vision. No gun, just a metal staff. Are three groups breaking in today? That's ridiculous.

"You clearly brought that upon yourself, though I suppose I should credit you for dealing with your own wounds rather than wasting… Ah. But you didn't. That was torn with two hands."

Oh. A smart guy.

"Whoever you are, I mean you no harm. This man didn't deserve it, but you did him a good turn anyway. It speaks well of your character. I would like to confirm that you are in good health, but if you don't want to risk my good will, I understand. This visage is not one that lends confidence."

I.. guess I should risk it? If a superhero's here in costume, then I should leave it to them unless they're totally over their head. I 'jump' off the bowl and step out.

"Ah, hey."

Huh. Didn't Paul warn me about this guy?

Ngamer11 · Nov 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Huh. Didn't Paul warn me about this guy?

Now I'm really curious as to the identity of this person. Anyone have any guesses?

Darko · Nov 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
head. I 'jump' of the bowl and

"jump off"

Ngamer11 said:
Now I'm really curious as to the identity of this person. Anyone have any guesses?

I think there may be two people here.

The one with the staff.

And the one that said "Ah, hey".

I'm betting the second one is Truggs.

Chojin Patriarch · Nov 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
April 28th, 2013
10:09 EST

From the sounds of things, the couriers are fighting the guys from the roof. More bullets follow, though the rate of fire isn't high. They're taking care and aiming their shots. The return fire is much less disciplined, but I guess they've got the bigger magazine-. Ah, gas canister? Either that or they've got some sort of air-to-plasma conversion system. Those are pretty energy intensive, but-.

I dash over and check first the gun I partially melted, and then the belt of one of the gunmen.

If nothing else, he can narrow down the specifics of their weapons. Sure, he doesn't have an encyclopedic knowledge, but some general
principles always hold true. Ammunition capacity, rough idea of aperture width, that sort of thing...

Ah. Doesn't look anything special, and they don't have a spare fuel cell. So they don't have unlimited ammunition. I don't know what they were thinking.

Cable ties.

Probably the rush of having comparatively larger magazines than the other guys. Maybe only on the order of a couple of hundred shots compared to 15-odd for pistols...

I stamp my right foot, trying to hear echoes-. Okay, that's a cupboard, but all the doors have card readers. I try-. No, the visiting future intern doesn't get any access he doesn't need. That's… Good security, except it clearly doesn't stop the people who broke in and does stop the one guy trying to help.

To be fair, an Intern in this situation would be expected to follow their manager's lead. Pity she is zonked out by that anaesthetic.

I hurry back to Janet, who's still unconscious, and pull her lanyard over her head. I wonder why the courier people didn't take it? I… Guess she doesn't have access to wherever they wanted to get to either. Okay, cupboard, fingers crossed… A hoover and some cleaning supplies, great. How about-. Ah, good! Some shelves with light bulbs and stuff, and one half-empty pack of cable ties. Okay, these aren't as strong as the ones meant to restrain people, but if I use a bunch of them…

If nothing else, it'll be tough for them to get leverage to pop them loose.

And link them together when they're not long enough… Arms together, legs together, arms and legs together… I don't have anything I can really block their mouths with, not unless I want to risk them choking. But if I put them in different parts of the room then even if they wake up, they would have to squirm across the floor to get to each other, and it would still be pretty hard to get free with their hands tied up like that.

A full hog-tie would be tricky with zip-ties, and likely to cause circulation issues anyway.

Alright, now-

"Agh!"

-what? I've heard more shots, but that's the first time I've heard one of them definitely hit the target. I need to get down there but I'm still supposed to be out of it. Maybe I can claim one of the gods made me immune? Or that I was faking?

Go with 'divine blessing'. Something that's not enough to qualify as a superpower, but a cut above the ordinary.

No. People's lives are more important than my secret identity, even if they are thieves and would-be murderers. I can work something out. Still listening to try and work out where they've gone, I head out into the corridor and towards the stairs.

"…cut off. What do these guys even want?"

A question yet to be answered.

"Don't know, don't care. Looks like there's only three of them, so we should be able to outmanoeuvre them."

"Fuck off. Plasma guns? It's bugging out time."

Sensible fellow, that one. Though I doubt he's loyal enough to try and help his buddies make their escape...

"Relax. The program's still working. If we keep moving through the building and they keep following, we can double back and pick it up before we leave."

Okay, if… They're there, then…

Right, that makes things a little clearer. They plugged in some form of hacking device that's likely sifting through the LExcorp networks for some kind of data. And it needs to be collected before they leave...

I turn left, trying to work out how to flank them. I could fly, but if they see me… Concussion isn't a reliable way of removing a mem-.

I get a whiff of-. Burned flesh and blood. The kryptonian sense of smell is better than what humans have, but I don't really get a sense of direction. Try listening for… Moans? And… I stop jogging and sniff again, turning my head as I try to work out-.

That'll be the one that got hit. They'll have fled into an office or something.

"Uh-uuuugh…"

I head back to the stairs and hurry down. I could jump down, but that would make a big noise unless I flew, and… They're hacking the system. Even if the A.I. isn't seeing anything, they could have connected to the internal cameras themselves. It-.

Eh, if they did, they might not have had the time to watch things. What with the other guys turning up so quickly.

Sniff, sniff.

Okay, through here. And-. Yeah, there are burns and bullet holes on the walls, and-. I guess whoever got shot ducked into a side room or something? I'm close enough that I should be able to hear their breathing.

No blood trail, though. Plasma tends to cauterise.

Which way which w-?

Got it. Round to the right, scan Janet's card and into the… Slightly different office with a big computer monitor, then go to the office bathroom. Slow breathing suggests that he's nearly lost consciousness and won't be able to fight, but a normal human in my position would still need to be careful.

Especially if he's still armed and a bit panicky.

I push open the door slowly, but this door isn't blocking my vision. The man is slumped on the floor in front of the sinks. Looks like he was trying to.. clean the wound. His eyes come up but there's no strength in his arms to raise his gun.

"Uhhh…"

Okay, he is out of the fight. Just a matter of making sure he doesn't die, then?

No one else around. I dash forwards and check the wound-. Oh. Looks like one of the plasma bolts hit him at an angle. It's burned through his overalls on the right side like it skimmed him, and the flesh underneath is red and black. And that's a really bad sign, because the heat from the bolt transferred into his torso. His lung might have been cooked, and if it had been the other side and gotten his heart then he'd be dead. As it is, he's probably got internal bleeding, he'll struggle to breathe and then there's the risk of infection… That rib is going to be cooked. Any weight on it and it could just snap, but… I don't know if it can be fixed anyway.

What he wouldn't give for a Purple Healing Ray right now, eh?

"Hey, buddy. Your phone got an external line?"

"Uhhh…"

Yeah. I carefully pat him down, but I don't find anything. I guess if you're picking a fight with an A.I. you don't really want to be carrying electronics. Okay then. With burns… I don't have any actual burn-.

And it might have been fried by the heat anyway. Or even been in the pocket on that side and is now burnt fragments in his ribs.

I dash back into the office and look around-. Wall-mounted green case next to the fire extinguisher! I grab it and tear it open-. Burn dressing. It's not intended for plasma but it's the best idea I've got. I head back into the bathroom and tear the material of his overalls away from the site of the wound. There's… Some burned material stuck to the wound, but I can't get that off without making it worse.

Yeah, leave that to proper medical professionals. Better to slap some protection on it to minimise the chances of infection and bleeding.

"I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt."

I check the instructions, then pull the wrapping off the bandage, open it out and put it on the wound-

Probably not anything exotic. I doubt Lexcorp could sidestep OSHA like that.

...Man, imagine, if OL gets his way, someday all medical kits will include Purple Healing Rays...

"Uhhh…"

"Sorry." Okay, that looks about right. I haven't ever put one of these on an actual person, so-.

No time like the present, then. And a poor job is better than nothing.

So there's someone coming up behind me. They've just opened the door to the office. Their heartbeat sounds nervous but not scared; just the sort of thing a person would feel-.

I glance back.

Ah, the steady calm of a seasoned fighter, eh?

The sort of thing a guy would feel getting into a dangerous situation he thought he could handle.

"So this is the best I can do." I can't put him in the recovery position without risking exacerbating his injury so that's out. Binding his arms creates the same problem. I can bind his legs-.

Really, I don't think he's in much of a mood to put up any fight.

The guy behind me is heading to the bathroom door. I get up and fly just off the ground until I'm in one of the stalls. I use my flight ability to hold my weight while resting my feet on the rim of the bowl. Okay, that won't help if he actually looks into the stall, but if he's just checking the from the door-.

And worst case, if they get close enough, you can lunge out and slam them with the door. Even if it doesn't open outwards...

The door opens. I turn in that direction and use x-ray vision. Huh. Short guy, and the face mask is interfering with my vision. No gun, just a metal staff. Are three groups breaking in today? That's ridiculous.

"You clearly brought that upon yourself, though I suppose I should credit you for dealing with your own wounds rather than wasting… Ah. But you didn't. That was torn with two hands."

...A staff? That's definitely abnormal. And they know their stuff, to catch that detail.

Oh. A smart guy.

"Whoever you are, I mean you no harm. This man didn't deserve it, but you did him a good turn anyway. It speaks well of your character. I would like to confirm that you are in good health, but if you don't want to risk my good will, I understand. This visage is not one that lends confidence."

Smart guy indeed. And charitable enough not to be bothered by the potential unknown threat.

I.. guess I should risk it? If a superhero's here in costume, then I should leave it to them unless they're totally over their head. I 'jump' of the bowl and step out.

"Ah, hey."

Huh. Didn't Paul warn me about this guy?

Hmm... Too many options to guess. But Truggs is a front-runner, or an Indigo Lantern.

So, an unknown person carrying a staff, and is somewhat short. And apparently known to OL, if he warned Mitchell about him. That... Doesn't narrow it down much. And the question of why he and his buddies are here - Assuming the plasma guys are on his side, or maybe he's a third party sticking his nose in - is still up in the air. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Gazing Eye · Nov 12, 2024

Is this the mask guy? Since he's making comments about his own appearance?

Mr Zoat · Nov 12, 2024

@ShadowScion626
You know what you did.

Darko said:
"jump off"

Thank you, corrected.

earlyriser · Nov 12, 2024

Hope it's Truggs.

Clell65619 · Nov 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
April 28th, 2013
10:09 EST

I hurry back to Janet, who's still unconscious, and pull her lanyard over her head. I wonder why the courier people didn't take it? I… Guess she doesn't have access to wherever they wanted to get to either. Okay, cupboard, fingers crossed… A hoover and some cleaning supplies, great. How about-. Ah, good! Some shelves with light bulbs and stuff, and one half-empty pack of cable ties. Okay, these aren't as strong as the ones meant to restrain people, but if I use a bunch of them…

Mitchell has spent most of his life in the US (and Themyscira) but the language he would have picked up with terms for a vacuum cleaner, outside of Paul, is US English. Vacuum would be the term he would have learned, as no single brand gained enough presence in the US to have that brand become a genericization. Unless, of course, it's a wet/dry vacuum intended for garages and industrial areas, then it's a Shop Vac.

Mr Zoat · Nov 12, 2024

Clell65619 said:
Mitchell has spent most of his life in the US (and Themyscira) but the language he would have picked up with terms for a vacuum cleaner, outside of Paul, is US English. Vacuum would be the term he would have learned, as no single brand gained enough presence in the US to have that brand become a genericization. Unless, of course, it's a wet/dry vacuum intended for garages and industrial areas, then it's a Shop Vac.

Thank you, corrected,

GigaVanguard · Nov 12, 2024

Darko said:
"jump off"

I think there may be two people here.

The one with the staff.

And the one that said "Ah, hey".

I'm betting the second one is Truggs.

My first thought was Truggs too. The physical description, verbal tick, and known antagonist status all fit.

Mr Zoat · Nov 12, 2024

GigaVanguard said:
My first thought was Truggs too. The physical description, verbal tick, and known antagonist status all fit.

Truggs isn't short.

Chaoswind · Nov 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Huh. Didn't Paul warn me about this guy?

Mr Zoat said:
Truggs isn't short.

I mean its been three years in story and multiple years irl (saying it makes it real, so I won't)

Teenager Lonnie Machin finally enters the scene? He was probably one of the people in Gotham that internalized and gave his own twist to the anti-life equation and that maybe even ended up boosting his own nature and genius when the Life Entity purged it.

Maybe Blue Beetle will finally become active on earth and the story now that Paul is no longer going to be around Earth for a while.

Beyond those two kids? Can't think of anyone else that Paul would have warned the rest of the team.

Edit:

@Mr Zoat doko? Did something happen? Don't think he got banned, so I guess things are fine

Ciber · Nov 13, 2024

Whelp. Zoats dead lads.

Mr Zoat · Nov 13, 2024

Ciber said:
Whelp. Zoats dead lads.

I am? Why would-?

Oh.

Um.

IGNORE THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!

Mr Zoat · Nov 13, 2024

April 28th, 2013
10:13 EST

His mask is gold-colored, but it's spray-painted and there's some sort of camera system built into the eyeholes. His head is covered in a red cowl and a broad-brimmed red hat. The rest of his costume is red as well, and his insignia is a 'A' in a circle. I know Paul said something about this guy, but I.. don't remember what it was.

"You don't look like a Janet, but I suppose I shouldn't judge by appearances."

"Ah, no, I'm Mitchell Kent. I'm.. here for my induction. Janet's upstairs. The first group of robbers knocked her out."

"But not you?"

I shrug. "I saw it coming, breathed out and faked it. I got a partial dose of.. whatever it was. It made me unsteady and gave me a bit of a headache, but I'm mostly okay now. Ah. Who are you?"

"I'm Anarky."

I nod. "Yeah, I've got a friend who's a Discordian. But… What are you here for?"

"I've been monitoring this building. When I saw armed people enter from the roof, I felt it necessary to intervene."

"They've got guns, you've got a stick. Unless you've got superpowers?"

"Oh, I think a clear mind and a plan can substitute for superpowers nine times out of ten."

I nod, trying to listen for gunshots or plasma bolts without making it obvious that's what I'm doing. "So long as you don't tell me this is your tenth mission."

His head tilts to the side a little. "Twentieth. Do you know why they're here?"

"The fake delivery guys said they're here for the server. I don't know why the roof guys are here, but they tried to kill me and Janet."

"Then we will have to detain them." He turns away, red cape twirling and he heads for the door. "Can you man a console?"

"Ah, yeah?" I check the guy with the bandage, but I can't see anything else I can do for him other than call an ambulance. And that wouldn't be safe for them as long as there are armed men in the building. "Why?"

"I have a spare narrow band communicator. It should work, even through LexCorp data security measures. If you go to the building's security office, you can direct me."

"Ah, I don't think that'll work. They did something to the cameras to prevent the LexCorp A.I. seeing that anything is happening."

He stops in the middle of the office. "LexCorp has an A.I. in this building?"

"Ah, I got the impression that it monitors all of LexCorp."

He starts walking again-. He's striding, but his legs aren't all that long and it's easy to keep up. "I was about to ask if LexCorp is following the law, but that would be foolish."

"I'm.. pretty sure they're following the law about A.I.s being people. And I haven't seen them break the law here."

He leads the way to the stairwell, and darts up the stairs. I try listening again, but it sounds like they're in a quiet part of the fight. There are footsteps, but they're too indistinct for me to tell exactly where they're coming from. We go past the floor Janet and I were being held on, and up to the next-.

"Wait." Anarky points his staff at the infrared beam being projected from one side of the doorway to the hallway to the other. A small cloud of smoke sprays out, and-. Oh, right, a human wouldn't have seen that. "Clever."

"I guess… They didn't want someone sneaking in behind them?"

"Limited manpower. Otherwise they'd have had a person do this job."

I mean, maybe, but it takes a lot of laser tripwires to get good coverage, and you'd still need someone to actually respond to it. Between that and their gear, it looks like their equipment is better than they are. I mean, if we set that off, what happens? I don't see a bomb or anything.

"Watch your step!"

Anarky takes an exaggerated step over it, checking the hallway and then passing through and heading towards where I guess the security room is. I-. I step over it too and go after him, checking that it isn't wired to anything else as I go. No, doesn't look like it.

"So why are you interning at a place like LexCorp?"

"Ah, my Dad works there, and I'm hoping to reconnect with him."

"I suppose I can't fault that motive, but it might be best if you encourage him to seek employment elsewhere."

…

Yeah.

"And here we are." He looks at the securely built security room door. "I assume that Janet did not have access to this?"

"I didn't ask. Probably not."

I move to try, but he holds up a hand to stop me. "I have this."

He raises his cane and taps the head against the card reader, which beeps. I guess it's some sort of multi-tool? Or maybe they're really easy to clone? I've never looked into it. He pulls the door open and gestures for me to get inside. I obey, looking around. A couple of computers, a couple of monitors each, and-. They're locked, and I don't have-.

"Sorry."

The door shuts behind me.

"I don't like misleading people. It really would help me if you'd keep an eye out for me. But I can't have you interfering."

Oh, right. That's why Paul warned us about him. 'Like me, but with fewer friends'.

I walk back to the security room door and pretend to bang the glass while actually just tapping it lightly.

"Hey! They're going to kill each other! You need help to-."

"Justice recognises a man as what he is, and treats him accordingly. They came here to kill. Don't torture yourself over their fates."

"But the delivery guys didn't. They just gassed us!"

"They brought guns and used them. Good day, Mister Kent."

And he strolls off. I can hear him after he passes out of my field of view, but this is a LexCorp security door. I can't see through it.

Darn it.

I mean, obviously I can get out, but Anarky definitely doesn't know that I'm kryptonian. Ah… I nudge the mouse to bring the password screen up. This place probably isn't high priority-. Though I guess I should be grateful that the one part of me other than my eyes that isn't a perfect copy of Superman is my fingerprints, because if they picked up Superman being here…

Okay, so if I was a LexCorp security guy in a dead end post, where would I keep a written copy of my password? Back of the monitor? No. Underside of the desk? No. Desk drawer? No. Underneath the keyboard? No. Underside of the mouse mat?

There's a note? I wasn't expecting that to-.

I frown.

'Nice try, jackass. Remember your password next time.'

Great. What can I-?

Uh. Would that work?

"Emergency override. Shut down?"

Nothing hap-.

The screen flickers, the log in screen being replaced by… Lex Luthor?

"What exactly are you trying to shut down?"

Chaoswind · Nov 13, 2024

Ciber said:
Whelp. Zoats dead lads.

He has been late before, no need to speculate quite yet... In around 12 hours we may start to panic.

Ngamer11 · Nov 13, 2024

@Mr Zoat, was Anarky active before or after the Anti-Life?

PepeTheFrog · Nov 13, 2024

Ah, Anarky. The boy who debated Darkseid and asked him "Why are you evil?".

Bud-E · Nov 13, 2024

Is that the A.I. at the end there or is that really Lex?

Chaoswind · Nov 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Emergency override. Shut down?"

Nothing hap-.

The screen flickers, the log in screen being replaced by… Lex Luthor?

"What exactly are you trying to shut down?"

Engine head is that you?

Good thing Lex took his shit out of phase to escape the anti life, God knows how fucked his pet AI and the Genomorphs could become with such a long exposure.

Lol at Paul telling the Team Anarchy is like him without friends... Would be funny if he gets recruited into the team thanks to this interaction, even more so because Robin and him are fairly close in age and their dad's issues with each other...

Dr Crane became a minion of Melinoe, does anyone remember what became of the joker during the anti life shit?

Chojin Patriarch · Nov 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
April 28th, 2013
10:13 EST

His mask is gold-colored, but it's spray-painted and there's some sort of camera system built into the eyeholes. His head is covered in a red cowl and a broad-brimmed red hat. The rest of his costume is red as well, and his insignia is a 'A' in a circle. I know Paul said something about this guy, but I.. don't remember what it was.

Well, @Chaoswind called it, it's Lonnie 'Anarky' Machin. Hopefully he's shown some sense and worn armour of some kind under the usual red robes. And lifts, since he is a teenage boy under there. And not a tall one, unless he's had a growth spurt...

"You don't look like a Janet, but I suppose I shouldn't judge by appearances."

"Ah, no, I'm Mitchell Kent. I'm.. here for my induction. Janet's upstairs. The first group of robbers knocked her out."

Hmm... Interesting that he knew about Janet but not Mitchell. Maybe he has a personal stake in her?

"But not you?"

I shrug. "I saw it coming, breathed out and faked it. I got a partial dose of.. whatever it was. It made me unsteady and gave me a bit of a headache, but I'm mostly okay now. Ah. Who are you?"

After all, Mitchell's a big guy, easy to believe he'd have the constitution to shrug off anaesthetics.

"I'm Anarky."

I nod. "Yeah, I've got a friend who's a Discordian. But… What are you here for?"

Ah, using his big boy name.

"I've been monitoring this building. When I saw armed people enter form the roof, I felt it necessary to intervene."

"They've got guns, you've got a stick. Unless you've got superpowers?"

And a big brain doesn't count, unless it comes with free martial arts mastery. Which Lonnie technically does...

"Oh, I think a clear mind and a plan can substitute for superpowers nine times out of ten."

I nod, trying to listen for gunshots or plasma bolts without making it obvious that's what I'm doing. "So long as you don't tell me this is your tenth mission."

Heh. The overconfidence of a rookie vigilante...

His head tilts to the side a little. "Twentieth. Do you know why they're here?"

"The fake delivery guys said they're here for the server. I don't know why the roof guys are here, but they tried to kill me and Janet."

Hmm... Wonder when he started 'going out'. Before the Anti-Life, during, or after?

"Then we will have to detain them." He turns away, red cape twirling and he heads for the door. "Can you man a console?"

"Ah, yeah?" I check the guy with the bandage, but I can't see anything else I can do for him other than call an ambulance. And that wouldn't be safe for them as long as there are armed men in the building. "Why?"

At least it looks like the guy isn't at death's door yet.

"I have a spare narrow band communicator. It should work, even through LexCorp data security measures. If you go to the building's security office, you can direct me."

"Ah, I don't think that'll work. They did something to the cameras to prevent the LexCorp A.I. seeing that anything is happening."

Confident lad, isn't he? And well equipped, if he's got fancy equipment like that. Unless he means a walkie-talkie.

He stops in the middle of the office. "LexCorp has an A.I. in this building?"

"Ah, I got the impression that it monitors all of LexCorp."

And it's not exactly public knowledge, I take it. Outside of Lexcorp circles, anyway.

He starts walking again-. He's striding, but his legs aren't all that long and it's easy to keep up. "I was about to ask if LexCorp is following the law, but that would be foolish."

"I'm.. pretty sure they're following the law about A.I.s being people. And I haven't seen them break the law here."

Of course he follows the laws in that respect. Can you imagine the PR disaster it would be if Lexcorp were abusing an artificial sapient being?

He leads the way to the stairwell, and darts up the stairs. I try listening again, but it sounds like they're in a quiet part of the fight. There are footsteps, but they're too indistinct for me to tell exactly where they're coming from. We go past the floor Janet and I were being held on, and up to the next-.

"Wait." Anarky points his staff at the infrared beam being projected from one side of the doorway to the hallway to the other. A small cloud of smoke sprays out, and-. Oh, right, a human wouldn't have seen that. "Clever."

Presumably that mask has custom optics, then.Also, that's a rude trick, leaving tripmines where someone innocent could run into them...

"I guess… They didn't want someone sneaking in behind them?"

"Limited manpower. Otherwise they'd have had a person do this job."

I assume they'd know to avoid that door, then, during their escape. Would be embarrassing to be fleeing for your life only to run headlong into a trap you forgot about.

I mean, maybe, but it takes a lot of laser tripwires to get good coverage, and you'd still need someone to actually respond to it. Between that and their gear, it looks like their equipment is better than they are. I mean, if we set that off, what happens? I don't see a bomb or anything.

"Watch your step!"

To be fair, a single tripmine at waist-height to Mitchell would catch just about anyone not able to detect it. And if it's a wide-beam or sweeping scanner...

Anarky takes an exaggerated step over it, checking the hallway and then passing through and heading towards where I guess the security room is. I-. I step over it too and go after him, checking that it isn't wired to anything else as I go. No, doesn't look like it.

"So why are you interning at a place like LexCorp?"

That is a good question, given Anarky's beliefs.. Then again, a better question is why you're here, kiddo.

"Ah, my Dad works there, and I'm hoping to reconnect with him."

"I suppose I can't fault that motive, but it might be best if you encourage him to seek employment elsewhere."

Best not to point out the issue with that when his name is on the... Everything.

…

Yeah.

That's about as likely as Darkseid retiring to raise kittens. Not even evil kittens, either.

"And here we are." He looks at the securely built security room door. "I assume that Janet did not have access to this?"

"I didn't ask. Probably not."

Logical, really, if she's low on the office ladder.

I move to try, but he holds up a hand to stop me. "I have this."

He raises his cane and taps the head against the card reader, which beeps. I guess it's some sort of multi-tool? Or maybe they're really easy to clone? I've never looked into it. He pulls the door open and gestures for me to get inside. I obey, looking around. A couple of computers, a couple of monitors each, and-. They're locked, and I don't have-.

Yeah, not gonna be doing much with that, even if he tries a little super-speed typing passwords. You just know Lexcorp demands ridiculously complicated passwords...

"Sorry."

The door shuts behind me.

"I don't like misleading people. It really would help me if you'd keep an eye out for me. But I can't have you interfering."

Good intentions, even if a little foolish about his 'Only I can stop this' deal...

Oh, right. That's why Paul warned us about him. 'Like me, but with fewer friends'.

I walk back to the security room door and pretend to bang the glass while actually just tapping it lightly.

Says a lot when OL makes that comparison.

"Hey! They're going to kill each other! You need help to-."

"Justice recognises a man as what he is, and treats him accordingly. They came here to kill. Don't torture yourself over their fates."

Ah, yes... The obnoxiously arrogant moral character.

"But the delivery guys didn't. They just gassed us!"

"They brought guns and used them. Good day, Mister Kent."

...Self-defence, bro? Still, he has a point.

And he strolls off. I can hear him after he passes out of my field of view, but this is a LexCorp security door. I can't see through it.

Darn it.

So, then... Sit there and let him risk getting himself or someone else killed, or bust the door down and likely annoy him into fighting you...

I mean, obviously I can get out, but Anarky definitely doesn't know that I'm kryptonian. Ah… I nudge the mouse to bring the password screen up. This place probably isn't high priority-. Though I guess I should be grateful that the one part of me other than my eyes that isn't a perfect copy of Superman is my fingerprints, because if they picked up Superman being here…

That would be very awkward. But the chances of such an occurrence, akin to identical twins having identical biometrics, is infinitesimal.

Okay, so if I was a LexCorp security guy in a dead end post, where would I keep a written copy of my password? Back of the monitor? No. Underside of the desk? No. Desk drawer? No. Underneath the keyboard? No. Underside of the mouse mat?

There's a note? I wasn't expecting that to-.

...Oh, I've seen enough IT stories to see where this is going...

I frown.

'Nice try, jackass. Remember your password next time.'

...Yup. Evidently their IT department is a stickler for the rules.

Great. What can I-?

Uh. Would that work?

...What would? Wishing really hard?

"Emergency override. Shut down?"

Nothing hap-.

Ah, I see. Try and get the AI's attention.

The screen flickers, the log in screen being replaced by… Lex Luthor?

"What exactly are you trying to shut down?"

Ah, the rare time you want to see a Clippy-descendant.

Worth the wait, and I'm sure we're going to see plenty more of the wanna-be-edge-lord. But going up against half a dozen armed goons, some with plasma guns, might be beyond even Lonnie's mighty intellect. It'll also be interesting to see what kind of gear he's working with, besides the hacking stick. But first, Mitchell has to get the word out about this little set-to...

When I saw armed people enter form the roof...

When I saw armed people enter from the roof...

Darko · Nov 13, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
Hmm... Interesting that he knew about Janet but not Mitchell. Maybe he has a personal stake in her?

He's probably been watching this place for a while, so knew about all the people that work there.

Mitch is fairly new, so it makes sense he wouldn't know him.

CTrees · Nov 13, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
...Self-defence, bro. Still, he has a point.

They brought those guns with them while committing a planned heist. Self defense doesn't really apply while you're committing a felony.

Actually, this is a major city in DC Comics. Maybe "a second group of armed robbers broke into the building we already broke into and started shooting at us so we had to shoot back" is common enough to be an exception to the felony murder rule in Metropolis?

Rebu · Nov 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
There's a note? I wasn't expecting that to-.

I frown.

'Nice try, jackass. Remember your password next time.'

Great. What can I-?

Funny coincidence. I have a big slush file of random ideas for my stories and I had an idea very much like this one.

But the "password" would be a trap, and set off an alarm.

Great minds, I guess.

Mr Zoat · Nov 13, 2024

PepeTheFrog said:
Ah, Anarky. The boy who debated Darkseid and asked him "Why are you evil?".

As far as I remember, he didn't ask him 'why'. He asked him to define evil.

Ngamer11 said:
@Mr Zoat, was Anarky active before or after the Anti-Life?

Mitchell doesn't know.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Well, @Chaoswind called it, it's Lonnie 'Anarky' Machin. Hopefully he's shown some sense and worn armour of some kind under the usual red robes. And lifts, since he is a teenage boy under there. And not a tall one, unless he's had a growth spurt...

He's not a teenager.

When I saw armed people enter from the roof...

Thank you, corrected.

Rebu said:
Funny coincidence. I have a big slush file of random ideas for my stories and I had an idea very much like this one.

But the "password" would be a trap, and set off an alarm.

Great minds, I guess.

In Terry Pratchett's novel The Dark Side of the Sun, a robot sentry challenged the main character to identify himself as friend or foe. He says foe, and is allowed to pass, reminiscing about the one time he said 'friend' and got shot.

AverusBlack · Nov 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I am? Why would-?

Oh.

Um.

IGNORE THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!

Sir. Did we catch you slipping for once? ;p

Chaoswind · Nov 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
He's not a teenager.

He was ten when Paul mentioned scanning him and how he was being a forum troll under the moniker Moneyspider, ten plus three years should be thirteen ergo teenager... Unless you are being pedantic and he is still twelve and thus technically not a teen yet.

Actually why am I taking Michael word for this, let me check.

5th July 2010

April 28th, 2013

He was confirmed as being ten around August, so yeah still twelve by a few months.

Mr Zoat · Nov 13, 2024

Chaoswind said:
He was ten when Paul mentioned scanning him and how he was being a forum troll under the moniker Moneyspider, ten plus three years should be thirteen ergo teenager... Unless you are being pedantic and he is still twelve and thus technically not a teen yet.

Actually why am I taking Michael word for this, let me check.

5th July 2010

April 28th, 2013

He was confirmed as being ten around August, so yeah still twelve by a few months.

Where?

Mr Zoat said:
5th July 2010
Early morning

Lonnie Machin is seven. Precocious little twerp is already fighting the forum wars as 'moneyspider'.

Chaoswind · Nov 13, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Where?

Holy, I went through that part just a little over a week ago and still misremembered his age.

I guess I convinced myself that if the guy talking to Michael could be actually confused by a short guy then Anarky had to be 10 + 3.

That kid must be tall as fuck for Michael to confuse a ten years old with a short guy.

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