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

[nobodez]

Is highlighting really so hard for other phone users? It's never been a big deal for me.

Click to shrink...

It's an iOS thing mainly, and considering it's the most popular mobile OS in the Western World (so excluding the China and India markets), it's likely going to be equal if not more popular than Android among readers. I'm also on a Mac at home, which also doesn't do the highlighting thing with Invisitext, so I've set up the bookmarklet on my tablet, phone, and main computer, and it gets the job done (though perhaps Mr Zoat could use some sort of font difference for the different types of Greyven?)

 

[Chaoswind]

Bonus points if Grayven 50 gave Mortalla (his mom) a piece of his soul to fix her and she ended up becoming a new god of subjugation as a result.

I want to see Grayven Paul uncomfortable when he decides to confront Grayven 50.

 

[earlyriser]

My guess for Grayven 50's ally: Amazing Grace. We know that she led false revolutions under Darkseid's reign only to solidify his rule so that might be where "invisible chains" come from. Learning all of this information about Grayven's Conquest powers makes me wonder, when Paul encountered Grayven 16's forces in Paragonverse about the Reach's planets was he slotted into a "neutral party that would assist" role like the Lizardkions in this universe?

 

[Pinklestia]

Yup. Very interesting.

The other voice sounds...worrisome. I hope that isn't an Anti-Lifed Scott.

Click to shrink...

You literally cannot Anti-Life Scott Free, but making a clone of him that's Antifreedom? Perfectly possible.

 

[WaleXdraK]

If you are on a ios device (iphone, ipad) you can easily read most kind of invisitext by doing this:
1)Create a marker on the webpage you are currently on.
2) Go in your markers list and modify the Html of your new marker by writing this insteat:
javascript:$(%22%5Bstyle*='transparent'%5D%22).attr(%22style%22,%20%22color%20:%20blue%22)
3) rename the marker for easier use (mine is just invisitext)
4) if you think there is invisitext just open your marker list and click on this new marker and it should reveal it (it doesn't work on some kind of invisitext, but no problem with the one used by Mr Zoat)

 

[Stsword]

Bonus points if Grayven 50 gave Mortalla (his mom) a piece of his soul to fix her and she ended up becoming a new god of subjugation as a result.

I want to see Grayven Paul uncomfortable when he decides to confront Grayven 50.

Click to shrink...

Mortalla might not be Grayven-50's mother.

Grayven's actual origin from the comics is that he was born and raised on another planet that Darkseid visited and didn't find out his parentage until his mother confessed on her death bed.

His motivation was to steal the Zeta Beam technology to take his fleet to Apokalips to conquer it because he's butthurt that his father literally doesn't know he exists.

So Zoat changed his parentage on Earth-16, fair enough, but Earth-50 doesn't run parallel to Earth-16 but Earth-12, unlike Earth Negative 14 that he made parallel to Earth-16.

So while there's every reason to believe that Negative 14 Grayven would be Mortalla's son, Earth-50's Grayven might have no relation to Mortalla here on Earth-50.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugggghhhhh
Darn it

I open my eyes even before I'm fully conscious, and realise that that probably wasn't the sensible thing to do. I'm… Lying in an open-top sarcophagus riddled with Apokoliptian technology. I… Can't move? No, I can a little, but I think that someone's.. turned the gravity up or something.

Good to hear from you again, Lantern Grayven.

I frown.

I've been taken prisoner and-

I look down and see that both rings, Mother Box… All my equipment is still in place.

-they left me with you?

These people aren't stupid. That means that either the mechanism they used to subdue you prevented them from removing them, or they consider them to be irrelevant.

Easy way to-

A vague yellow glow forms around my right hand, failing to form any sort of stable object.

-find out."

Curious.

I'd like a little more than that.

The strength of your constructs is based on-

The fear I inspire, I know.

-the fear you inspire is the most important factor, yes, but there are others as well. The fear you feel can be used. Indeed, it's necessary to form the initial connection, though constructs created purely using such fear are… Initially unreliable. As you learn to command your fears, they improve. But the ring will respond to general, background fears as well, providing you with a basic level of construct strength.

So what does that mean?

A sophisticated empathic barrier, most likely based on the 'soul power' of whichever New God has taken you captive.
-
I'm.. not.. feeling anything. And-. Hang on, if I'm cut off from emotions in some way, how are you still funct-? Wait, are you mentally sophisticated enough to have your own fears?

I can't make any direct comparisons to my former organic self, but I believe so.

Oh. Sh-shazbot. Look, if you want a physical body or something I can sort you out-.

Focus on the present situation, Lantern Grayven.

I can barely move. Can't use-. Ring?

A misty orange glow.

Can't use my rings. Mother Box?

P-ping?

She sounds pained, as if straining to 'ping' at me from a great distance away. I don't know if she can be repaired if whatever's happening here seriously damages her.

Mother Box, do something about this.. device if you can without damaging yourself. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Just remain calm.

Ping.

I try triggering the aero-discs in my boots. Nothing.

Hm.

"Giving up?" Give Up.

A man in black and purple walks into my field of vision from the side of the room. And it appears that I'm upright. The design of his costume is fairly close to what Scott wears, but I can't feel anything Anti-Lifey from him. Which means that he's hopefully not a mind-controlled Scott. Of course, I'm not feeling anything else…

Hang on. Didn't he work for Solomon Grundy in the comics, when he tried to do… Something or other with Red Tornado?

"Doctor… Nobody, right?"

"Doctor Impossible."

"Really?" I frown. Wasn't he a Soon I Will Be Invincible character? Wouldn't that have caused a law suit? And where the heck did I get Doctor Nobody from? "Is there a reason why you're dressed like my brother?"

He regards me disinterestedly for a moment, before stepping back out of my visual range.

"You claim that Scott Free is your brother?" Helpless in my Power.

And there's.. me. Straighter hair than the Universe 16 version, and the armour is a little less ornate, but basically the same in appearance terms. His expression on the other hand… He's genuinely curious, whereas Grayven 16 went right to 'hostile' immediately.

"Yes. Yours too."

"Highfather's son is no brother of mine." He takes a step closer. "What are you? When I heard from the Thanagarians that they had encountered me on.. 'Earth', I had assumed that they were simply mistaken. I was prepared for an impostor, but you matched me. You're a New God." He turns his head to look in the direction Doctor Impossible walked in. "You see? I thought it unlikely that you would be the only one."

"The readings are inconclusive. He could be anything."

"Parallel universe, actually."

"Really." He gives me a closer look. "The face is different, but I suppose that your life has been somewhat different to mine."

"I'm also less proud of my abdominals than you are."

He seems mildly amused. "Have you lived around aliens for so long that you've picked up some sort of.. body-squeamishness?"

"Did you live around Father for so long that your first response to everyone is to demand that they kneel?"

"Father? Hardly. Now that Darkseid is dead, I see no reason to prevaricate. I lead, my followers follow. That is simply the way things will be." Mine is the Majesty!

"How limiting." Cultivate Excellence. "You're using Apokoliptian technology to augment their ships. Don't try and tell me that having them kneel isn't a part of the ritual binding you use to reinforce that connection."

"Very well; I won't. Gordanians have many valuable qualities, but they have no knack for spiritual communion."

"Is that why you wanted the thanagarians so badly? The Seven Devils certainly aren't around any more."

"No. That's why I want Earth."

 

[thebishop8]

Wasn't he a Soon I Will Be invincible character?

Click to shrink...

Capitalize invincible.

Looks like Stsword called it; it's Doctor Impossible.

 

[Handlewithcare]

Ha, Grayven 50 might as well kill himself. That would spare him the insanity that is Earth.

 

[Ganurath]

Oh, so the local Grayven was behind all the horseshit from last time Lantern Grayven came to this universe?

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

I open my eyes even before I'm fully conscious, and realise that that probably wasn't the sensible thing to do. I'm… Lying in an open-top sarcophagus riddled with Apokoliptian technology. I… Can't move? No, I can a little, but I think that someone's.. turned the gravity up or something.

Click to shrink...

Huh, probably one of the best ways to restrain someone without physics-breaking super-strength.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Good to hear from you again, Lantern Grayven.

Click to shrink...

Ah, Best Ring is still with him.

I look down and see that both rings, Mother Box… All my equipment is still in place.

Click to shrink...

Gross Violation of the Evil Overlord list!

These people aren't stupid. That means that either the mechanism they used to subdue you prevented them from removing them, or they consider them to be irrelevant.

Click to shrink...

Oh, that's not good. Emotion-damping is one of a Lantern's biggest weaknesses.

Curious.

I'd like a little more than that.

Click to shrink...

Ah, Ring-nestro. Best AI for snark.

The strength of your constructs is based on-

The fear I inspire, I know.

-the fear you inspire is the most important factor, yes, but there are others as well. The fear you feel can be used. Indeed, it's necessary to form the initial connection, thought constructs created purely using such fear are… Initially unreliable. As you learn to command your fears, they improve. But the ring will respond to general, background fears as well, providing you with a basic level of construct strength.

Click to shrink...

Good explanation for how a rookie Yellow can operate.

A sophisticated empathic barrier, most likely based on the 'soul power' of whichever New God has taken you captive.

Click to shrink...

Logical enough summation.

I'm.. not.. feeling anything. And-. Hang on, if I'm cut off from emotions in some way, how are you still funct-? Wait, are you mentally sophisticated enough to have your own fears?

I can't make any direct comparisons to my former organic self, but I believe so.

Oh. Sh-shazbot. Look, if you want a physical body or something I can sort you out-.

Click to shrink...

Good to see his consideration for something nominally happy being a ring.

Can't use my rings. Mother Box?

P-ping?

She sounds pained, as if straining to 'ping' at me from a great distance away. I don't know if she can be repaired if whatever's happening here seriously damages her.

Click to shrink...

Such compassion. Sounds like she's getting dampened down as much as the rings are.

A man in black and purple walks into my field of vision from the side of the room. And it appears that I'm upright. The design of his costume is fairly close to what Scott wears, but I can't feel anything Anti-Lifey from him. Which means that he's hopefully not a mind-controlled Scott. Of course, I'm not feeling anything else…

Click to shrink...

Oh, hell. Stsword called it, right enough. The New God of restraint and confinement...

"Doctor… Nobody, right?"

"Doctor Impossible."

Click to shrink...

Both of those are such Silver Age names...

He regards me disinterestedly for a moment, before stepping back out of my visual range.

"You claim that Scott Free is your brother?" Helpless in my Power.

Click to shrink...

Oh, nasty combination of interrogation techniques.

And there's.. me. Straighter hair than the Universe 16 version, and the armour is a little less ornate, but basically the same in appearance terms. His expression on the other hand… He's genuinely curious, whereas Grayven 16 went right to 'hostile' immediately.

Click to shrink...

So not quite as silly-looking. But still stupid.

"Highfather's son is no brother of mine." He takes a step closer. "What are you? When I heard from the Thanagarians that they had encountered me on.. 'Earth', I had assumed that they were simply mistaken. I was prepared for an impostor, but you matched me. You're a New God." He turns his head to look in the direction Doctor Impossible walked in. "You see? I thought it unlikely that you would be the only one."

Click to shrink...

So, he's aware of the existence of multiple universes... Or does he mean something related to Impossible? A human-born New God?

"The readings are inconclusive. He could be anything."

"Parallel universe, actually."

"Really." He gives me a closer look. "The face is different, but I suppose that your life has been somewhat different to mine."

Click to shrink...

You... Could say that.

"I'm also less proud of my abdominals than you are."

He seems mildly amused. "Have you lived around aliens for so long that you've picked up some sort of.. body-squeamishness?"

"Did you live around Father for so long that your first response to everyone is to demand that they kneel?"

"Father? Hardly. Now that Darkseid is dead, I see no reason to prevaricate. I lead, my followers follow. That is simply the way things will be."

Click to shrink...

Lovely banter. Renegade's living up to his trolling reputation.

"How limiting." Cultivate Excellence. "You're using Apokoliptian technology to augment their ships. Don't try and tell me that having them kneel isn't a part of the ritual binding you use to reinforce that connection."

Click to shrink...

Huh, that probably would empower them, though it would likely impact their ability to operate independently... Unless he used trusted generals...

"No. That's why I want Earth."

Click to shrink...

Ooooh, crap. He's looking to conquer the Fifth World...

This is turning out worse and worse. Earth-50 is particularly weakly defended right now, thanks to the Lords' foolishness. There's a good chance Grayven-50 could steamroll Humanity (probably at great cost) and end up with a ludicrously powerful army to expand outwards...

Thankfully very little Godspeech today... Colored by character...

A sophisticated empathic barrier, most likely based on the 'soul power' of whichever New God has taken you captive.
-
I'm.. not.. feeling anything. And-. Hang on, if I'm cut off from emotions in some way, how are you still funct-? Wait, are you mentally sophisticated enough to have your own fears?

Click to shrink...

"Giving up?" Give Up.

Click to shrink...

"You claim that Scott Free is your brother?" Helpless in my Power.

Click to shrink...

"Father? Hardly. Now that Darkseid is dead, I see no reason to prevaricate. I lead, my followers follow. That is simply the way things will be." Mine is the Majesty!

Click to shrink...

"How limiting." Cultivate Excellence. "You're using Apokoliptian technology to augment their ships. Don't try and tell me that having them kneel isn't a part of the ritual binding you use to reinforce that connection."

Click to shrink...

 

[AverusBlack]

I'm not complaining, but todays post feels... kind of short. Huh.

 

[Vaermina]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugggghhhhh
Darn it

Click to shrink...

And another group of bad guys that were handed the idiot ball...

 

[Imperator Pax]

*Graven admits to wanting Earth*
OL Grayven *Nods* "Yep totally can agree there."

 

[Mquz]

And another group of bad guys that were handed the idiot ball...

Click to shrink...

Uhh... what? This is an interrogation (so he has to be conscious) by 2 villains, one whose entire New God domain is the ability to keep people captured, of a hero they already beat, who is tied up, can't use his weapons, and was likely only allowed to keep them so that he knows he can't use them. Or maybe so that he can't use them to get himself out due to them not working. As OL pointed out, it's weird they let him keep his gear, and they probably did it on purpose. Maybe they only have the one prison separated from outside emotion, and couldn't put his gear in another, similar, prison due to technology restrictions.

 

[Queshire]

Don't forget their god powers as well. You can't get much more conquered than being powerless despite having all your gear and weapons at hand. It could very well result in a stronger cage than if they were all removed.

 

[Vaermina]

Uhh... what? This is an interrogation (so he has to be conscious) by 2 villains, one whose entire New God domain is the ability to keep people captured, of a hero they already beat, who is tied up, can't use his weapons, and was likely only allowed to keep them so that he knows he can't use them. Or maybe so that he can't use them to get himself out due to them not working. As OL pointed out, it's weird they let him keep his gear, and they probably did it on purpose. Maybe they only have the one prison separated from outside emotion, and couldn't put his gear in another, similar, prison due to technology restrictions.

Click to shrink...

"Disarm your prisoner because no safeguard is foolproof" is literally the most basic of basics.

More advanced is "destroy your prisoners weapons because that way if he escapes he would be powerless", but that would be asking for a bit too much badguy competence for a fanfiction.

 

[Old Knife]

"No. That's why I want Earth."

Click to shrink...

Going off to get eaten by a random plot bunny of the week? Man. I don't envy this guy.

 

[Mquz]

"Disarm your prisoner because no safeguard is foolproof" is literally the most basic of basics.

More advanced is "destroy your prisoners weapons because that way if he escapes he would be powerless", but that would be asking for a bit too much badguy competence for a fanfiction.

Click to shrink...

It's not easy to destroy lantern rings, or mother boxes. They preety much did disarm him due to disabling his weapons, but also want him to know he's disarmed and want him to lose hope of escape due to the fact that even though he has his weapons, he still can't do anything. They want him to be conquered, and powerless to stop them, but also to know that he is. Since taking away a lantern ring is pointless without destroying it, as they're easy to call back for competent lanterns, and possibly create holes in metal sheets, it's best to let him keep it while it's disabled anyways for the psychological / spiritual effect.

 

[nick012000]

Ha, Grayven 50 might as well kill himself. That would spare him the insanity that is Earth.

Click to shrink...

I dunno. Renegrayven might be able to work something out - after all, there's a difference between being a Space Conqueror super villain and a Space Conquerer superhero.

 

[King of Frost]

I'm gonna laugh if this is just Universe 50 Paul who had the same idea as Renegade at some point and now they're facing off all menacingly when they're both just thinking "Shit, alright, now I gotta make sure this absolute fucking psychopath doesn't do anything to Earth."

 

[DAT_NOOB]

I'm gonna laugh if this is just Universe 50 Paul who had the same idea as Renegade at some point and now they're facing off all menacingly when they're both just thinking "Shit, alright, now I gotta make sure this absolute fucking psychopath doesn't do anything to Earth."

Click to shrink...

Y'know I was about to say that I'm begining to think this is another renepaul

 

[Chaoswind]

The fact the Ophidian may no longer by trapped with Larfleeze (she refers to him in the past tense) may mean the local Paul of earth 50 may be having adventures in space and may have avoided earth because the local DC heroes were assholes. Would be funny if Paul-50 comes back to sector 2814 with an army of orange lanterns.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Capitalize invincible.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

Oh, so the local Grayven was behind all the horseshit from last time Lantern Grayven came to this universe?

Click to shrink...

No, the other way around. He heard about it because the Renegade involved himself.

 

[Zig]

The fact the Ophidian may no longer by trapped with Larfleeze (she refers to him in the past tense) may mean the local Paul of earth 50 may be having adventures in space and may have avoided earth because the local DC heroes were assholes. Would be funny if Paul-50 comes back to sector 2814 with an army of orange lanterns.

Click to shrink...

Fairly unlikely seeing as 50 diverged from 12 more recently than Paul arrived on 12, so either 50 has no Paul, or it has Peter Wynne... who likely would have tried to stop the Lords butteflying large parts of the story.

 

[DrThoth]

I can't believe I never considered that Earth-50 should have its own iteration of the SI, given that the DCAU and the obscure pilot-DCAU both do. It would be sad if the Lords finished him off or lobotomized him during their tyrannical phase.

Background questions I had, that as far as I know haven't been addressed:

Way back in the prison break/New Year episode, Renegade told Barda "Welcome to the Fifth World" in God-speech. Was there any follow-up on that from her, Scott or anyone else? I'm not sure how aware the New Gods are of the reasoning behind the numbering of their world.

Does Renegade Scott Free know how to Awaken humans to become New Gods? Has he tried working it out from the scans he did of Renegade Awakening Zatanna and Artemis? Paragon Scott Free could possibly be working on the same thing since he should know about The Key, though I remember you replying that no-one was working on it in that timeline, which seems a shame (though I understand it's tricky to make the timelines distinctive enough to be interesting).

 

[Vaermina]

It's not easy to destroy lantern rings, or mother boxes. They preety much did disarm him due to disabling his weapons, but also want him to know he's disarmed and want him to lose hope of escape due to the fact that even though he has his weapons, he still can't do anything. They want him to be conquered, and powerless to stop them, but also to know that he is. Since taking away a lantern ring is pointless without destroying it, as they're easy to call back for competent lanterns, and possibly create holes in metal sheets, it's best to let him keep it while it's disabled anyways for the psychological / spiritual effect.

Click to shrink...

Nth metal weapons can easily destroy lantern rings.

And Mother Boxes's aren't particularly sturdy.

And no, while taking away a lantern ring and keeping it in the next room is pointless. Taking away a lantern ring and dropping it on some random uninhabited planet half way across the universe via boomtube completely fucks the lantern over.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Way back in the prison break/New Year episode, Renegade told Barda "Welcome to the Fifth World" in God-speech. Was there any follow-up on that from her, Scott or anyone else? I'm not sure how aware the New Gods are of the reasoning behind the numbering of their world.

Click to shrink...

Barda doesn't have a particularly good education. Highfather Izaya might have a reaction, but he and Renegade Scott don't have much to do with one another and he probably hasn't mentioned it.

Does Renegade Scott Free know how to Awaken humans to become New Gods? Has he tried working it out from the scans he did of Renegade Awakening Zatanna and Artemis? Paragon Scott Free could possibly be working on the same thing since he should know about The Key, though I remember you replying that no-one was working on it in that timeline, which seems a shame (though I understand it's tricky to make the timelines distinctive enough to be interesting).

Click to shrink...

He hasn't ever done it himself, but has a rough idea how it works and could probably work it out.

Paragon Scott is back in semi-regular touch with Highfather

 

[Queshire]

Nth metal weapons can easily destroy lantern rings.

And Mother Boxes's aren't particularly sturdy.

And no, while taking away a lantern ring and keeping it in the next room is pointless. Taking away a lantern ring and dropping it on some random uninhabited planet half way across the universe via boomtube completely fucks the lantern over.

Click to shrink...

Really? A boom tube half way across the universe? Sorry, but THAT would be holding the idiot ball for a god of conquest.

He has renegade in his power. To remove his weapons would say that he is still a threat. To remove his weapons, pause in his current conquest and flee his empire in order to deal with him... Well, probably not good.

 

[Scholar of Time]

I'm not complaining, but todays post feels... kind of short. Huh.

Click to shrink...

Paul's exponential weakness is bring shared through multiple parallel universes to the rest of his existences...or Mr. Zoat just felt it was good as is.