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

Irritation
Day 389
1st September 2004
01:44 GMT +2


"Well, sure, but I'm still not clear why you said no."

Mr Grayson… Has a posture a lot more like Batman's than I remember the comic version having. His voice even has the slight growl that Batman has. I suppose that might be a product of him not having been exposed to other superheroic influences; here, Tim Drake is a member of the Titans while Richard Grayson never was. So he never had that alternate model to base himself on.

"I thought that my response was fairly succinct."

The Justice League is expanding. Dramatically. As in, everyone who isn't a total lunatic -and a few who are- has been invited to sign up. And as the League's founding members give their big commencement speech, Nightwing and I are down here. On Earth.

"'Succinct' means brief and clear. It doesn't mean that it makes sense."

"You know I kill people, right?"

I think he frowns. The domino mask doesn't do much to conceal his identity, but it does make his expressions hard to read.

"I thought your ring made you do that."

"'Made' is a tricky one. It never literally puppeted me. I could have resisted. I could have chosen to remain dead."

"But it tortured you if you refused." I nod. "Is that why? You don't think you deserve it or something?"

"No." I shrug. "I'm not unusual for valuing my own life more than that of other people. But… Even under duress… Most of the time it didn't bother me… Anything like as much as I…" No. "I hadn't ever seriously considered killing anyone before-" I raise my right hand. "-this. But when I did it, when I went after the Shadows, it didn't bother me at all. And having had a lot of time to think about it… I don't regret killing them. I think it was right for someone to do it, and… If I was the man on the spot, okay."

"Oh." … "So the reason you aren't joining the New and Improved Justice League is that you don't want to stop killing people, even if you aren't being forced to do it."

"Basically, yes. I mean, I'm not killing everyone I fight-."

"Because someone would have stopped you by now."

I pretend not to notice him taking hold of one of his smoke bombs.

"Yes, let's go with that. But if they're sufficiently vile and have evaded justice before… Sure. And let's not forget that I've still got to kill Ra's al Ghul."

"Huntress is going to sign up, and she's sworn that she's gunna kill Steven Mandragora."

I raise my eyebrows slightly.

"Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. How about you? What are you doing down here?"

He glances down towards the hotel we're both watching.

"Guess I just got used to being on my own."

"Which is why you've spent half an hour talking to a known serial killer. You like being on your own so much."

"I just want to keep you where I can see you."

"I glow green."

"How did you get Kaznian citizenship?"

"Do you want me to tell you something you might have to lie about to Batman-" He doesn't twitch so much as lose animation for a moment. "-later?"

"If we're going to be working together I think I better."

I fold my arms across my chest and look around, not focusing on anything in particular. "Have you ever hated an ex so much… That you wanted to throw them into the sun?"

"No. But I'm guessing I know what happened to Vandal Savage now."

I smile at him. "Look on the bright side: technically, he's not dead. In a few billion years or so he'll be right as rain."

Ring-

Ow and I don't even care.

-time to arrival?

The Queen's arrival-

There's an explosion from down the road!

-will be delayed indefinitely.

Shit.

Mr Grayson is already running along the rooftops as I shoot past him, my dome shield slamming into place around the royal limousine. The rocket targeted the lead armoured car, but it looks like it failed to penetrate. The car was spun around and I doubt that anyone inside is up to doing much right now, but that beats-.

I get the shield up just before the second rocket hits them. My shield fails, but that's fine: the anti-armour rocket has blown its load and the car's armour can easily cope with the rest.

And now I know where my assailant is hiding. Green javelins form in the air next to me and shoot forward, punching through a train station kiosk and causing the would-be assassin inside to dive towards the tracks, tossing the rocket launcher as they go. I form-.

Bullets slam into my environmental shield, and I send the javelin at the auto-turret instead of the assassin. It explodes, showering-. Damn it! One more javelin at the assassin, punching through their right lung as they flee and probably not killing them, then I generate a construct carbon dioxide extinguisher and start dousing the flames… The turret's batteries exploded, and the ammunition-.

Bodyguards from the rear vehicle have left their car, one going to the front car while the rest take positions around the limousine. Fire alarms ring, but I think that's the fires out. Structural damage… Relatively minimal. Bullets from the belts mostly went into the building, but it's solid stone. I'm a little worried-.

"Agh!" / "Yuggh!"

I turn as someone-. A woman with a sword, cutting down one of the bodyguards by the limousine while another has a knife in his throat. Mr Grayson drops off a building, diving at her. She effortlessly sidesteps, facing him as he rolls into a crouch-.

My green fist closes around her and lifts her into the air, the crushing pressure preventing her using any of her weapons. Green mini-dress, green thigh boots, long black hair. Ugh, custom weapons. A no-power would-be supervillain attempting to kill a head of state in her own country. Literally the only reason for me not to kill her immediately-

She spits, and a small amount of saliva is turned away by my environmental shield.

-is to find out who sent her. That could be worth…

Mr Grayson looks up at the sky as red light-

Shit did I miss a fire?

-shines down on the town.

"Do you have any idea what that is?"

It looks like the sky is… Cracked, for want of a non-ridiculous description. On the far side is a blood-red glow, and… Some sort of 'U' shaped object.

"No."

I create a shield-

"Acquisition successful." / "Acquisition successful."

-as whoever this is and I are pulled into the openi-.
 
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Day 389
1st September 2004
01:44 GMT +2


"Well, sure, but I'm still not clear why you said no."

Mr Grayson… Has a posture a lot more like Batman's than I remember the comic version having. His voice even has the slight growl that Batman has. I suppose that might be a product of him not having been exposed to other superheroic influences; here, Tim Drake is a member of the Titans while Richard Grayson never was. So he never had that alternate model to base himself on.
Yeah, he basically went through high school and college as Batman's sidekick, with no other heroes around. That would make a person dour and grumpy...

"I thought that my response was fairly succinct."

The Justice League is expending. Dramatically. As in, everyone who isn't a total lunatic -and a few who are- was invited to sign up. And as the League's founding members give their big commencement speech, Nightwing and I are down here. On Earth.
Ah, the beginning of the Unlimited Era DCAU episodes.

"'Succinct' means brief and clear. It doesn't mean that it makes sense."

"You know I kill people, right?"
Dammit, I can't not hear Abridged!Alucard there. "Bitch, I Kill People!"

I think he frowns. The domino mask doesn't do much to conceal his identity, but it does make his expressions hard to read.
Remind me, is he wearing the mullet in this version?

"I thought your ring made you do that."

"'Made' is a tricky one. It never literally puppeted me. I could have resisted. I could have chosen to remain dead."
"Not that I'd like to be dead. I'm not suicidal at all."

"But it tortured you if you refused." I nod. "Is that why? You don't think you deserve it or something?"

"No." I shrug. "I'm not unusual for valuing my own life more than that of other people. But… Even under duress… Most of the time it didn't bother me… Anything like as much as I…" No. "I hadn't ever seriously considered killing anyone before-" I raise my right hand. "-this. But when I did it, when I went after the Shadows, it didn't bother me at all. And having had a lot of time to think about it… I don't regret killing them. I think it was right for someone to do it, and… If I was the man on the spot, okay."
The old saw: "Some people just need killin'." If the quality of the human species would be improved by their death, there's no point avoiding it.

"Oh." … "So the reason you aren't joining the New and Improved Justice League is that you don't want to stop killing people, even if you aren't being forced to do it."

"Basically, yes. I mean, I'm not killing everyone I fight-."
If only because most people can learn to change, given the right motivation...

"Because someone would have stopped you by now."

I pretend not to notice him taking hold of one of his smoke bombs.
Please, Dick. He's taken on League members with little trouble. You think you'd stand a chance, even with Batman's planning?

"Yes, let's go with that. But if they're sufficiently vile and have evaded justice before… Sure. And let's not forget that I've still got to kill Vandal Savage."

"Huntress is going to sign up, and she's sworn that she's gunna kill Steven Mandragora."
I doubt she'd ever go through with it, given the chance. Some people talk a big game...

I raise my eyebrows slightly.

"Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. How about you? What are you doing down here?"

He glances down towards the hotel we're both watching.

"Guess I just got used to being on my own."
"That's so very, very sad." Dude needs to date. Pity Starfire is only what, fifteen?

"Which is why you've spent half an hour talking to a known serial killer. You like being on your own so much."

"I just want to keep you where I can see you."

"I glow green."
Admittedly, he can turn it down, but yes, bit hard to miss glowing green dude. And I doubt some of the stupider comic ideas, like Black-Ops lanterns who can lower the glow to almost non-existent, apply here.

"How did you get Kaznian citizenship?"

"Do you want me to tell you something you might have to lie about to Batman-" He doesn't twitch so much as lose animation for a moment. "-later?"

"If we're going to be working together I think I better."
Ah, yes, this Dick didn't part with Bats on good terms, did he... And no, I don't follow the 'bats slept with batgirl' thing...

I fold my arms across my chest and look around, not focusing on anything in particular. "Have you ever hated an ex so much… That you wanted to throw them into the sun?"

"No. But I'm guessing I know what happened to Vandal Savage now."

I smile at him. "Look on the bright side: technically, he's not dead. In a few billion years or so he'll be right as rain."
Ah, he pulled the Sentry technique. Vandal's probably not enjoying his sunny vacation right now...

Ring-

Ow and I don't even care.

-time to arrival?
Good to see the Ring is still trying to bring him back in line. And failing.

The Queen's arrival-

There's an explosion from down the road!

-will be delayed indefinitely.

Shit.
Someone is about to have a bad day...

Mr Grayson is already running along the rooftops as I shoot past him, my dome shield slamming into place around the royal limousine. The rocket targeting the lead armoured car, but it looks like it failed to penetrate. The car was spun around and I doubt that anyone inside is up to doing much right now, but that beats-.

I get the shield up just before the second rocket hits them. My shield fails, but that's fine: the anti-armour rocket has blown its load and the car's armour can easily cope with the rest.
Ablative armour for the win. Bonus for being ablative armour you can instantly remake.

And now I know where my assailant is hiding. Green javelins form in the air next to be and shoot forward, punching through a train station kiosk and causing the would-be assassin inside to dive towards the tracks, tossing the rocket launcher as they go. I form-.

Bullets slam into my environmental shield, and I send the javelin at the auto-turret instead of the assassin. It explodes, showering-. Damn it! One more javelin at the assassin, punching through their right lung as they flee and probably not killing them, then I generate a construct carbon dioxide extinguisher and start dousing the flames… The turret's batteries exploded, and the ammunition-.
Well, quick and messy. Power rings don't mess about.

Bodyguards from the rear vehicle have left their car, one going to the front car while the rest take positions around the limousine. Fire alarms ring, but I think that's the fires out. Structural damage… Relatively minimal. Bullets from the belts mostly went into the building, but it's solid stone. I'm a little worried-.

"Agh!" / "Yuggh!"
And the rockets and machine guns were a distraction for the ninja-wannabe. Great,

I turn as someone-. A woman with a sword, cutting down one of the bodyguards by the limousine while another has a knife in his throat. Mr Grayson drops off a building, diving at her. She effortlessly sidesteps, facing him as he rolls into a crouch-.

My green fist closes around her and lifts her into the air, the crushing pressure preventing her using any of her weapons. Green mini-dress, green thigh boots, long black hair. Ugh, custom weapons. A no-power would-be supervillain attempting to kill a head of state in her own country. Literally the only reason for me not to kill her immediately-
DCAU Cheshire. Well played, Mr Zoat. She's not affiliated with Ra's Al Ghul in this universe, is she?

She spits, and a small amount of saliva is turned away by my environmental shield.

-is to find out who sent her. That could be worth…

Mr Grayson looks up at the sky as red light-
Oh, dear, this again.

Shit did I miss a fire?

-shines down on the town.

"Do you have any idea what that is?"
"Not the slightest." This will really be satisfying to see resolved, later...

It looks like the sky is… Cracked, for wont of a non-ridiculous description. On the far side is a blood-red glow, and… Some sort of 'U' shaped object.

"No."

I create a shield-

"Acquisition successful." / "Acquisition successful."

-as whoever this is and I are pulled into the openi-.
And more alternates sucked into the beyond. Seriously, the payoff for this is going to be epic...

Good to see AGL in action. And one more piece in play for whatever the person behind the cracks is planning...

Correction:
The rocket targeting the lead armoured car, but it looks like it failed to penetrate.
Looks like a tense error. 'targeted', perhaps?
 
Change "expending' to "expanding".
Change "be" to "me".
Thank you, corrected.
Did he already kill the caveman, or is he still tracking him down?
'Killed' is tricky, but he has already thrown him into the sun.

Ah, sorry. Thank you, corrected.
Remind me, is he wearing the mullet in this version?
No, he got it cut.
Correction: Looks like a tense error. 'targeted', perhaps?
Thank you, corrected.
 
"Queen" and "Head of State." Looks like Paul is in Eastern Europe's Kaznia (as opposed to some foreign power visiting the U.S.). And Cheshire is headed along for the ride to a place between dimensions!

Oh dear, I think we might get a scene of this "Green" Paul draining Green Lantern Jade's ring at some point. That seems like the sort of thing that'd cause a mass argument/fight to break out between multiple Jades and Pauls. Hmm. I wonder if Renegade-Paul remembers the comics well enough to avoid looting the "Green" lantern ring in the chaos, assuming they meet.

edit: Oh, and has anyone watched "The Boys"? How is it? I'm mostly asking Zoat's opinion since he knows the source material and I trust his judgment on superheroics, but any With This Ring fan can chime in. Or privately message me.
 
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Actually NightmareWarden, i think that it makes perfect sense.
Anti green doesn,t have a lantern and drains green light so mayde Green Lantern Jade has a lantern in subspace that she could recharge her ring with and give him some light.
I am wondering how Sybarite will recharge if there aren't demons around for him to consume, unless OL gives him a lantern?

Will the OLC try to gain the white light so that they can bring back assimilated people back to life?

If not then will they figure out a way to restore assimilated people during the story, and if so then when?
 
My main question is who and why is collecting alternate Pauls and Jades? What is the endgame here?
Probably Red Queen Jade went crazy and now wants a harem. Since in this multiverse she keeps dating Paul, she wants the 2 people she's been attracted to - through her iterations - herself and Paul as harem slaves. That or it's Time Trapper Paul.
 
Probably Red Queen Jade went crazy and now wants a harem. Since in this multiverse she keeps dating Paul, she wants the 2 people she's been attracted to - through her iterations - herself and Paul as harem slaves. That or it's Time Trapper Paul.


This is how time trapper paul is sustaining his own universe, we are told he is cannibalizing other universes for their energy, the red queen was an step in his plan to make his universe real, and clearly so is kidnapping his and Jades/redqueen alter egos.
 
Will the paragon and renegade meet in the story?

Will the paragon meet Grayven, not renegade, just regular Grayven?

Were those gordanians at the peace conference working for Grayven?
 
Hey can gods who aren't New Gods Awaken people like renegade does or not?

If they can't do they alter the souls of people they ascend to godhood in a diffrent way?

Do people need to be demigods in order to ascend to full godhood, or can they be mortals that somehow earned their ascension?

Aside from the Titans do other ancients beings, those that predate gods and were part of their creation story, like Ymir and that crocodile from Aztec mythology, exist in the universe of your story?

I recommend you read Reyels fic on Fanfiction net "Avengers Goddess", i really think you'll enjoy how the gods and various pantheons, of the MCU universe, are portrayed in the story.
 
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Hey can gods who aren't New Gods Awaken people like renegade does or not?

If they can't do they alter the souls of people they ascend to godhood in a diffrent way?

Do people need to be demigods in order to ascend to full godhood, or can they be mortals that somehow earned their ascension?

Aside from the Titans do other ancients beings, those that predate gods and were part of their creation story, like Ymir and that crocodile from Aztec mythology, exist in the universe of your story?

I recommend you read Reyels fic on Fanfiction net "Avengers Goddess", i really think you'll enjoy how the gods and various pantheons, of the MCU universe, are portrayed in the story.


Celestial archer was awakened by a Chinese goddess, so its fairly likely that some of them can... The bigger issue is WHY they would... I can only see some gods doing so under fairly particular scenarios.
 
Structural damage… Relatively minimal. Bullets from the belts mostly went into the building, but it's solid stone. I'm a little worried-
I may be misinterpreting this passage, but for what it's worth, bullets in a fire, outside of the barrel of a gun? Don't do much. The shell casing is much lighter and weaker than the bullet itself, so they just pop off, without the bullet moving very far. Because the casing is light and gas from the burning powder start escaping almost immediately, the casing debris both loses speed quickly and can't get too much speed to begin with.

It's extremely unlikely to create structural damage, even in residential construction. SAAMI has a great video floating around on YouTube on testing what happens when large amounts of ammunition are on fire (including 100k+ rounds in a simulated gun store) and the answer is... You'll get debris penetrating a single layer of sheetrock, but not two, and definitely not wood.
 
Will the paragon and renegade meet in the story?
I have no plans for them to do so.
Will the paragon meet Grayven, not renegade, just regular Grayven?
Yes.
Were those gordanians at the peace conference working for Grayven?
Yes.
Hey can gods who aren't New Gods Awaken people like renegade does or not?
Yes.
Do people need to be demigods in order to ascend to full godhood, or can they be mortals that somehow earned their ascension?
It's not 'earned' so much as 'achieved', but yes.
Aside from the Titans do other ancients beings, those that predate gods and were part of their creation story, like Ymir and that crocodile from Aztec mythology, exist in the universe of your story?
Not any longer.
 
Well... a robot that feeds off of radiation isn't really that hard to make. That's preety much what anything solar powered is. The problem is making it efficient and making it able to gather radiation, while still having extra energy left over. As opposed to passively absorbing it, both of which are problems that could potentially be solved in the next 100 years with no problem.

You'd think that, but no. If we could somehow build a machine that absorbed gamma radiation to power itself it would solve quite a lot of problems. Aside from its potential to clean up irradiated areas by producing power, such a thing would potentially also be a perfect or near perfect gamma shield, one of the scientific unicorns that we hope to have a thousand years from now. Unfortunately gamma is FAR more energetic than the visible spectrum light that solar panels work with and tends to just punch through things.

My main question is who and why is collecting alternate Pauls and Jades? What is the endgame here?

I was under the impression that it was Timetrapper Paul and Red Queen Jade collecting their alternate selves and that it wasn't meant to be a mystery.
 
Mr Zoat have you fighred out how you're going to keep all the Pauls from doing a tech exchange?
 
edit: Oh, and has anyone watched "The Boys"? How is it? I'm mostly asking Zoat's opinion since he knows the source material and I trust his judgment on superheroics, but any With This Ring fan can chime in. Or privately message me.
Personally I loved it, though I thought that the comic was stupidly dark and graphic just for the point of shock value and Garth Ennis' mean spirited dislike of all things superhero and the show toned it down enough to be realistic while still being pretty brutal at times
This is how time trapper paul is sustaining his own universe, we are told he is cannibalizing other universes for their energy, the red queen was an step in his plan to make his universe real, and clearly so is kidnapping his and Jades/redqueen alter egos.
Iirc it's less that he's cannibalising other universes and more that he's introducing small changes into their timelines which then snowball, forcing the Legion of Superheroes to fix it, collapsing the alternate timeline he created and ultimately giving him more energy with which to sustain his timeline than he started with

And his plan to solidify his timeline as a proper one somehow involves working alongside Red Queen Jade to kidnap their alternate selves
 
Okay, why does he have a ring? Wasn't the League and Superman going to help him?

That would mean removing the ring, therapy and so on.

What went wrong?
 

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