Vorian
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You're reaching a bit on that one.
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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
- Start date
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- self insert young justice
You're reaching a bit on that one.
Cuchulin
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That isn't exactly incompatible with what i said.
A Week in the Life of (part 13)
Mr Zoat
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15th April
06:42 GMT -5
"Oh El? Training's not 'til, like… Nine.
"Yes, Kid Flash, and I'm-"
"Wait, what'd you call me?"
"-sorry about that, but I'm in need of your expertise."
"Okay. Ah. What's going on?"
"You remember Sandman?"
"Yeah? I mean, I don't remember-him remember him; he died when I was, like, five, but I know who you mean."
"I have received information that his sidekick Sandy isn't dead."
"I know we joke about it? But getting shot with radioactive sand usually just kills people. Or gives them cancer.. or something."
"I know. I checked the statistics myself when I first came to this planet." Selection bias: the ones you hear about are the ones who live. The ninety nine point nine percent of people who get exposed to weird chemicals or magic or technology who just die don't make the same impact. "But you know how Sandman had prophetic visions?"
"I know he said he did. Wait, he didn't get them from Apollo, did he? Because you said Apollo hates you."
"No, not Apollo. Apparently what Sandman was dreaming… Was sort of leaking out of the dreams of criminals. I just had a chat with the being in charge of dreams and he wants us to rescue Sandy as a post-mortem 'thank you' to Sandman for using the power to do good."
"Huh. Kinda… Late."
"When talking to a being who can shape dreams and ideas as an act of will, even I had the sense not to point that out."
"I guess that makes sense. What do you need my help for?"
"Have you studied the chemicals Sandman used?"
"I'm.. Kid Flash, not Kid Sandman."
"Yes, I know."
"Jay showed me his research a couple of times, but I couldn't-. Oh!"
"Yes."
"That's how he invented a perfect knockout gas that nobody's been able to replicate! Rgtrgtltmjt-."
He's accelerating. I could have my ring play it back at audible speed, but it's actually faster to-
"Okay, I'm headed to the Mountain now."
-wait for him to realise.
"Who's actually gunna be there?"
"Blue Lantern, Wonder Woman, Red Tornado and whoever else is awake."
"You not calling Jay?"
"Flash One is even older than Blue Lantern and nothing like as regenerated."
Where's Ian Karkull when you need him?
"I'm not saying 'invite him along', I'm just saying he might know something."
Fair point.
"Is he going to be less annoyed about being phoned at seven o'clock in the morning by you or by me?"
"He's probably up. He doesn't.. actually sleep all that well. I'll run there so the phone doesn't wake Joan up."
"Right-oh. See you shortly."
I close my left fist and sigh as Zagreus emerges from the thrush-corpse he used to create a personal portal to Erebos.
"How did he take it?"
"My father is concerned, but he does not blame you. Our mother… We had best do the bidding of Morpheus swiftly." His eyes narrow and he gives his head a small shake. "Assuming that he can even find her."
"Why are you worried? He might not be omniscient, but his control of his own realm is pretty good."
"And was his control 'pretty good' when those Mother Star creatures were eating entire species?"
"Yes. Well, him or one of his predecessors."
"And he did nothing to stop them?"
"Zagreus, if there was some sort of apocalypse, most humans died and civilisation broke down completely, would you go back to Greece and teach the last few survivors how to hunt?"
"You mean, even though they're Christian?" He considers for a moment. "Probably."
"How about other places?"
"Per.. haps..?"
"You have a connection to Greece. Even now, over a thousand years after they stopped worshipping your family, you still feel it. Morpheus doesn't have a connection to anyone. The Mother Stars could have eaten everything with a mind in the universe and he wouldn't have cared, unless he considered himself to have an obligation to someone."
"Hm." He considers for a moment. "Then if I am unsettled by his callousness, it would behove me to amend my own behaviour. Very well then. If disaster befalls the world, I will teach the survivors the skills of their ancestors."
"Thank you."
"And now I will attempt to hunt down our earthly quarry."
"Okay, but if you find Sandy, don't approach. We have no idea what his mental state is."
"I have stalked quarry before, you know."
"I didn't mean to criticise your skills. I just want to make sure that we're on the same page."
He nods, then turns away and takes off at a loping run.
Okay.
I transition to the Salem zeta tube, which Koriand'r appears to be fascinated by. John is in full Doctor Fate regalia, which…
"John, are you grandfathered onto the League, or do you have to get nominated separately?"
"I suppose it depends on how long they want to keep the cover-up going."
"Grandfathered, then." He shrugs. "Well, let's get going. We've got a sidekick to rescue."
06:42 GMT -5
"Oh El? Training's not 'til, like… Nine.
"Yes, Kid Flash, and I'm-"
"Wait, what'd you call me?"
"-sorry about that, but I'm in need of your expertise."
"Okay. Ah. What's going on?"
"You remember Sandman?"
"Yeah? I mean, I don't remember-him remember him; he died when I was, like, five, but I know who you mean."
"I have received information that his sidekick Sandy isn't dead."
"I know we joke about it? But getting shot with radioactive sand usually just kills people. Or gives them cancer.. or something."
"I know. I checked the statistics myself when I first came to this planet." Selection bias: the ones you hear about are the ones who live. The ninety nine point nine percent of people who get exposed to weird chemicals or magic or technology who just die don't make the same impact. "But you know how Sandman had prophetic visions?"
"I know he said he did. Wait, he didn't get them from Apollo, did he? Because you said Apollo hates you."
"No, not Apollo. Apparently what Sandman was dreaming… Was sort of leaking out of the dreams of criminals. I just had a chat with the being in charge of dreams and he wants us to rescue Sandy as a post-mortem 'thank you' to Sandman for using the power to do good."
"Huh. Kinda… Late."
"When talking to a being who can shape dreams and ideas as an act of will, even I had the sense not to point that out."
"I guess that makes sense. What do you need my help for?"
"Have you studied the chemicals Sandman used?"
"I'm.. Kid Flash, not Kid Sandman."
"Yes, I know."
"Jay showed me his research a couple of times, but I couldn't-. Oh!"
"Yes."
"That's how he invented a perfect knockout gas that nobody's been able to replicate! Rgtrgtltmjt-."
He's accelerating. I could have my ring play it back at audible speed, but it's actually faster to-
"Okay, I'm headed to the Mountain now."
-wait for him to realise.
"Who's actually gunna be there?"
"Blue Lantern, Wonder Woman, Red Tornado and whoever else is awake."
"You not calling Jay?"
"Flash One is even older than Blue Lantern and nothing like as regenerated."
Where's Ian Karkull when you need him?
"I'm not saying 'invite him along', I'm just saying he might know something."
Fair point.
"Is he going to be less annoyed about being phoned at seven o'clock in the morning by you or by me?"
"He's probably up. He doesn't.. actually sleep all that well. I'll run there so the phone doesn't wake Joan up."
"Right-oh. See you shortly."
I close my left fist and sigh as Zagreus emerges from the thrush-corpse he used to create a personal portal to Erebos.
"How did he take it?"
"My father is concerned, but he does not blame you. Our mother… We had best do the bidding of Morpheus swiftly." His eyes narrow and he gives his head a small shake. "Assuming that he can even find her."
"Why are you worried? He might not be omniscient, but his control of his own realm is pretty good."
"And was his control 'pretty good' when those Mother Star creatures were eating entire species?"
"Yes. Well, him or one of his predecessors."
"And he did nothing to stop them?"
"Zagreus, if there was some sort of apocalypse, most humans died and civilisation broke down completely, would you go back to Greece and teach the last few survivors how to hunt?"
"You mean, even though they're Christian?" He considers for a moment. "Probably."
"How about other places?"
"Per.. haps..?"
"You have a connection to Greece. Even now, over a thousand years after they stopped worshipping your family, you still feel it. Morpheus doesn't have a connection to anyone. The Mother Stars could have eaten everything with a mind in the universe and he wouldn't have cared, unless he considered himself to have an obligation to someone."
"Hm." He considers for a moment. "Then if I am unsettled by his callousness, it would behove me to amend my own behaviour. Very well then. If disaster befalls the world, I will teach the survivors the skills of their ancestors."
"Thank you."
"And now I will attempt to hunt down our earthly quarry."
"Okay, but if you find Sandy, don't approach. We have no idea what his mental state is."
"I have stalked quarry before, you know."
"I didn't mean to criticise your skills. I just want to make sure that we're on the same page."
He nods, then turns away and takes off at a loping run.
Okay.
I transition to the Salem zeta tube, which Koriand'r appears to be fascinated by. John is in full Doctor Fate regalia, which…
"John, are you grandfathered onto the League, or do you have to get nominated separately?"
"I suppose it depends on how long they want to keep the cover-up going."
"Grandfathered, then." He shrugs. "Well, let's get going. We've got a sidekick to rescue."
Last edited:
Idkusername
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even now
Kalem_Lee
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Dont you mean "why'd you call me?"
Mr Zoat
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Thank you, corrected.
No. His brain was warming up and he was surprised that the SI didn't call him 'Wallace'.
Huttj509
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I think it is "what," as OL normally calls people by their given names. When not on the job, that is, so him calling Kid Flash such stands out as unusual, as a signal that the call is business, not personal.
Chojin Patriarch
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Wow, that is honestly out of character for him, if Wally notices it. He's in full professional mode, I see. No real names where someone not in the know might hear.
Well, it started when he took the Greek goddess of nightmares to examine the Mother Star corpse inside Pluto...
I honestly doubt he ever would have met Dodds anyway. Didn't he only meet Jay Garrick because of his uncle becoming the Flash?
Yeah, if you aren't a main or side character, the Law of Narrative Causality won't do shit to save your life. On the upside, if you are, you're good as immortal. Unless you're killed off to give someone else drama.
Got to love the MetaGene. Giving that one in a million chance to opportunity to shine.
Though I doubt Wally ever bothered to read what info OL could quote about the Endless. Not like he was ever going to meet one, was he?
Sensible advice. If you thought Gods were capricious, imagine how bad the ones above them are?
Oh-ho, another case of accidental alchemy? No wonder his gas gun was so effective.
Ah, I see Wally just came to the same conclusion. Bet he'll get the idea to replicate it for an additional bit of kit.
I wonder how often he ends up doing that to people. Going off on a superspeed tangent...
Good idea to check, don't want to walk in on something.
Mister Garrick is over ninety-five years old at this point. He may be in decent shape, but do you want him getting into another cape fight? He was lucky during that shit with Rival, what with the durability of being possessed by a demon.
Would his plan even be possible in this universe? No Obsidian to use as a lever on the Shadowlands... I doubt he could manage so well using Shade.
True. He might have an idea on where Sandy might be locked up. Assuming Dodds told anyone else.
Bad dreams from the aforementioned run-in with Rival? He was demonically possessed, after all.
Well, OL is still alive, so it can't have been that bad.
It'll just take time for him to sweep the place, or send his raven looking. She'd have quite the metaphysical signature, even in the Dreaming.
The question is 'why didn't he do something about them?' And the answer is...
It'd be just like the old days, honestly. Probably something he'd look forwards to.
Or rather, the lands currently called Greece. All the lands where he was worshipped. And yes, Morpheus is a bit of a lazy one.
Well, that's quite the declaration. It might well net him a few worshippers one day. Not that total collapse is likely, unless the Great Disaster rolls through. And I think OL would have things to say about that.
Given his comic appearance at this point was 'raging sand monster locked in a glass bottle', that's good advice.
Yes, OL. No need to tell the god of hunting how to hunt... Do people tell you how to blunder into crazy situations?
He can pull out the 'Justice League business' card. That'll open a few doors.
At worst, they admit that 'Fate' is a rotating title held by various mages wearing a legendary artifact. Not entirely the truth, but good enough for politics.
Now, the investigation begins. Can they sniff out where Sandy is hidden, and how long will it take? How long will Persephone's patience last before she curses OL? How much of a mess will Sandy make when he busts out? I guess we'll find out over the weekend.
He nods, then turns away and takes off at a loping run.
transhumansage
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Vaermina
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Weren't those the same statistics that would have been manipulated by Boss Smiley?
BlueMangoAdea
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The really good upgrades are magic/alchemy based, which don't work on his nonstandard soul, and most others are not worth doing when you own a power ring.
transhumansage
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like? you got examples?
Sockmonkey
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There are the genetic-based upgrades like Truggs and Abra have. They aren't big, but they're worth having.
DrThoth
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I know Paragon has a lot of out-of-universe knowledge plus probably familiarity with such topics from general research since he arrived, but I still find it a bit odd that he has to explain things like the Endless to a millennia-old god who, even though he hasn't interacted much with Dream, should have a fairly good idea about the nature and scope of their existences just from general background knowledge.
I do have a mental image of a Starro version of Morpheus now though, so that's cool.
I do have a mental image of a Starro version of Morpheus now though, so that's cool.
Mr Zoat
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No, just a byproduct of being really old.
Thank you, corrected.
You mean, like by putting tattoos on his body that make him immune to exotic detection? Something like that?
Mostly because he likes how he is.
Queshire
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Wasn't this established one of the other times we've seen him?
Mr Zoat
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I don't remember. If so, the SI is wondering if the League has formally ruled either way.
Queshire
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Fair enough
Mr Zoat
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His relationship with Jay isn't anything like as close.
He could turn himself into someone entirely different, yes.
Not as far as the SI knows.
Darko
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He has an incredibly powerful soul, and has been called a demigod on multiple occasions.
Canis also called him a powerful New God.
The ring may give him a lot of power, but he has a lot of personal power, even if it isn't as apparent as renegades.
Not really.
John has performed some bullshit things before that seemed impossible.
Hinon is a godlike being that comes from a godlike race that has had dealings with beings like the Endless and has accumulated a lot of knowledge.
Senevri
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He already did with the demon thing. Kryptonians are pretty human-like for malthusinoids.... I guess he could also try to emulate Adam Blake's physiology. Should be capable of retaining the exact same mimd...
It's gotta be the neural changes that worry him
Mind's just the plaything of the body and all that.
Or is it that if it's not a direct copy/paste it gets too tricky to apply?
Or in doylist sense, are you avoiding power creep?
One could argue that kryptonians exhibit a rather rigid way of thinking, compared to humans, and that may be more than just upbringing.
Coda
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He HAS been upgrading himself, but he's been taking it slow because he likes how he is right now and he doesn't want to make a change that will backfire on him. It's come up in the story on occasion, but it's more of a background thing. The SI prefers to use technology instead of bioengineering because it's safer and easier to adapt and generalize.
DrThoth
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Paragon probably could (given his enlightenment and Jay's ties to Kid Flash), he just hasn't been formally asked or approached about it. But I think Alan/Blue Lantern would be a more obvious choice to do this, and they may have discussed it off-screen. Jay (and Joan, and Ted Grant) may have refused it for those typical reasons people refuse effective immortality in fiction.
Has Alan or Paragon discussed or considered empowering Ted Grant (or anyone else) with either Garrick or Danner recently? I get that Danner has the useful benefit of slower aging, but more Flash-level speedsters would be a potent force (though having multiple would be understandably difficult to write effectively, as I've probably acknowledged at some point).
Siskulous
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I think it demonstrably is mostly, but not completely, upbringing when you consider Superman. There are certain things he gets rather rigid minded about, but it's mostly the sorts of things that stubborn Kansas farm boys get rigid minded about (and for context, I spent a whole lot of weekends and summers working on my grandpa's Kansas farm during my preteen and teen years). Overall his thinking seems to be much more flexible than that of Kryptonians raised on Krypton.
Someguy Somewhere
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With regards to Paul not grabbing every upgrade he can, I've previously mentioned that it's generally more efficient for him to just phone a friend when a particular power or skill set is needed rather then take time out of doing things to upgrade himself to a competent degree.
But there is the fact that, after his merger with 'best snek' that....anything else would seem fairly tame by comparison.
I mean, a few days of being the Embodiment of Avarice, he was able to quickly outstrip just about every power on Hell World Earth. What power didn't he have at that point? (Aside from Common Sense)
Yes he's tweaked a few neurons here for a better memory, upgraded his senses...maybe he'll tinker with the efficiency of lactic acid build up in muscles (I would have considered that one after WW made him run the Old School Marathon). But when it boils down to it...upgrading the meat sack that holds his orange heart doesn't mean much on the Cosmic Scale.
OL has before mentioned that there are very few things that he can't out escalate.
Where's the need to juggle Toyoda's with muscles when he has a ring that can do it? And if things are bad he can just go full Bad Wolf and rip them apart at the subatomic level.
But there is the fact that, after his merger with 'best snek' that....anything else would seem fairly tame by comparison.
I mean, a few days of being the Embodiment of Avarice, he was able to quickly outstrip just about every power on Hell World Earth. What power didn't he have at that point? (Aside from Common Sense)
Yes he's tweaked a few neurons here for a better memory, upgraded his senses...maybe he'll tinker with the efficiency of lactic acid build up in muscles (I would have considered that one after WW made him run the Old School Marathon). But when it boils down to it...upgrading the meat sack that holds his orange heart doesn't mean much on the Cosmic Scale.
OL has before mentioned that there are very few things that he can't out escalate.
Where's the need to juggle Toyoda's with muscles when he has a ring that can do it? And if things are bad he can just go full Bad Wolf and rip them apart at the subatomic level.
Vaermina
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He could literally have had his ring brute force simulate workable genetic upgrades by this point.
Except of course he has almost no personal power and without his power rings would get his ass kicked by Robin.
So again, he's an inflated parade balloon, impressive on the surface, but full of helium making him look bigger and more impressive then he actually is.