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

Khettien · 2026-06-09T06:42:43+0100

I've always thought it was kind of funny how the definition of hero changed from a brutal killer of men and beasts into someone who refuses to kill.

I get it. But it's still weird.

Cuchulin · 2026-06-09T06:50:16+0100

Khettien said:
I've always thought it was kind of funny how the definition of hero changed from a brutal killer of men and beasts into someone who refuses to kill.

I get it. But it's still weird.

I think you mean "brutal killer of enemies and wild beasts".

Khettien · 2026-06-09T07:03:32+0100

Cuchulin said:
I think you mean "brutal killer of enemies and wild beasts".

You're not familiar with the original legends of Herakles, are you? I know what I said. Though, to be fair, I probably should have used 'humans' instead of 'men'.

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-06-09T07:08:43+0100

Mr Zoat said:
13th September 2013
14:13 GMT

"Orange Lantern." George Harkness raises his pint glass in my direction as I approach his table. "Been a while."

It took me a second to remember who this was: Captain Boomerang. Possibly considered the silliest of the Flash Rogues, given that his special talent is throwing things well. Perhaps he'll get to work on that today.

"Indeed it has." I incline my head towards the seat opposite him. "May I join you?"

He shrugs. "Worked out well last time."

Certainly, he's still here and not stuck in Belle Reve or working for Amanda Waller.

I sit, move one of the coasters a little closer to me and put down my pint of orange juice.

Mister Harkness smirks at it. "Good f' you, staying on brand."

More the fact you don't really want someone with a Power Ring getting drunk while operating it. Especially if it's one that doesn't need as much mental focus as a Green one does.

I glance back at the bar, behind which are beer pumps decorated with unfamiliar brands. "Speaking of brands… What happened to the beer?"

"Bunch a' big breweries went unda. Can't get the raw materials to their big breweries. Places like this either brew their own or get it from micro breweries. Or both."

Ah, a forgotten side-effect of the Anti-Life event. Lost amongst the critical supply issues...

"What's that done for the quality?"

"I usually buy import anyway. Not that I can get any of that anymore."

And being Australian, the man knows his beers.

He looks at me expectantly.

"I'll get you a crate of Guinness."

Hell, that's enough to get him to hear you out.

"Bonza. So what'd'ya want this time? Looks like you got the costume sorted out."

"I understand that you've gotten back into the entertainment industry."

Huh. Surprising. Doing what, trick-shot displays in live shows and on morning TV?

"It's a living. And I'm a bit more famous than I used to be."

"So, is this a..? Permanent thing..?"

At least he's not robbing banks right now.

"Well I'm not going to be fixing the arctic anytime soon, am I? And I'm not dumb enough to pick a fight with Flasher when the world's collapsing."

"Would you be interested in more public relations work?"

Like what, doing PSAs for the OMACs?

He looks at me quizzically. "Did Cold put you up to this?"

"I did ask him about how he thought we could rehabilitate his… Colleagues?"

Sadly, some of them are in it for the love of the game, not the paychecks. Usually the crazier ones...

He snorts, looking away. "Former colleagues, at this point."

"Trickster's licensing his designs to KordTech. Kadabra's studying in Atlantis. Heatwave's-."

I assume Mick Rory's doing stuff with thermal management in cold conditions. He's not quite Captain Cold-levels of knowledge, but...

"Though you were all about real names."

"I'm massaging your ego."

Heh, he usually has to pay good money for that sort of thing.

"Strewth, I'd-" He leans back. "-have brought me other trousers if I'd known."

"He's working in construction, Weather Wizard is undergoing professional counselling-."

Ah, thermal welding that's more effective than typical techniques?

Mr. Harkness frown. "He agreed to that?"

"I don't think he's realised that's what's happening. He likes to talk about himself, and KordTech has had to abandon weather control system production in order to focus on more immediate concerns, so we're paying him to take the strain."

Ah, yes, one of the big egos of the group.

"Hm. Bunch of.. sell outs…"

"Is there a cause you're working for that I don't know about?"

I mean, if this were something silly like Superfriends, the bag guys might well commit to the 'we're evil and proud of it' angle.

"No, but it's the principle of the thing, isn't it?"

"Is it? I thought it was about money and infamy."

Yes, that's his principles.

"Look, I know perfectly well that being able to freeze anything is a bigger deal than being able t' throw boomerangs really well. But at least I can tell myself that I didn't sell out."

"Sell out what to whom?"

Please, do tell us how showing off your throwing skills is paying the bills.

"You, you fucking villain whisperer. You're going to make a rational argument to me now, aren't you? About how I can make more money going legit, without the risk of getting arrested. About how I can get more famous as a carney than as a criminal."

"Something like that. It seems to me that you've considered it yourself."

That's a good one. 'Villain Whisperer'. And it is basically what he does.

"I did it, didn't I?"

"So if you've already made the decision..?"

Is it so bad getting an even bigger paycheck from doing what OL asks?

"No. This is just until the world's a bit less on fire. But if I take a job from you, that's it. I can't deny it to myself any more."

"Sounds like you're cutting off your nose to spite your face, there."

And really, going straight isn't that bad. Much less risk of being punched in the face by someone in long-johns, for a start.

"Maybe. But it's my nose and my face."

"Though if you throw your nose away that's not yours anymore." He snorts, and takes a sip of his pint. "Is that..? Just me? Or do you feel that way about working for anyone?"

That's a very good distinction to check on.

"Any hero."

"It's nice that you still think that I qualify."

Well, by the modern, no-killing boy scout definition Superman pioneered...

He frowns. "Why wouldn't you? If it's about the taking over the world thing, you're doing a better job that the no-hopers who were doing it. That really is a public service."

"I was thinking more about the millions of people I've killed."

Admittedly, most of them weren't Humans, so...

For a moment he doesn't respond. Then there's a faint smirk in the left corner of his mouth as he decides that I'm deadpanning a joke. I smile politely as he maintains it, though his eyes grow increasingly nervous as they roam my face, searching for tells. The smirk fades as he leans back slightly.

I can imagine the slow progression from incredulity to disbelief.

"Bullshit."

"Oh, I've had the best of intentions. They were all very bad people. Or working for very bad people. Or at least part of a very bad civilisation, even if I couldn't confirm their goodness or badness on an individual basis. Or good people who had to be standing too close to the bad people. Or people who were on the wrong side of a war, who might actually have been fairly good people if only they were more discerning on the subject of who they took orders from."

Yeah, honestly, he does tend to cause a lot of collateral damage sometimes.

"Like when?"

"Depending on what incident you're asking about, anything from two years ago to a few days ago."

Admittedly, most of them are from places Digger would never have heard of.

"Standing too close.. to bad people..?"

"I was bombarding cities from orbit. And yes, the people living in those cities were cannibals, but it's a little unfair to blame children for what their parents feed to them."

Ultimately, they would have been raised with the understanding that it's normal behaviour. And gone on to perpetuate it...

"…right. Cold didn't mention any o'this."

"Well, no. It's not like I go around boasting about the fact that I'm probably the second greatest killer in human history."

"Who's the greatest?"

And in most of his kills, he's performed the action personally, if remotely. Most killer world leaders of history couldn't manage that.

"Vandal Savage, because he's had tens of thousands of years to build up his total. At my current rate I won't equal that for a decade or so." I smile. "So about that P.R. work..?"

"Eh." He smiles nervously. "Never too late to learn new tricks, hey?"

Heh. I love the implication that he's been simply intimidated into doing what OL says just from the casual declaration of 'I've killed more people than nearly anyone on Earth'.

OL's not quite at the 'killed more people than cancer' tier yet, but he has been working with quantity over Vandal's quality. At least Digger is taking the hint about going straight. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up working, especially with OL importing a bunch of Thanagarian media soon. Imagine if he becomes the 'Agro Vation' of a new generation.

Duke Long · 2026-06-09T07:37:06+0100

Mr Zoat said:
"Bunch a' big breweries went unda. Can't get the raw materials to their big breweries. Places like this either brew their own or get it from micro breweries. Or both."

Is the repetition of 'big breweries' deliberate?

Mr Zoat said:
"Well I'm not going to be fixing the arctic anytime soon, am I? And I'm not dumb enough to pick a fight with Flasher when the world's collapsing."

'Arctic'

Mr Zoat said:
"Though you were all about real names."

'Thought'

Edit: Thinking of the Ancestor last chapter, did we ever get a conclusion to the H'v'ler'ni plot? I only remember there being two chapters, with the second ending with them starting to think about what they're supposed to do about the problem.

Z000 · 2026-06-09T07:38:49+0100

Khettien said:
I've always thought it was kind of funny how the definition of hero changed from a brutal killer of men and beasts into someone who refuses to kill.

I get it. But it's still weird.

basically 2 Hero type nowaday

Modern: shoulder the responsibility, doing the right thing, no kill, let the law do it job , be the bigger man and all that

Mythical: do big legendary thing (does not make them good thing), slain great monster (does not matter if it for glory or defense of other), become King of a plot of dirt and rule well (subjective as how do you define such a thing)

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-09T08:35:12+0100

Darko said:
"frowns"

Duke Long said:
Is the repetition of 'big breweries' deliberate?
'Arctic'
'Thought'

Thank you, corrected.

Edit: Thinking of the Ancestor last chapter, did we ever get a conclusion to the H'v'ler'ni plot? I only remember there being two chapters, with the second ending with them starting to think about what they're supposed to do about the problem.

Ah, remind me?

Duke Long · 2026-06-09T08:58:52+0100

Mr Zoat said:
Ah, remind me?

At the behest of the Ancestor, Native Americans have been watching over an underground city of an ancient people called the H'v'ler'ni, who were dying of disease and so either fled Earth or transferred themselves into a giant robot.

The Natives recruit Bat Lash and Scalphunter to help them because Arkady Duvall has become aware that there's something special in their land, and they're worried that the robot is going to get woken up by invading white men.

Edit: Occurred to me that I should link. The second chapter is right after the first.

Mr Zoat said:
January 8th, 1857
Midday

Chaoswind · 2026-06-09T12:10:42+0100

Chojin Patriarch said:
where he ends up working, especially with OL importing a bunch of Thanagarian media soon.

That deal probably fell through. He only got that authorization after he was already committed to the mission due to the attempt on his life and just hours later he had already blew up a Thanagarian admiral and forced them to sign a "peace" treaty without realizing they had lost multiple worlds.

At that point Thanagar isn't going to give him the license for anything, hence why I think he is trying to get captain boomerang back into the entertainment industry on a larger scale that doing trickshots for "league" coins in the park.

Honestly Paul already has a mega game about the largest allied non hostile polity to sol coming out of the pipeline, so all he needs its to distribute gaming consoles powerful enough to run it and get the people of Vega interested enough to visit sol (earth and mars), the Kryptonian colonist in 2814 and Abin Sur's planet.

Paul could get a sub organization of the dark stars running locally with Jade at its head just by recruiting a few random people from the local species of 2814 (Mars, Earth, New Krypton, Ungara), then thet can join the Vega alliance as junior members and that should keep Thanagar away.

Neruz · 2026-06-09T12:16:27+0100

Vandal Savage probably hasn't actually killed that many people; he's about 52,000 years old, and if we assume he killed one person every day of his life, which I think is probably on the high side of estimates, then he's killed just shy of 19 million people.

Orbital bombardment of half a dozen to a dozen major cities on an Earth-like world and you'll have probably exceeded Savage's total. On a more densely populated world, or if you target the largest cities on Earth, and you could exceed him with just one city destroyed.

Tzeentch · 2026-06-09T13:01:35+0100

Mr Zoat said:
TA: I suppose there's still a division of responsibilities-. Sorry, it's just that I've been… Interested in the Ancestor for.. most of my life. Finding out that there are people who actually know him-.

Ha! Besides the Amazons, there's also all the other immortals out there who likely know Paul.

Vandar Adg/Vandal Savage, Thessaly, Nimue/Madam Xanadu, Jebediah of Canaan/The Wizard, Klarn Arg/Immortal Man, Richard Swift/The Shade, Doctor Gotham....

Duke Long · 2026-06-09T13:05:08+0100

Neruz said:
Vandal Savage probably hasn't actually killed that many people; he's about 52,000 years old, and if we assume he killed one person every day of his life, which I think is probably on the high side of estimates, then he's killed just shy of 19 million people.

Orbital bombardment of half a dozen to a dozen major cities on an Earth-like world and you'll have probably exceeded Savage's total. On a more densely populated world, or if you target the largest cities on Earth, and you could exceed him with just one city destroyed.

No comment on how many Vandal Savage has killed, but when it comes to the bombardment I think it was clarified that Oh El wasn't wiping them off the map and actually aimed for industrial and military installations. IIRC he said something about how his bombing would be seen as a joke by Arthur Harris, whose bombing campaign caused, from what I can see, less than one million deaths.

Steelplaza · 2026-06-09T13:11:49+0100

I always thought Harkness probably has more tech skills than he likes to show off. Less "super science" and more "super design", an intuitive sense for how to integrate all sorts of stuff into his boomerangs without throwing off the balance. There's probably ways to parlay that into something useful.

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-09T13:31:43+0100

Tzeentch said:
Richard Swift/The Shade

Richard Swift is only a few hundred years old.

Neruz · 2026-06-09T14:22:51+0100

Duke Long said:
No comment on how many Vandal Savage has killed, but when it comes to the bombardment I think it was clarified that Oh El wasn't wiping them off the map and actually aimed for industrial and military installations. IIRC he said something about how his bombing would be seen as a joke by Arthur Harris, whose bombing campaign caused, from what I can see, less than one million deaths.

My point is more that Savage hasn't really killed that many people, and since OL is already well into the multi-millions it's probably going to be much less than 10 years before he overtakes even the most generous estimation of Savage's count.

Tzeentch · 2026-06-09T16:57:32+0100

Mr Zoat said:
Richard Swift is only a few hundred years old.

True, but he IS an immortal and would have likely encountered "The Ancestor" at some point regardless..

Ct613hulu · 2026-06-09T17:19:01+0100

Tzeentch said:
True, but he IS an immortal and would have likely encountered "The Ancestor" at some point regardless..

Why would that be the case? Canon had it that Richard Swift had lived a relatively quite life up until his adventures with the Justice Society. He didn't travel the world seeking out mysteries or going on adventures. It would be incredibly easy for him to simply never have encountered "The Ancestor" in life due to never being at pivotal events that he would attend or otherwise drawing attention to himself.

Richard Swift is also not that old as he was born in the mid 1800s.

PDV · 2026-06-09T18:32:51+0100

Neruz said:
My point is more that Savage hasn't really killed that many people, and since OL is already well into the multi-millions it's probably going to be much less than 10 years before he overtakes even the most generous estimation of Savage's count.

Genghis Khan's death toll is estimated at 50 million. Savage has done that at least once.

Lazurman · 2026-06-09T19:06:51+0100

PDV said:
Genghis Khan's death toll is estimated at 50 million. Savage has done that at least once.

I mean, if we're counting deaths via a faction one leads/founds, then NEMO's probably contributing fuckhueg numbers to OL's killcount.

Vaermina · 2026-06-09T19:21:59+0100

Chaoswind said:
That deal probably fell through. He only got that authorization after he was already committed to the mission due to the attempt on his life and just hours later he had already blew up a Thanagarian admiral and forced them to sign a "peace" treaty without realizing they had lost multiple worlds.

At that point Thanagar isn't going to give him the license for anything, hence why I think he is trying to get captain boomerang back into the entertainment industry on a larger scale that doing trickshots for "league" coins in the park.

Honestly Paul already has a mega game about the largest allied non hostile polity to sol coming out of the pipeline, so all he needs its to distribute gaming consoles powerful enough to run it and get the people of Vega interested enough to visit sol (earth and mars), the Kryptonian colonist in 2814 and Abin Sur's planet.

Paul could get a sub organization of the dark stars running locally with Jade at its head just by recruiting a few random people from the local species of 2814 (Mars, Earth, New Krypton, Ungara), then thet can join the Vega alliance as junior members and that should keep Thanagar away.

The loss of Thanagarian porn was truly a loss that will be felt.

Neruz · 2026-06-09T19:25:19+0100

PDV said:
Genghis Khan's death toll is estimated at 50 million. Savage has done that at least once.

Pretty sure the death toll being used here is personal death toll, not organizational death toll, as otherwise, being the guy who basically set up NEMO, OL would easily be way in the lead.

Silverias · 2026-06-09T19:29:05+0100

My read on Boomerang was basically, no one making a moral argument would ever convince him. Not because he disagreed with the morals, but because he refused to bend to a moral argument because it would mean compromising his autonomy.

OL had to prove he was speaking entirely pragmatically, and used the "I have killed a shitload of people." to show he wasn't just giving him a Superman speech to try and convince him. Hearing "I think you're making a mistake." is different coming from someone you know makes good MORAL decisions and someone you know who makes good PRACTICAL decisions.

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-09T19:39:56+0100

Duke Long said:
At the behest of the Ancestor, Native Americans have been watching over an underground city of an ancient people called the H'v'ler'ni, who were dying of disease and so either fled Earth or transferred themselves into a giant robot.

The Natives recruit Bat Lash and Scalphunter to help them because Arkady Duvall has become aware that there's something special in their land, and they're worried that the robot is going to get woken up by invading white men.

No conclusion was provided, though you may reasonably assume from the world still existing that the results weren't too bad.

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-10T06:21:21+0100

18th May 2284
08:48 GMT -6

The N.C.R. Rangers guarding the N.C.R. suite recognise me, but they're professional enough to check me for weapons before allowing me inside. The garrison and the administrators overseeing the N.C.R. logistics and settlers have their own permanent places of habitation, and part of the delegation is staying there… Read 'underlings and lickspittles'. President Hayes was originally going to be here from the start, but he had 'urgent business' and now he's going to show up fashionably late.

And since I'm a telepath, I know for a fact that 'urgent business' was 'being a massive drama queen and flying in on a fighter-escorted vertibird when everyone's already here to see it'. But, fine. The N.C.R.'s come a long way under his leadership and if the worst he wants to do is show that off a little, I guess he's earned it.

The N.C.R. Rangers don't recognise Granite, but then there's no real reason why they would. A few Rangers acted as escort for the first part of the Enclave prisoner transfer, but Granite was already in Illinois when that happened. A couple might have seen him while he was working with me in Area 51, but he honestly doesn't stand out all that much. I think it's how how nervous he looks that's setting off alarm bells.

But because we're not idiots, we're not armed-. Well, I'm always armed, but I can't really disarm my brain and the N.C.R. citizens who've gone through our training know perfectly well-

**Hi Steven.**

**Morning, Sir. And yes, we do.**

-that they couldn't really stop me.

**His mother? Really?**

**Someone had to be. And does someone need to redo his telepathic ethics course?**

**Sorry sir, but he's thinking it pretty loudly. Senator Chitsa is doing a final briefing in the living area now.**

**Thank you.**

One of the Rangers -not Steven, his skills are too valuable-

**Thank you, sir.**

-to waste on tour guide duty- escorts us down the corridor and through a reception area, before stopping at a door.

"Please wait here, sir. I'll notify the Senator that you're here."

"Thank you." I nod placidly, while the Ranger disappears inside and Douglas… Starts pacing around the room like a caged animal.

A moment passes, and he clenches his fists and stops as he recognises what he's doing.

"Hey, ah, Krono? I don't wanna… Seize up when Mom comes out. Can you do something to make me… Calmer about this?"

"I could, but it's honestly not a good idea. It can mess up how different ideas connect in your mind, as well as suppressing other emotions as a side effect."

"Okay, yeah, that-. That makes sense. Hoo!" He smiles nervously. "This is-." He breathes out. "I know it's probably okay, but-."

The door bursts open, and an elderly woman dashes out, takes one look at me and Douglas and then throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face to his chest.

Douglas needs a moment for his brain to engage, then he hugs her back. "Hey Mom."

Senator Chitsa has-. Ah, the sort of flat face and angled eye orbit that I associate with parts of Asia, though her skin isn't all that much darker than mine. Given the purges that America underwent prior to the end of the Great War I assume that her ancestors were from somewhere other than China, though I suppose that Vault 13 had good relations with the Brotherhood of Steel prior to the Enclave's attack. Her hair is tied into a pony tail which goes to the middle of her back, and the once-black hair has mostly turned white. Her suit appears to be in the pre-War style but tailored for a woman, suggesting that it's a modern recreation.

"Douglas."

Well, looks like my work is done. I didn't really think that she'd have had a relationship with a former Enclave soldier if she was the sort of bear grudges about their organisation, but it's nice-.

"Uh." A woman in well-tailored leathers frowns from the doorway. "Who's that guy?"

"Oh, that's Douglas Granite."

"Gra-? Oh. So… Looks kinda young to be Mom's old boyfriend."

"Ah, no, that's their son."

She blinks, and I start seeing the family resemblance. "Oh. Shit. That's big brother Dougie?"

"If you're Senator Chitsa's daughter, then yes." Family resemblance to her mother, not to Douglas. "I assume half-sister?"

"Yeah. Ah. I thought he was living in a Vault somewhere?"

Douglas and Senator Chitsa have separated a little and are now having a conversation I make a point of not listening to.

"He was until his late teens, at which point he joined his father's mercenary company. He's the Vice Governor of Illinois now."

"Oh. And where's his father?"

"Dad's, uh." Douglas and his mother have one arm around each other, but they're looking our way. "Dad's been dead for twelve years, now. I've got some family on… His side of the family, but you're the first person I've met on Mom's side." He makes a point of smiling, and offers her his free hand. "Douglas Granite."

She takes it a little awkwardly. "Vesley."

"Ah, is that your first name, or..?"

Senator Chitsa shakes her head. "We don't use family names in Arroyo. Not traditionally. Not unless one of us marries someone who does."

"Ah…" Vesley considers her mother and half brother. "Do you want me to go set up the stage? Give you and Dougie-. Douglas, some time?"

The Senator nods, and Vesley gives them a nod before-. I follow her towards the exit.

She glances at me as we exit the N.C.R. suite. "Were you just along for support, or are you riding the caboose?"

"Oh, he worked for me for a while after leaving the Sierra Army Depot. Ah, does your mother know that Marcus lives near here?"

She nods. "Yeah, we're planning on visiting him after the conference. They've only seen each other a few times since they blew up the rig. Not a lot of Mom's old adventuring squad left."

"Oh, and Goris is downstairs."

She blinks, frowning. "Really?"

"He's been working as my bodyguard, but I've been flying around a lot lately and he doesn't fit in the plane."

"Anyone else Mom knows?"

"Ah, I think John Cassidy's daughter works the caravan routes around here."

"I was.. joking, but alright. Goris is the only one of them I've actually met." She smiles as we reach the stairs. "He used to let me ride around on his head when I was a little girl."

"That was rather brave of you."

She shrugs. "He was the only deathclaw I'd met. I didn't know why everyone else in the village was so afraid of him. Are you here for the conference too?"

I nod. "Krono, currently the chief of the Skywalker tribe."

"You're Hayes' magical gopher?"

I nod as we reach the lobby. "That's me. I-."

And there's a giant cowl, and a pair of white claws and-

"Agh!"

-Goris grabs Vesley and throws her into the air, effortlessly catching her when she falls back down.

"Ah, I thought you would have grown, but you're still tiny."

"Uncle Goris! Put me down!"

Lazurman · 2026-06-10T06:36:46+0100

A normal wastelander's response to getting grabbed by a deathclaw would be to piss and shit themselves.

Vesley's: "Unc, stooop, you're embarrassing meee!"

Someguy Somewhere · 2026-06-10T07:01:38+0100

That was all very adorable and a pleasant change to my day, thank you Zoat for the pick me up.

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-06-10T07:25:27+0100

Mr Zoat said:
18th May 2284
08:48 GMT -6

The N.C.R. Rangers guarding the N.C.R. suite recognise me, but they're professional enough to check me for weapons before allowing me inside. The garrison and the administrators overseeing the N.C.R. logistics and settlers have their own permanent places of habitation, and part of the delegation is staying there… Read 'underlings and lickspittles'. President Hayes was originally going to be here from the start, but he had 'urgent business' and now he's going to show up fashionably late.

He's totally going to make a memorable entrance, isn't he? Not that the delegates would be particularly easy to impress. Still, if it massages his ego, let him.

And since I'm a telepath, I know for a fact that 'urgent business' was 'being a massive drama queen and flying in on a fighter-escorted vertibird when everyone's already here to see it'. But, fine. The N.C.R.'s come a long way under his leadership and if the worst he wants to do is show that off a little, I guess he's earned it.

Given that he's technically the one organising this conference, that's tolerable. Most folks will recognise it for the showboating it is.

The N.C.R. Rangers don't recognise Granite, but then there's no real reason why they would. A few Rangers acted as escort for the first part of the Enclave prisoner transfer, but Granite was already in Illinois when that happened. A couple might have seen him while he was working with me in Area 51, but he honestly doesn't stand out all that much. I think it's how how nervous he looks that's setting off alarm bells.

Yeah, that's probably more than a little suspicious to these fellows.

But because we're not idiots, we're not armed-. Well, I'm always armed, but I can't really disarm my brain and the N.C.R. citizens who've gone through our training know perfectly well-

**Hi Steven.**

...Perfectly well how to 'talk' to telepaths, eh?

**Morning, Sir. And yes, we do.**

-that they couldn't really stop me.

Ah, they probably shared a chuckle at that last bit, didn't they?

**His mother? Really?**

**Someone had to be. And does someone need to redo his telepathic ethics course?**

I suppose having telepaths in the security detail makes it a lot more secure. Most people would be open books and anyone who isn't would either be known to them or a clear threat.

**Sorry sir, but he's thinking it pretty loudly. Senator Chitsa is doing a final briefing in the living area now.**

**Thank you.**

Heh. If Dougie didn't already know about Krono's powers, this would look like magic.

One of the Rangers -not Steven, his skills are too valuable-

**Thank you, sir.**

I'm sure he was totally meant to hear that, too. I find it amusing they're picking up bits of Krono's mental monologue, though. Probably feels like someone narrating his own life.

-to waste on tour guide duty- escorts us down the corridor and through a reception area, before stopping at a door.

"Please wait here, sir. I'll notify the Senator that you're here."

Surprisingly easy, but Krono could probably have called ahead telepathically anyway.

"Thank you." I nod placidly, while the Ranger disappears inside and Douglas… Starts pacing around the room like a caged animal.

A moment passes, and he clenches his fists and stops as he recognises what he's doing.

Yeah, too much nervous energy to stand still. Even if he did force himself to stay in one spot, his foot would start twitching...

"Hey, ah, Krono? I don't wanna… Seize up when Mom comes out. Can you do something to make me… Calmer about this?"

"I could, but it's honestly not a good idea. It can mess up how different ideas connect in your mind, as well as suppressing other emotions as a side effect."

"Okay, yeah, that-. That makes sense. Hoo!" He smiles nervously. "This is-." He breathes out. "I know it's probably okay, but-."

And there's probably an ethical concern about puppeteering someone that way.

The door bursts open, and an elderly woman dashes out, takes one look at me and Douglas and then throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face to his chest.

Douglas needs a moment for his brain to engage, then he hugs her back. "Hey Mom."

Well, looks like he was worried about nothing.

Senator Chitsa has-. Ah, the sort of flat face and angled eye orbit that I associate with parts of Asia, though her skin isn't all that much darker than mine. Given the purges that America underwent prior to the end of the Great War I assume that her ancestors were from somewhere other than China, though I suppose that Vault 13 had good relations with the Brotherhood of Steel prior to the Enclave's attack. Her hair is tied into a pony tail which goes to the middle of her back, and the once-black hair has mostly turned white. Her suit appears to be in the pre-War style but tailored for a woman, suggesting that it's a modern recreation.

Indigenous Alaskan heritage, maybe? Similar phenotypes to North China regions, no?

"Douglas."

Well, looks like my work is done. I didn't really think that she'd have had a relationship with a former Enclave soldier if she was the sort of bear grudges about their organisation, but it's nice-.

And it looks like she really missed him. Surprised she never tried to get in contact before, but given the conditions... Guess it was too far and her too busy to try.

"Uh." A woman in well-tailored leathers frowns from the doorway. "Who's that guy?"

"Oh, that's Douglas Granite."

"Gra-? Oh. So… Looks kinda young to be Mom's old boyfriend."

Huh, looks like Dougie gets to meet a sister he never knew he had.

"Ah, no, that's their son."

She blinks, and I start seeing the family resemblance. "Oh. Shit. That's big brother Dougie?"

Wonder what their age gap is?

"If you're Senator Chitsa's daughter, then yes." Family resemblance to her mother, not to Douglas. "I assume half-sister?"

"Yeah. Ah. I thought he was living in a Vault somewhere?"

I assume she's an adventurer or similar, or some manner of special agent.

Douglas and Senator Chitsa have separated a little and are now having a conversation I make a point of not listening to.

"He was until his late teens, at which point he joined his father's mercenary company. He's the Vice Governor of Illinois now."

"Oh. And where's his father?"

"Dad's, uh." Douglas and his mother have one arm around each other, but they're looking our way. "Dad's been dead for twelve years, now. I've got some family on… His side of the family, but you're the first person I've met on Mom's side." He makes a point of smiling, and offers her his free hand. "Douglas Granite."

Well, the reunion was easy enough. Now to meet unfamiliar family...

She takes it a little awkwardly. "Vesley."

"Ah, is that your first name, or..?"

This does promise lots of awkwardness ahead.

Senator Chitsa shakes her head. "We don't use family names in Arroyo. Not traditionally. Not unless one of us marries someone who does."

"Ah…" Vesley considers her mother and half brother. "Do you want me to go set up the stage? Give you and Dougie-. Douglas, some time?"

Good ability to read the room, I see. Yeah, those two gonna need some catching up time.

The Senator nods, and Vesley gives them a nod before-. I follow her towards the exit.

She glances at me as we exit the N.C.R. suite. "Were you just along for support, or are you riding the caboose?"

Hey, now, Krono's a married man. If she's implying what I think she's implying.

"Oh, he worked for me for a while after leaving the Sierra Army Depot. Ah, does your mother know that Marcus lives near here?"

She nods. "Yeah, we're planning on visiting him after the conference. They've only seen each other a few times since they blew up the rig. Not a lot of Mom's old adventuring squad left."

The peril of becoming an old soldier: losing old friends to age or misadventure.

"Oh, and Goris is downstairs."

She blinks, frowning. "Really?"

Looking him up: an intelligent Deathclaw? That's... Impressive. I guess most folks who see him just think he's an odd mutant?

"He's been working as my bodyguard, but I've been flying around a lot lately and he doesn't fit in the plane."

"Anyone else Mom knows?"

Yeah, I don't think the average Saucer is built to carry a ravening ball of claws and armour as heavy as a horse.

"Ah, I think John Cassidy's daughter works the caravan routes around here."

"I was.. joking, but alright. Goris is the only one of them I've actually met." She smiles as we reach the stairs. "He used to let me ride around on his head when I was a little girl."

I bet that was an adorable sight.

"That was rather brave of you."

She shrugs. "He was the only deathclaw I'd met. I didn't know why everyone else in the village was so afraid of him. Are you here for the conference too?"

Ah, a child's lack of fear. I wonder if that helped people accept him a little or just worry more for her safety...

I nod. "Krono, currently the chief of the Skywalker tribe."

"You're Hayes' magical gopher?"

Well, he's a bit more than that. But I bet a few people don't think of him as anything else.

I nod as we reach the lobby. "That's me. I-."

And there's a giant cowl, and a pair of white claws and-

And in any other circumstance, some folks might be worried.

"Agh!"

-Goris grabs Vesley and throws her into the air, effortlessly catching her when she falls back down.

Not an atypical feat for a deathclaw, so I understand. And she's probably not that large, is she?

"Ah, I thought you would have grown, but you're still tiny."

"Uncle Goris! Put me down!"

Ah, the damage to her adult dignity.

Good to see the reunion between mother and son went so well so far. And the discovery of more family is always good. Hopefully it doesn't make diplomatic matters awkward, given that she's a NCR senator? I mean, most folks would be fine, I suppose, but there's bound to be someone...

xSieg · 2026-06-10T07:46:03+0100

Chojin Patriarch said:
Looking him up: an intelligent Deathclaw? That's... Impressive. I guess most folks who see him just think he's an odd mutant?

The Enclave was crazy in FO2. There were lots of them but eventually they wisened up that they couldn't control the Claws and sent Frank Horrigan to murder them all in their nest IIRC

Neruz · 2026-06-10T07:47:43+0100

xSieg said:
The Enclave was crazy in FO2. There were lots of them but eventually they wisened up that they couldn't control the Claws and sent Frank Horrigan to murder them all in their nest IIRC

And the fandom never forgave the devs for it, so some intelligent deathclaws that miraculously survived the purge tend to show up like clockwork in Fallout fanfics.

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-10T08:32:24+0100

Neruz said:
And the fandom never forgave the devs for it, so some intelligent deathclaws that miraculously survived the purge tend to show up like clockwork in Fallout fanfics.

Goris and Xarn can both survive Fallout 2, and then there's Kura and Mother.

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

Perpetually confused

Experienced.

Perpetually confused

Veteran Lurker

Glomerulus

If this is trash, then find me in the dumpster

Dedicated ragequitter

Glomerulus

Lord of nonsense

HISSSSSS!

Versed in the lewd.

Glomerulus

Custom Title

Dedicated ragequitter

HISSSSSS!

Versed in the lewd.

Experienced.

Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

The Whole Circus

Well worn.

HISSSSSS!

Not too sore, are you?

Dedicated ragequitter

Dedicated ragequitter

The Whole Circus

The Critical Fumbler

Veteran Lurker

Getting sticky.

HISSSSSS!

Dedicated ragequitter

Users who are viewing this thread