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

KharnTheBrotrayer · Thursday at 2:29 PM

Jankl said:
Do you have the threadMark for it? I would appreciate it very much.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Story Only) [Archive]

2nd September 09:45 GMT -5 First time I've seen Mister Adam since the fight in Louisiana. They've clearly made some effort to keep him clean; the mud that coated him as we crashed through the swamp at speed isn't there any longer and he hasn't become covered in dust or anything. His cuts and...

forum.questionablequesting.com

Just before and after is some more hopecore stuff but this is Kalmin giving OL the Blue Power Ring.

Ngamer11 · Thursday at 2:58 PM

Mr Zoat said:
"It's a curious approach, motivating people like that." He nods. "I never bothered while I laboured for the Anti-Monitor. But I think I like it."

"I'm.. glad it meets with your approval-."

"What have you got there?"

@Mr Zoat, I was rereading this part and found an error. That sentence in the middle is Paul, so only the quotation marks should be in orange.

Mr Zoat · Thursday at 3:15 PM

Ngamer11 said:
@Mr Zoat, I was rereading this part and found an error. That sentence in the middle is Paul, so only the quotation marks should be in orange.

I was just looking at that myself.

Vaermina · Thursday at 4:04 PM

Mr Zoat said:
He doesn't quite smile, but he does look satisfied. "Diataria Lysis. My former apprentice. We were never able to find anyone who could survive using the red ring without irreparable psychological damage. We only made one, so if you have it that should be an end to the matter."

He gestures, and a mote of light flies from the ring and lands on mine. Ah. Yes, that makes sense.

"Thank you, Kalmin. Keep the ring."

He's totally gone back to his normal Evil ways and is lying to Orange Lantern here.

RoninSword · Thursday at 6:06 PM

@Mr Zoat Same chapter as the one that was just sent to you.

Mr Zoat said:
"Having trouble letting go?"

I exhale, then lower my lantern to look at Hinon. "No. Just thinking."

"Is it likely to take long? I realise that Clarissi Dox is supposed to be the brains of the outfit, but I do like to think that the number two man can spark a couple of neurons now and again."

Bolded is the Illustres, not Hinon.

Mr Zoat · Thursday at 6:47 PM

RoninSword said:
@Mr Zoat Same chapter as the one that was just sent to you.

Bolded is the Illustres, not Hinon.

Well it's fine in my version.

Darko · Thursday at 9:17 PM

Vaermina said:
He's totally gone back to his normal Evil ways and is lying to Orange Lantern here.

He never really left his normal evil ways.

And we did see way back that his former apprentice is active. She gave a yellow ring to a surviving Citadelian.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-10T06:18:12+0100

29th May 2284
00:31 GMT -7

Edward sits in front of the computer console in a trance, the screens flickering in front of him.

"I have it, Chief. There's no direct connection, but I can bridge the gap."

I lay my right hand on his left shoulder. "Good work. Show us."

Colonel Shaw watches the screens impassive as they start showing footage of the Enclave portion of the base. He's confirmed that he wasn't even really aware of the Enclave being a thing back before the War, but he's the closest thing we've got to someone who might be au fait with their mindset.

"Huh. Uniform's right, and so's the armor. Those poor bastards."

The Circle of Steel operative doesn't look quite comfortable with dealing with a super mutant, but a quick eye-flick my way is as far as that goes. "Do you know this facility? Can we trap them, or irradiate the whole area before they can ship out?"

"American army bases were build to resist radiation, not welcome it in. There should be a lock down system, but it'll be one they can override from inside. It can-."

He cuts himself off, blinking rapidly as he stares at the screen. He's looking at… Top left monitor, where an officer is giving instructions to his senior non-commissioned officers.

"Can you zoom this thing in on him?"

Edward doesn't say anything, but the officer's face expands to fill the screen.

Shaw blinks slowly. "I… Know that guy. Major Nate Moines. He was-. Huh. Enclave. I guess that explains it."

I raise my eyebrows. "Colonel?"

"He was who I was reporting to while I was moving the F.E.V. prototype. And now I know why."

"So he went in cryo..? After the War ended?"

"Could be. Or it could be that he went in after he checked out the chumps doing their legwork; I didn't need him holding my hand for a simple supply run."

"Would be recognise you?"

He stares at me, baffled. "What the Hell do you think I used to look like? This?"

"Ah. But do you think he'd remember Lieutenant Andrew Shaw?"

He thinks, then nods slowly. "He seemed like the type."

"Alright… Edward, can you reach his-."

Major Moines checks his Pip-Boy, and then turns around… He head out of shot. Edward pulls the camera back to its usual position to follow him a moment more… No, gone.

Shaw looks down at the Circle of Steel operative. "You got a map? Any chance I can sneak in?"

"Yes, and no. The goods elevator has no cover, and you're too heavy for the regular elevator. So even if you grabbed a stealth boy off one of your…" He turns his head to glance at Pittman, a nightkin commander who followed him from the Troll Warrens. Pittman doesn't react. "Colleagues… They'd have to be idiots not to see you coming."

Another screen zooms in as he passes by another camera, exchanging salutes with another officer.

Ah. It's probably not relevant, but… They're all soldiers. To put a finer point on it, they're all men. This wasn't an attempt by the Enclave to preserve a viable population, they just wanted muscle. Or maybe they didn't have a way to make a thousand women disappear whereas hiding exactly where a company's worth of men were wouldn't have been that hard.

Major Moines turns off a corridor, and… We don't have a camera.

Edward makes on of the screens display a plan of the interior. "As far as I can see, that's an office. Probably his office."

I nod. "Can we talk to him?"

"There's an internal phone line. We won't be able to see him, but I can put our picture on his screen if you want."

Colonel Shaw carefully picks up the phone on our console. "Not 'us'. Just me."

I frown. "Wouldn't it be better to just use your voice?"

"You think I used to sound like this? My chest's five times the size of what it used to be. I wouldn't recognise me."

He's got a point. "Edward, could you-?"

He shakes his head. "Sorry, Chief. I'm at my limit now."

Colonel Shaw nods. "It's better to be honest. Doesn't make much difference if he shoots us for the Washington Brotherhood or for himself. Start with sound only, give him video when I say."

"Okay, Colonel. His phone's ringing-"

"Moines."

"-now."

"Major, this is Lieutenant Andrew Shaw. I don't know if you remember-."

"Yeah, you were in charge of the anti-radiation shipment transportation. I didn't know you made it into the bunker."

"I didn't."

"And it sounds like you got one hell of a cold."

"Also negative."

"Is this a prank call? Because I am absolutely fine with having you flogged before we set out. Your ass will heal on the way over.""

"You know us and China had a nuclear exchange?"

"Hard not to."

"Right, well, we got caught outside. Miles away from shelter. We didn't get hit or you wouldn't be talking to me, but after a couple of days the radiation started killing us off. So on the positive side, I'm happy to report that the anti-radiation treatment works just fine for its stated aim." Colonel Shaw moves his mouth away from the handset. "Camera. Just on me."

"Done."

"Jesus."

"The downside being… This."

"'Downside'? Shaw, the fact you can even remember your name is a breakthrough! And yeah, now I look at you I can kinda see you-. The outline of your face."

"You've… Seen faces like this before, sir?"

"I got sent reports." Colonel Shaw's left hand clenches. "Alright, Lieutenant, what's the plan, here?"

"I'm with… The California National Guard. We're here to liberate you and kill The Immortal and his cyborgs."

"We were going along with him because the reason we're here in the first place is to attack China in the event that the nukes didn't finish the job. I take it that our mission has become irrelevant?"

"No hostile contact with the Commies in two hundred years."

"Alright. I'll go explain things to General McMahan. Get the… 'California National Guard' into position by the freight elevator. I think we're gunna need to see a few things ourselves before we make any decisions."

Ngamer11 · 2026-07-10T06:21:52+0100

I doubt all of these guys will just suddenly decide to not attack China, but every little bit helps I guess.

mastermenthe · 2026-07-10T06:22:34+0100

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmMNpbFjp0

BR549 · 2026-07-10T07:14:37+0100

Sometimes, just actually talking with someone is enough to head off a lot of problems.

Of course, odds are not everyone's gonna be fine with the stand down order...least of all The Immortal.

Who I still have 50 quatloos on being Vandal Savage.

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-07-10T07:24:22+0100

Mr Zoat said:
29th May 2284
00:31 GMT -7

Edward sits in front of the computer console in a trance, the screens flickering in front of him.

"I have it, Chief. There's no direct connection, but I can bridge the gap."

I lay my right hand on his left shoulder. "Good work. Show us."

Thank goodness for technopathy. No need to risk hostile anti-intrusion software when you can slide around it psionically. Plus the whole 'conenct to air-gapped systems' thing, though I imagine that's a drain on his stamina.

Colonel Shaw watches the screens impassive as they start showing footage of the Enclave portion of the base. He's confirmed that he wasn't even really aware of the Enclave being a thing back before the War, but he's the closest thing we've got to someone who might be au fait with their mindset.

Reading ahead, a Super Mutant, then? And a war veteran at that.

"Huh. Uniform's right, and so's the armor. Those poor bastards."

The Circle of Steel operative doesn't look quite comfortable with dealing with a super mutant, but a quick eye-flick my way is as far as that does. "Do you know this facility? Can we trap them, or irradiate the whole area before they can ship out?"

What an unusual team of operatives. Sadly, I suspect it's going to be easier for them to get out of their defensible position than it will be for you to keep them in.

"American army bases were build to resist radiation, not welcome it in. There should be a lock down system, but it'll be one they can override from inside. It can-."

He cuts himself off, blinking rapidly as he stares at the screen. He's looking at… Top left monitor, where an officer is giving instructions to his senior non-commissioned officers.

Ah, he recognises someone he can appeal to? That's handy.

"Can you zoom this thing in on him?"

Edward doesn't say anything, but the officer's face expands to fill the screen.

Very accommodating.

Shaw blinks slowly. "I… Know that guy. Major Nate Moines. He was-. Huh. Enclave. I guess that explains it."

I raise my eyebrows. "Colonel?"

"He was who I was reporting to while I was moving the F.E.V. prototype. And now I know why."

So it was an Enclave project, right? Makes sense indeed.

"So he went in cryo..? After the War ended?"

"Could be. Or it could be that he went in after he checked out the chumps doing their legwork; I didn't need him holding my hand for a simple supply run."

Either way, he's still alive now, so maybe you can appeal to his better instincts for aid with the soldiers.

"Would be recognise you?"

He stares at me, baffled. "What the Hell do you think I used to look like? This?"

"Ah. But do you think he'd remember Lieutenant Andrew Shaw?"

Yeah, I'm picturing Shaw as resembling MCU Professor Hulk compared to regular Bruce: Tall, green and muscle with a chadly face.

He thinks, then nods slowly. "He seemed like the type."

"Alright… Edward, can you reach his-."

No sooner said than done, I bet.

Major Moines checks his Pip-Boy, and then turns around… He heads out of shot. Edward pulls the camera back to its usual position to follow him a moment more… No, gone.

Shaw looks down at the Circle of Steel operative. "You got a map? Any chance I can sneak in?"

Bruv, you need to expand your thinking. You have the aid of psychics here. Reaching out and talking to someone is only a thought away.

"Yes, and no. The good elevator has no cover, and you're too heavy for the regular elevator. So even if you grabbed a stealth boy off one of your…" He turns his head to glance at Pittman, a nightkin commander who followed him from the Troll Warrens. Pittman doesn't react. "Colleagues… They'd have to be idiots not to see you coming."

I'm guessing weighing closer to a ton than not makes his footsteps rather noisy.

Another screen zooms in as he passes by another camera, exchanging salutes with another officer.

Ah. It's probably not relevant, but… They're all soldiers. To put a finer point on it, they're all men. This wasn't an attempt by the Enclave to preserve a viable population, they just wanted muscle. Or maybe they didn't have a way to make a thousand women disappear whereas hiding exactly where a company's worth of men were wouldn't have been that hard.

And given how chauvinistic the pre-war Fallout world seemed, I doubt women saw a lot of service in combat-adjacent roles.

Major Moines turns off a corridor, and… We don't have a camera.

Edward makes on of the screens display a plan of the interior. "As far as I can see, that's an office. Probably his office."

If he got a message on his pipboy, then he'd probably return to his office to read it, I guess?

I nod. "Can we talk to him?"

"There's an internal phone line. We won't be able to see him, but I can put our picture on his screen if you want."

See, Shaw? No need to go in in person. Probably better this way given your appearance.

Colonel Shaw carefully picks up the phone on our console. "Not 'us'. Just me."

I frown. "Wouldn't it be better to just use your voice?"

"You think I used to sound like this? My chest's five times the size of what it used to be. I wouldn't recognise me."

Makes sense, really. Don't most supermutants have low voices in general? If their lungs and voicebox enlarged with the rest of them...

He's got a point. "Edward, could you-?"

He shakes his head. "Sorry, Chief. I'm at my limit now."

No fudging the voice signal, then.

Colonel Shaw nods. "It's better to be honest. Doesn't make much difference if he shoots us for the Washington Brotherhood or for himself. Start with sound only, give him video when I say."

"Okay, Colonel. His phone's ringing-"

Fingers crossed this works, then.

"Moines."

"-now."

"Major, this is Lieutenant Andrew Shaw. I don't know if you remember-."

Heck, maybe you can blame the voice on a bad connection?

"Yeah, you were in charge of the anti-radiation shipment transportation. I didn't know you made it into the bunker."

"I didn't."

...Which should be making Moines a bit worried, if he knows it's been two hundred years. Sure, he might have found some kind of cryo in the wild...

"And it sounds like you got one hell of a cold."

"Also negative."

Which doesn't leave many options for what happened to Shaw, if Moines knows anything.

"Is this a prank call? Because I am absolutely fine with having you flogged before we set out. Your ass will heal on the way over.""

"You know us and China had a nuclear exchange?"

"Hard not to."

Though I suppose some places got hit less hard than others.

"Right, well, we got caught outside. Miles away from shelter. We didn't get hit or you wouldn't be talking to me, but after a couple of days the radiation started killing us off. So on the positive side, I'm happy to report that the anti-radiation treatment works just fine for its stated aim." Colonel Shaw moves his mouth away from the handset. "Camera. Just on me."

Ah, moment of truth. Let's see how Moines reacts.

"Done."

"Jesus."

I suppose seeing a supermutant is a bit of a shock, especially if he's not seen any yet.

"The downside being… This."

"'Downside'? Shaw, the fact you can even remember your name is a breakthrough! And yeah, now I look at you I can kinda see you-. The outline of your face."

Since earlier versions of the FEV weren't so refined? That's helpful.

"You've… Seen faces like this before, sir?"

"I got sent reports." Colonel Shaw's left hand clenches. "Alright, Lieutenant, what's the plan, here?"

All right, looks like he's on side. That might make what comes next much easier.

"I'm with… The California National Guard. We're here to liberate you and kill The Immortal and his cyborgs."

"We were going along with him because the reason we're here in the first place is to attack China in the event that the nukes didn't finish the job. I take it that our mission has become irrelevant?"

'National Guard', huh? I suppose that's an easy way to simplify the working relationship for the gent.

"No hostile contact with the Commies in two hundred years."

"Alright. I'll go explain things to General McMahan. Get the… 'California National Guard' into position by the freight elevator. I think we're gunna need to see a few things ourselves before we make any decisions."

Good, conflict averted, for now. Let's hope they can cut the Immortals support out form underneath him.

Excellent, matters proceed well. With any luck, the local garrison will agree that trying to hit Chinese territory is a waste of resources. And then they can plan out how to stop or recall the forces already across the strait. The Immortal will likely be in charge of those men, meaning it'll be a lot harder to settle this diplomatically.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-10T08:32:12+0100

Me said:
but a quick eye-flick my way is as far as that does.

goes

The good elevator has no cover,

goods

Neruz · 2026-07-10T08:57:43+0100

I mean if they really want to hit the commies I'm pretty sure there are still a few Chinese infiltrator cells lurking around the USA.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-10T10:38:00+0100

Neruz said:
I mean if they really want to hit the commies I'm pretty sure there are still a few Chinese infiltrator cells lurking around the USA.

In Old World Blues, there's exactly one, and they're in Colorado. As far as most of their neighbours are concerned they're just another bunch of ghouls.

FuzzyZergling · 2026-07-10T15:16:54+0100

Mr Zoat said:
"Ah. But to you think he'd remember Lieutenant Andrew Shaw?"

But do you

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-10T15:24:21+0100

FuzzyZergling said:
But do you

Thank you, corrected.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-11T07:40:10+0100

29th May 2284
00:59 GMT -7

I gesture, and the squad of Black Paladins firing from behind a barricade go flying!

"Move up move up!"

The Enclave officer whose squad had been pinned down bellows the advance immediately, waving his arm before leading the charge himself. Pre-War T-51 suits charge forwards, while a squad of regular infantry give them fire support from what little cover they could find on the quayside and I reposition, because someone updated the Black Paladin's programming and it looks like they've marked my squad as priority targets.

I activate my stealth boy and leap clear, the ledge I was perched on being melted with concentrated laser fire from their heavy weapon teams a moment later.

So this is what a science fiction war zone feels like.

It's not the quantity of soldiers or death. The major battles of the N.C.R./Legion War could have more people die than this battle has combatants in total. But they mostly use Second World War era technology and tactics while this is the first power armour versus power armour battle I've seen.

Far to my right I spot three Black Paladins armed with super sledges and thermal lances charge into close quarters with an Enclave squad who are totally unprepared for people attacking them with giant hammers and metal cutters. The Knights of the Order of Saint George try making their way in that direction, but the Enclave soldiers are responding by trying to hem the Black Paladins in and deny them the space they need to swing their weapons. They surround them, clustering up-.

Oh no! Where-?

I wince as the fat man detonates, killing the three Black Paladins and the twenty or so Enclave soldiers who they'd drawn into them.

My radio crackles. "Find the launcher!"

Right, check my position isn't about to be overrun, duck, cover, and reach out with my mind, follow the intent…

There. And he's got reloads.

"Krono to snipers. Third ship, conning tower."

"Good work magic man." Colonel Anderson -the commander of the Enclave power armour- answers immediately. "But I got a better idea."

A moment later the crinkling aluminium sheet sound of the Gatling laser support squads rings out, hundreds of pulses of light lashing out and striking the conning tower about halfway up. The armour glows and then fails, tower twisting and then collapsing to the deck!

"And if any of you miserable sons of bitches bunch like up goddamn rookies again I will kill you myself!"

The rest of the fight is going… Alright. The Enclave power armour troopers are mostly armed with plasma and gauss weapons, which can penetrate the advanced technical armour of the Black Paladins. The regular infantry have lasers, which need to land a lot of hits to harm a paladin unless they hit a damaged component or the visor. As a result they're mostly doing duty crewing the few support weapons the Enclave entombed with their soldiers, or acting as medics or spotters. On the other side, the Black Paladins are armed with a wide variety of weapons. There are heavy automatics and rocket launchers… But a lot of them are carrying automatic rifles which are great against unarmoured wasteland raiders but totally worthless against power armour.

As I watch, a Black Paladin tried to hold a gangplank against an advancing Enclave fire team. He opens up with a minigun, but the bullets just bounce off the heavy frontal plates of the Enclave power armour. They don't even bother shooting, they just charge into him, knocking him back and using him as cover while they open fire on the paladins on the deck.

**Krono to Ghosts.** I stand cautiously, take a pulse grenade off my bandolier and hurl it towards a Black Paladin fire point on top of some shipping containers. With both sides using power armour we have to be a little careful with these, but that should be far enough away. **Anyone see The Immortal?**

**No.** / **No, Chief.** / **I got nothing.** / **No.** / **I'd tell you if-. Wait.**

There's a flash from the shipping containers and the Black Paladins freeze, Enclave soldiers taking advantage immediately to riddle them with gauss rounds.

**Noran?**

**Positive identification. A.T.A., blue cloak, two guys in T-Sixty power armor as bodyguards.**

**Good work. Location?**

One of the ships turns its engines to full, Black Paladins shooting the mooring chains to let it get underway faster.

**Never mind.**

It's not the furthest away, but it's only one berth closer and from the way it's lower in the water than the others I'm assume that it's the only one that's fully laden.

And there are a lot of Black Paladins between where I am and there.

My left hand drifts to my necklace, and the two rings on the thong.

But while it might be nice to use the power other versions of myself use freely, things aren't quite like that here. We don't really know how the Odious King's song spread, but it looks like some psychic phenomena are memetic hazards. And something as infectious as the orange light? That's bad enough in places that aren't full of telepaths, or when the ring isn't being used by a telepath. And would it attract more demons, like the one living in the Odious King's head? And how do those demons work, if we've only ever seen one, and we didn't see that for very long?

No. Can't risk it.

I check my surroundings, and see that I'm now well behind the Enclave front line.

And then I run.

Across the dry dock where the ships were once built and the broken hull of the one that was still there for repairs is laying. Jump, push of the crane and onto the cargo deck-

**[All these ships are the same]** + **[I happen to be on that one]**

-and then-. Shit! Barrel into the Brotherhood knight checking the cargo, punch him and then activate my stealth boy.

**I'm on the ship. Where am I heading?**

**How did-? Ah, he's on the upper deck.**

Right, ladder up to the hatch over there. I can't hide the fact that I'm opening a hatch with the stealth boy-. The cargo is still in the cargo lift. I guess that the knight hadn't finished loading. Right, get on board, hit the switch and get behind the pallet of… Noodles. I guess even cyborgs have to eat. And up we go.

**Show me.**

**[The Immortal stands proud and resolute as he bravely runs away from the firefight on the docks. His attention appears to be focused on the battle, while his bodyguards constantly scan his surroundings. The Immortal is carrying a Winchester P94 plasma caster, while his bodyguards appear to have multiplas rifles. Black Paladins stand in cover behind steel crates and shipping containers, watching for any attempt to reach the ship. Twelve in total that Noran has seen. Knights are in the bridge actually controlling the ship, but they're only lightly armed.]**

**Thank you.**

The freight elevator clanks to a stop and **[no one comes to investigate trusting the knights to do their jobs.]** I step around the pallet, palming smoke and pulse grenades. I see The Immortal twenty metres away from me, no obstruction beyond what his bodyguards offer-.

The Immortal jerks around, his helmeted head focusing on me even though I'm suppose to be invisible.

"There! Stealth boy! Open-"

I'm running as his bodyguards turn around.

"-fire!"

Ngamer11 · 2026-07-11T07:45:42+0100

Mr Zoat said:
I gestures, and the squad of Black Paladins firing from behind a barricade go flying!

That should say 'gesture'.

Mr Zoat said:
My radio crackles. "Fine the launcher!"

That should say 'Fire'.

Mr Zoat said:
My left hand drifts to my necklace, and the two rings on the thong.

But while it might be nice to use the power other versions of myself use freely, things aren't quite like that here. We don't really know how the Odious King's song spread, but it looks like some psychic phenomena are memetic hazards. And something as infectious as the orange light? That's bad enough in places that aren't full of telepaths, or when the ring isn't being used by a telepath. And would it attract more demons, like the one living in the Odious King's head? And how do those demons work, if we've only ever seen one, and we didn't see that for very long?

No. Can't risk it.

Explains why he never uses his power ring aside from not having a convenient way to charge it, unless Jevek Jos Jar gave him a lantern in exchange for tech.

BR549 · 2026-07-11T07:55:21+0100

I see Colonel Anderson solves practical problems

Mr Zoat said:
I gestures,

'gesture'

because someone updated the Black Paladin's programming

since there's more than one, 'Paladins' '.

I wince as the fat man detonates,

Since this is the name of a weapon as opposed to an explosive Churchill impersonator, 'Fat Man'.

My radio crackles. "Fine the launcher!"

'Find'

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-07-11T08:23:01+0100

Mr Zoat said:
29th May 2284
00:59 GMT -7

I gesture, and the squad of Black Paladins firing from behind a barricade go flying!

"Move up move up!"

Ah, the fun of having a Jedi on your side. Yes, I know he's not really a Jedi, but if any of the pre-war fellows have seen Star Wars, you know they're gonna call him that, what with the Force Push stuff...

The Enclave officer whose squad had been pinned down bellows the advance immediately, waving his arm before leading the charge himself. Pre-War T-51 suits charge forwards, while a squad of regular infantry give them fire support from what little cover they could find on the quayside and I reposition, because someone updated the Black Paladins' programming and it looks like they've marked my squad as priority targets.

Oh, joy. Every Black Paladin who sees a Sky Walker is gonna have a nark on for them, then.

I activate my stealth boy and leap clear, the ledge I was perched on being melted with concentrated laser fire from their heavy weapon teams a moment later.

So this is what a science fiction war zone feels like.

Ah, yes. The chance of being annihilated by accident from a glancing shot, especially while cloaked.

It's not the quantity of soldiers or death. The major battles of the N.C.R./Legion War could have more people die than this battle has combatants in total. But they mostly use Second World War era technology and tactics while this is the first power armour versus power armour battle I've seen.

Like a tank battle, except the tanks are man-sized, can run and jump over difficult terrain and can pack weapons that turn firefights into rocket tag...

Far to my right I spot three Black Paladins armed with super sledges and thermal lances charge into close quarters with an Enclave squad who are totally unprepared for people attacking them with giant hammers and metal cutters. The Knights of the Order of Saint George try making their way in that direction, but the Enclave soldiers are responding by trying to hem the Black Paladins in and deny them the space they need to swing their weapons. They surround them, clustering up-.

Bad idea, especially if heavier weapons have line of sight to them.

Oh no! Where-?

I wince as the Fat Man detonates, killing the three Black Paladins and the twenty or so Enclave soldiers who they'd drawn into them.

Ah, yes, the classic Fallout Man-portable light nuclear rockets. Great if you're in a CERN-sealed suit of power armour, not so great if you're as squishy as the things you're shooting.

My radio crackles. "Find the launcher!"

Right, check my position isn't about to be overrun, duck, cover, and reach out with my mind, follow the intent…

Better than any scanning device in general, unless they have psionic shielding somehow.

There. And he's got reloads.

"Krono to snipers. Third ship, conning tower."

"Good work magic man." Colonel Anderson -the commander of the Enclave power armour- answers immediately. "But I got a better idea."

Ah. When in doubt...

A moment later the crinkling aluminium sheet sound of the Gatling laser support squads rings out, hundreds of pulses of light lashing out and striking the conning tower about halfway up. The armour glows and then fails, tower twisting and then collapsing to the deck!

"And if any of you miserable sons of bitches bunch like up goddamn rookies again I will kill you myself!"

...Use More Gun.

The rest of the fight is going… Alright. The Enclave power armour troopers are mostly armed with plasma and gauss weapons, which can penetrate the advanced technical armour of the Black Paladins. The regular infantry have lasers, which need to land a lot of hits to harm a paladin unless they hit a damaged component or the visor. As a result they're mostly doing duty crewing the few support weapons the Enclave entombed with their soldiers, or acting as medics or spotters. On the other side, the Black Paladins are armed with a wide variety of weapons. There are heavy automatics and rocket launchers… But a lot of them are carrying automatic rifles which are great against unarmoured wasteland raiders but totally worthless against power armour.

The latter group aren't very dangerous to the armoured troops... But Krono and his team are a lot squishier.

As I watch, a Black Paladin tried to hold a gangplank against an advancing Enclave fire team. He opens up with a minigun, but the bullets just bounce off the heavy frontal plates of the Enclave power armour. They don't even bother shooting, they just charge into him, knocking him back and using him as cover while they open fire on the paladins on the deck.

Upside of the Paladins being as much machine as man - No creativity or intelligent responses to situations not programmed in. Gee, maybe the docs shouldn't have carved out all the smart parts of their brains...

**Krono to Ghosts.** I stand cautiously, take a pulse grenade off my bandolier and hurl it towards a Black Paladin fire point on top of some shipping containers. With both sides using power armour we have to be a little careful with these, but that should be far enough away. **Anyone see The Immortal?**

Yeah, I can see them responding with anger if you manage to fry their suits as well as the bad guys'.

**No.** / **No, Chief.** / **I got nothing.** / **No.** / **I'd tell you if-. Wait.**

There's a flash from the shipping containers and the Black Paladins freeze, Enclave soldiers taking advantage immediately to riddle them with gauss rounds.

At least they're being used wisely. I shudder to imagine the battles they would have fought back in the war with that kind of firepower...

**Noran?**

**Positive identification. A.T.A., blue cloak, two guys in T-Sixty power armor as bodyguards.**

You sure about that? Could be a decoy...

**Good work. Location?**

One of the ships turns its engines to full, Black Paladins shooting the mooring chains to let it get underway faster.

Well, that's about as obvious as it gets. Running across the strait to join his armies, I see.

**Never mind.**

It's not the furthest away, but it's only one berth closer and from the way it's lower in the water than the others I'm assume that it's the only one that's fully laden.

And the friendly forces can't get line of sight to bring it down or at least disable it from where they are...

And there are a lot of Black Paladins between where I am and there.

My left hand drifts to my necklace, and the two rings on the thong.

It's been a while, remind us where they came from? I assume one is his original Ring. The other... Krona's?

But while it might be nice to use the power other versions of myself use freely, things aren't quite like that here. We don't really know how the Odious King's song spread, but it looks like some psychic phenomena are memetic hazards. And something as infectious as the orange light? That's bad enough in places that aren't full of telepaths, or when the ring isn't being used by a telepath. And would it attract more demons, like the one living in the Odious King's head? And how do those demons work, if we've only ever seen one, and we didn't see that for very long?

Ah, now we see why he isn't flying around dragging the setting back into at least the dieselpunk age.

No. Can't risk it.

I check my surroundings, and see that I'm now well behind the Enclave front line.

Joy. This is going to take something drastic and shamelessly heroic, isn't it?

And then I run.

Across the dry dock where the ships were once built and the broken hull of the one that was still there for repairs is laying. Jump, push of the crane and onto the cargo deck-

**[All these ships are the same]** + **[I happen to be on that one]**

Ah, magic. Useful, but unpredictable.

-and then-. Shit! Barrel into the Brotherhood knight checking the cargo, punch him and then activate my stealth boy.

**I'm on the ship. Where am I heading?**

**How did-? Ah, he's on the upper deck.**

Right, time for an assassination play.

Right, ladder up to the hatch over there. I can't hide the fact that I'm opening a hatch with the stealth boy-. The cargo is still in the cargo lift. I guess that the knight hadn't finished loading. Right, get on board, hit the switch and get behind the pallet of… Noodles. I guess even cyborgs have to eat. And up we go.

Cheap carbs, after all. I doubt the cyborgs have the mental dexterity for anything more complex than ramen-equivalents.

**Show me.**

**[The Immortal stands proud and resolute as he bravely runs away from the firefight on the docks. His attention appears to be focused on the battle, while his bodyguards constantly scan his surroundings. The Immortal is carrying a Winchester P94 plasma caster, while his bodyguards appear to have multiplas rifles. Black Paladins stand in cover behind steel crates and shipping containers, watching for any attempt to reach the ship. Twelve in total that Noran has seen. Knights are in the bridge actually controlling the ship, but they're only lightly armed.]**

...Those are some big, nasty guns, I see. Taking no chances with his personal safety.

**Thank you.**

The freight elevator clanks to a stop and **[no one comes to investigate trusting the knights to do their jobs.]** I step around the pallet, palming smoke and pulse grenades. I see The Immortal twenty metres away from me, no obstruction beyond what his bodyguards offer-.

A quick decapitation strike should end this fairly quickly...

The Immortal jerks around, his helmeted head focusing on me even though I'm suppose to be invisible.

"There! Stealth boy! Open-"

...Unless this fucker has supersenses of some kind.

Shit.

I'm running as his bodyguards turn around.

"-fire!"

Time to start throwing Paladins overboard, Krono...

Well, as good as this fight started, pre-war Enclave troops fighting alongside 'Californian National Guard' forces, this is not great for Krono. Outnumbered, Outgunned and apparently stuck with a boss enemy who can see him while cloaked. Krono might have to reach for a Ring after all unless he can do something clever.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-11T08:46:22+0100

Ngamer11 said:
That should say 'gesture'.
That should say 'Fire'.

Thank you, corrected.

Chojin Patriarch said:
It's been a while, remind us where they came from? I assume one is his original Ring. The other... Krona's?

Yes.

Ah, now we see why he isn't flying around dragging the setting back into at least the dieselpunk age.

Impractical. There isn't enough easily accessible oil worldwide to do that. They'd need to use nuclear fuel to use thermal de-polymerisation in order to make diesel, and that's... Only sensible in very specific circumstances. Just use nuclear.

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