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April 28th, 2013
11:08 EST
-Johanna sits.. on my lap. Sideways, legs pointed towards the door and one arm around my beck for balance. I guess she was.. serious about the grabbing? Mr. Beatty doesn't react. I guess for all he knows we're actually dating.
I nod. I expected as much. Lex Luthor wouldn't build an A.I. that wasn't a toady. "People often think of electronic information as being 'out there' in the aether. They forget that electronic information is really just a series of entirely physical switches. Even a fully intelligent computer like you is far easier to understand than an organic brain."
"Your meaning?"
"My meaning is that I don't need your help. I know how to literally read your mind."
Thank you, corrected.Unless their relationship has advanced 'off screen' to where they have nicknames for each other's... body parts, I guess her arm is around Mitchell's back?
"I don't know. I played along, and if I hadn't been here one of them would have… Gotten whatever they came here to get. Or do whatever they came her to do. But… I don't know. It was always a long shot."
It's.. probably fine that Nazi Supergirl is draping herself all over the emotionally immature Superman clone.
It's.. probably fine that Nazi Supergirl is draping herself all over the emotionally immature Superman clone.
Thank you, corrected.
Is it a good thing that Anarky has access to a bunch of Lexcorp's secret info? What is he planning on doing?
First thing. Any chance that you'd work for LexCorp with you powers?"
Is it a good thing that Anarky has access to a bunch of Lexcorp's secret info? What is he planning on doing?
John's still technically a Lord of Order, but the last time we saw him he said that he was planning on channeling his Order and Chaos magic to others the way Shazam does for the Marvel family.@Mr Zoat, after rereading a part that had Nabu, it has me wondering what the Justice League will do about getting a new Lord of Order to replace Dr Fate's spot. Is anyone actively looking for a replacement?
This links to the page before the one with the story part.
It's.. probably fine that Nazi Supergirl is draping herself all over the emotionally immature Superman clone.
And Batman. Don't forget Batman.In the comics he once gathered energy from Darkseid and Etrigan to make a truth bomb to force people to realize that grifters who exploit them don't actually care about them and their ethical philosophies that defend their exploitation is just putting lipstick on a pig.
Thank you, corrected.
I found out that WARDEN gets rewards for conquering the whole map in Old World Blues.@Mr Zoat, is today's story part late, or has something prevented you from posting today?
Surprised there aren't better defences, but I suppose most of those are on the New York side. And when nearly every one of the people coming and going there are Amazons, it's hard to find anywhere safer.April 29th, 2013
06:22 UCT +3
"So, this is Themyscira." Johanna looks around the portal chamber. "It is very… Dark."
I shrug as I lead the way out onto a small courtyard. It's a little out of the way, but it's seen a lot more traffic lately than when it just led to Paula von Gunther's workshop.
Heh. They're either the night shift or very early risers."Hail, Prince Mitchell!" / "Hail, Prince Mitchell!"
The two guards on duty come to attention, and give them a nod of acknowledgement.
Though I imagine Hippolyta still feels a bit conflicted over grandmotherhood. Silly, Diana, not doing anything the conventional way, even having children."We're in the Aegean Sea. Dawn's a few minutes off."
"Taking me to meet your mother already? Someone is confident."
"No, Mom's busy with the Justice League today. I don't exactly know where she is right now. This is where my grandma lives."
And I can imagine the gossip about 'who came back very late' spreading like wildfires.We walk down a side street, then turn in the direction of the main road towards the inner city. Usually the only people awake that this time of the morning are the fisherwomen and the guards… And late-night party-goers who've just come back through the portal, but they're trying to be a bit quieter about it these days. Paul said that was because while most people here don't mind contact with the rest of the world, pregnancy is still a contentious issue. Apparently, him letting the Amazons make each other pregnant is a lot different to them suddenly having unrestricted access to men for the first time in three thousand years.
One of those grown-up things you need to learn, Mitchell: How to shit-talk with friends."I… I was.. joking, about..."
She sounds pretty uncomfortable. "I know. I'm socially awkward, not stupid."
It's impressive that he has that much of a moral code, and how quickly it's come together. I mean, he has good examples in his adopted mother and the rest of the League, but he sort of skipped over the 'teenage rebelliousness' phase."I do not think that you are stupid, Mitchell. But I was being very forward, and you are... You are doing the thing that a responsible, upstanding young man would do."
"Have you dated responsible, upstanding young men before?"
Now, casual hookups in disguise, that may be possible. Especially if her face isn't well-known because of protective masks."'Dated'? Match, I live my life in service to People and State. Clearly I have no time for dating and romance!"
"Ah, really?"
Yeah, but Overman is in his mid-nineties minimum. That's a whole generation or two apart."That is what I spent years telling reporters. Honestly, I was…" She shrugs. "There wasn't anyone I could trust enough to be open and honest with. Except perhaps Overman, but he… Eh, no. Too much of a risk. And, too big an age difference, I think."
"I'm three."
Teasing again. After all, that's around a fifteen year gap in life experiences at the least."Yes, you're not too old for me."
I.. stop, staring her-. The back of her head, with a frown.
Conner at least has more life experience, simulated or not.I takes her a moment to realise that I'm not next to her, then she stops and turns around.
We look at each other for a moment.
"That… I meant that as a joke… Are you..? Serious about the three years old thing? Your brother is younger than you, and it has not stopped him and the Martian… Being together."
I doubt she really meant it seriously. Like shitposting online, it's for the lulz. Confrontational humour to deflect emotional fragility, perhaps."Conner and M'gann…" Honestly, that… I mean, Conner's a lot better at social stuff then me, and we are physiologically adolescents. But it's still pretty weird how young he was in terms of experience when M'gann started trying to date him. I guess his mental programming gave him artificial experience? I think he said something about them making him dream of being Superman. "They're not me. And… I understand that you-. Trying to date three year olds is usually really bad and not something you should really joke about. And the way you put it? It sounded… Really self-absorbed."
Honestly? That's basically what being a teenager is. Too old to be childishly innocent, too young to be a sensible adult."It was a joke. I wouldn't try to date you if you were three… Physically. You are too sensitive. Why?"
She's right. It was a joke. It was obviously a joke, and I-. Why? Why? "I-. Because Conner… Got this stuff. Not right away, but-. By now. In less than six months. I've been out of my pod and not.. angry for over a year. And I still can't work out what I'm suppose to.. do or say half the time. And I don't know if it's just-. Coming out stupid. But I'm-. Not as mentally developed as I am physically developed. Okay? I can't-. Cope with some things."
Maybe thinking of all her siblings that never had that chance at all?Johanna looks… Serious. She nods. "Okay. I won't.. joke about that. I-."
She sighs, shaking her head. I can't work out why.
Hey, all the way out on a marvellous magical island, why not catch a sunrise while you're visiting?"Is there something you want to say?"
"No, I-. I was.. just thinking-." She perks up. "Where is the best place to see dawn?"
Good point. Honestly, with super-speed, it'd be easy to do a tour of the world's prettiest sunrise spots in a single day, outpacing the rotation of the Earth..."Mount Skybreak, but that's up a mountain-."
"So, like, twelve seconds for me and maybe a minute for you?"
And reasonably private at this time of day."Last time Paul went there, Zeus threw lightning at him. It's a bit magical. I thought we could watch it from the plaza?"
"That sounds nice."
Ah, I was right about the hookups? Nice. Visiting kneipes all over the planet, that sort of thing?I.. nod. Awkwardly, because I just made a big fuss about nothing, but I start walking again and she's walking next to me. So I guess that worked out?
"I have had a few flings."
"Huh? Flings?"
...Well, that seems a bit wasteful. Gonna have to learn to be a sociable person eventually."Ah, hook-ups? I avoided anything that could become long term, but… I am not made of stone. Anonymous, mostly. A wig, hair dye." She makes an amused snort. "Pretty blondes are fairly generic, but a woman with short hair stands out where I am from. I don't really know how to have an actual relationship with someone either. Of any sort. I don't really know how to be a daughter. I know that I am testing Mister Garrick's patience, and every time he tries to engage with me on a personal level I just… Go back to the New Statesmen meeting room. Or… Somewhere else."
Just with different names in some cases, eh?"Ah. Somewhere bad?"
"I come from Nazi Earth. What do you think?" I suppose. "I know that all of the murder puts all of the other bad things in the shade. But when all of the murder is done, all of the other things are still there."
After all, they need some kind of 'other' to direct people against."Didn't you say that the people who made you got purged?"
"Yes. There is no power on the Earth to rival us, and we still kill people who become too unpopular. I mean, those ones deserved it, but I am sure that some it happens to don't."
Well, I doubt he or anyone else sympathetic doesn't know there will need to be a lot of blood shed to change the world..."Because of what they did to your sister? Sisters?"
"Hm?" She looks puzzled for a moment. "Oh. Yes. And many other reasons. I think… Overman will not want to.. repeat the purges, but I do not see any other way to change things."
And there are bound to be some hidden from him somehow. If his Fledermaus is anything like Batman... There are plans."Why can't he just… Insist that everyone follows the law?"
"Because it is too baked in to our civilisation. It is how everyone behaves-. Everyone with a certain amount of power behaves." She sighs. "He did changes things, after they made Angelika, and after the engineered diseases nearly killed all human life. And that was accepted. But he cannot be everywhere. He cannot be in every holding cell and every secret project."
Until either all the people clinging to the old way are dead, or everyone is... That's a bad time..."No, I guess not. So, what do you think is going to happen?"
"War. If someone who was not Overman tried to do what he is doing, they would be killed. But they can not kill him. So some people will say that they agree with him, and they will be killed. But things will already be moving. His followers will kill them, and then… Things will grow."
Running away from the problem, really.
And what about all the people who would get caught in the crossfire? People who don't know or care about the disagreements at the top? What of them?I nod. "Okay. I don't think I can do anything about that."
"Nor should you. Let them live according to their own beliefs. May the strongest win."
I suspect they'll both be learning lessons as they go."But I might be able to help you with… Having actual ideals and goals. If… You can help me learning to socialise?"
She glances at me, and her smiles look… Honest?
"Sure. We can try that."
Yes. There is no power on the Earth to rival us, and we still kill people who become too unpopular. I mean, those ones deserved it, but I am sure that some it happens to don't."
Though I imagine Hippolyta still feels a bit conflicted over grandmotherhood. Silly, Diana, not doing anything the conventional way, even having children.
Now, casual hookups in disguise, that may be possible. Especially if her face isn't well-known because of protective masks.
And what about all the people who would get caught in the crossfire? People who don't know or care about the disagreements at the top? What of them?
They're not slaves, as they don't do manual labor for someone else. They're effectively in a giant zoo or concentration camp.Not to mention they keep a whole continent under enforced technological regression and enslavement due to their beliefs.
Wow, that's...not really better.They're not slaves, as they don't do manual labor for someone else. They're effectively in a giant zoo or concentration camp.
Agreed. It's what makes me wish Doctor Mist could've spoken with that world's version of himself, just to see the glaring hole in his non-interventionist beliefs.
Thank you, corrected.
He meant the new laws that Overman would establish.Mitchell, the laws there was made by Nazis and those influenced by Nazi beliefs.
If anything the law is a problem.
At that size it's not really a concentration camp, as those are by definition a place where a population is concentrated in a small area. It's more a reservation or series of reservations.They're not slaves, as they don't do manual labor for someone else. They're effectively in a giant zoo or concentration camp.
Johanna explicitly does not follow any ideology, she just doesn't care because she is not particularly heroic.She is still a Nazi, so if someone gets hurt then she may not care since they were obviously too weak to defend themselves.
Maybe, but she has been raised in an environment that had Nazi ideas as a norm, so even if she doesn't identify with that ideology, it's very likely that a significant portion of her personality is influenced by said ideology.Johanna explicitly does not follow any ideology, she just doesn't care because she is not particularly heroic.
People pick what to follow on an individual basis. It's likely that she's just ignoring that part of the Nazi ethos because "Not my problem. Don't wanna enforce that part."Maybe, but she has been raised in an environment that had Nazi ideas as a norm, so even if she doesn't identify with that ideology, it's very likely that a significant portion of her personality is influenced by said ideology.