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

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Date Night (supplementary, Renegade option)
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    • 28th March
    06:41 GMT -5

    "..so that's fifty eggs, twenty bell peppers and sixteen rashers of bacon." I look over the interior of the shopping trolley once more, phone construct held against my right ear. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather try chorizo sausage instead? Because I've got to be honest: I'm not completely convinced of the quality of this bacon."

    "I am grateful for your concern, Mister Grayven, but I think it best if we keep with the familiar for the time being."

    Jean is the newly created G-Goblin whom Dubbilex assigned to handle the Challenger Mountain operations as my majordomo. She's not only taller than both of them but possesses a much more adult frame than Ixy. Same suggestion-of-breasts and horn studs on her jaw that Ixy has but with Dubbilex's more upright posture. Her voice is clearly female and she speaks with a received pronunciation English accent. I'm not sure if that was due to them wanting to copy my manner of speech or not.

    She can also taste and enjoy complex flavours, a facility which it appears the G-Prometheans share and one which I am more than happy to indulge. I'd kind of… Been feeling a bit lonely, moving from a populated mountain to one where Doctor Robbins, Mister Tawny and I were the only people who could talk so I'm glad for her presence. I've even made a point of easing off on my mental barriers when she's around, though I'm not sure if she appreciated the significance of the act.

    "Okay." I take a look around the supermarket and smile at the few other early morning shoppers. I've been getting more than a few stares and several have taken pictures of me with their phones. With Challengerville an abandoned pile of rubble this place -Rifle, Colorado- is the closest settlement to my new home. Yes, I could boom tube to just about anywhere but if I'm making an effort to win the American public over I really think I should tie myself to a place. If the shopping is really bad I suppose I could just order still and have it deliv-.

    "Hey. Are you Prince Grayven of Apokolips?"

    "I'll see you shortly. Should be home in about ten minutes." I delete the phone construct before turning to face the woman addressing me. Ooooh bother. She's a little over six feet tall and has a muscular build. An unruly mass of vibrant red hair flows from her head and she's wearing green body armour with gold decoration and gold boots. And a gold cape? Odd. I was really hoping that I'd have more time than this. And that it would be somewhere private. "Miss Knockout, while I appreciate you doing me the courtesy-."

    Dagh! Doof! Aghjik!

    Bwah!

    I gingerly pick myself up from the ruined wreck of a car I just slammed into.

    Eight out of ten on the landing, Corpsman.

    She just hit me through several shelving units and the outer wall. No weapon, I note. On the positive side I'm not injured and… I check around. When I hit this car I did so with enough force to shove it backwards into the middle of the road. Fortunately, there weren't any cars in the way. I hear screams as the other shoppers and staff flee, one of them shouting at the others to phone the police. No, that would just get them killed.

    "Alright." My casual clothing is replaced with my Apokoliptian body armour and I activate the purple ray drones I left on a nearby roof top. "You can probably still protect Father with one arm."

    Knockout walks confidently forwards through the settling dust. "At least you can take hits."

    "Knockout, I thought that Father and I had an understanding." Leave. Now.

    "While your flattery pleases me, I'm here for my own purposes."

    The Sword of Second and Third costs too much ring power for me to store it in subspace so I don't have it with me, but I take my x-ionised sword out of subspace. "And what might that be?"

    "I'm looking for a mate. You're powerful and reasonably intelligent, so you're it."

    …

    Huh?

    Knockout reaches the pavement, then.. rises.. off the ground? I'm not seeing any aero discs… Then a yellow corona surrounds her head.

    Father Box, I realise that I should have asked this about thirty seconds ago, but-.

    Ploong.

    Ah. Not Knockout.

    "I am Maxima, Empress of Almerac. Defend yourself!"

    I transition to the opposite side of the road as she fires what I think is some sort of telekinetic bolt at my previous location. "Sorry, thought you were someone else."

    She immediately orientates herself on my new location. "Who could you possibly have mistaken me for?"

    She gestures imperiously with her right hand and the wrecked car rises off the ground and then flies at me fast. I use the fear of the bystanders to brace myself before catching it with both hands and setting it down beside me.

    "A woman called Knockout. She's got the same hair and fashion sense as you, but she's actually about an inch shorter and her musculature is more pronounced." I wave my right hand. "My ba-."

    And she's on me ow. She punches my head in a left-right combination then rises slightly to strike me with her right knee. Before it hits home I grab her right lower leg and -check the building's empty, good- turn rapidly, slamming her into and through the wall behind me. Sinestro? Anything helpful about Almerac?

    I never had cause to go there. The people have a wide range of unusual mental abilities-

    I raise my right hand up and then slam her face first into the tarmac.

    -and a highly martial culture. The system of government is an-

    Ghh! My right hand spasms as she uses some sort of telepathic feedback attack on my peripheral nervous system. Haven't.. quite got the hang of adapting the yellow ring to blocking that sort of thing yet, though as she backs away she looks a little surprised by how much effort it's taking her.

    -autocratic monarchy and they set great store in personal psychic power.

    She shoots forwards, air rippling around her as she aims for my head again.

    It is the only part of you which is unarmo-.

    Yes, thank you, Sinestro. One fist finds my forehead before I can transition away again. "I'm sorry, but I'm not on the market! I already have a mate and I'm very happy with her!"

    She doesn't even turn as the yellow corona around her head hits me… Okay, looks like I owe Chester a box of Roses. It hurts, but it's far from being overwhelming.

    "Metropolis is on the East Coast! Why can't you go and bother Kal-El?"

    "Kal-El didn't kill a lord of Chaos." She keeps the beam up as she drifts towards me. "Giving up yet? You'll have far more fun if you yield."

    "Hardly." Drones, shoot her.

    Purple beams lance towards her from four separate directions. There's a slight distortion around her skin as she creates a telekinetic barrier, but as expected the beams go right through it. Her blast cuts out as she shudders and falls to the ground as the negalife works its magic.

    Drones, stop. As soon as the beams stop she rises to a crouch, ready to lunge at me again. "Look, I'm very serious about not being available. Jade and I are in love. But I'm willing to offer my services as a matchmaker?"

    "Explain."

    "What characteristics are you looking for in a mate?"

    "Strength. Power. They need to be a warrior with abilities that complement mine."

    "Really? That surprises me."

    "I'm not interested in a weak mate."

    "But they'll share your throne. Wouldn't experience in positions of command or leadership be more useful?"

    She thinks for a moment. "Possibly. As a secondary consideration."

    "Look, I have a database full of information on all sorts of people. Why don't you let me see if I can't find someone more suitable for you?"
     
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    • Y'know, we haven't seen Renejade in a while. That's become especially apparent in the aftermath of Grayven's trip to Justice Lord Earth and his regaining his sanity to some degree. How IS their relationship progressing? Are they happy? Sad? Has she moved in with him? Is his apparent loss of his Orange Ring and its attendant Lanterns a sticking point?

    Really, I don't think we've seen Renejade since... oh, when Grayven was meeting with Ra's?
     
    Okay, about the chi thing. For the purpose of this story:

    The physical and mental abilities of Humans 16 are the same as Humans Prime once arcane effects are taken out of the equation.
    Everyone uses minute amounts of spiritual power while doing anything, but the result is usually so small as to be negligible.
    Without specific training is using their innate magics in that way, the effect remains negligible.
    Magic users can take advantage of this, but its just another spell and those without formal training probably wouldn't know how to.
    Those like John Constantine who mostly use tricks and other people's power can't take advantage of it effectively as their own metaphysiques aren't all that strong.
    Batman 16's knowledge of such techniques is fairly basic and not a substantial part of his abilities. He just doesn't have the time to master the more advanced stuff.
     
    Mr Zoat said:
    Okay, about the chi thing. For the purpose of this story:

    The physical and mental abilities of Humans 16 are the same as Humans Prime once arcane effects are taken out of the equation.
    Everyone uses minute amounts of spiritual power while doing anything, but the result is usually so small as to be negligible.
    Without specific training is using their innate magics in that way, the effect remains negligible.
    Magic users can take advantage of this, but its just another spell and those without formal training probably wouldn't know how to.
    Those like John Constantine who mostly use tricks and other people's power can't take advantage of it effectively as their own metaphysiques aren't all that strong.
    Batman 16's knowledge of such techniques is fairly basic and not a substantial part of his abilities. He just doesn't have the time to master the more advanced stuff.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Yeah, we're talking about the kind of stuff that literally takes years, to decades, to entire lifetimes (human ones anyway) to master. There's a reason that for thousands of years martial mastery has been seen as a path to enlightenment.
     
    backgroundnoise said:
    Yeah, we're talking about the kind of stuff that literally takes years, to decades, to entire lifetimes (human ones anyway) to master. There's a reason that for thousands of years martial mastery has been seen as a path to enlightenment.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    That's only if you don't have someone or something to teach you.

    If you do it's possible to learn in weeks/months, which is the whole reason why people always try to steel technique scrolls from various Masters that the Masters always say they aren't ready for.

    At the end of the day it's hidden master secreting their knowledge that's holding humanity back in the mystic kung-fu bullshit category.
     
    Heheheh. Paul's looking for a mate, and Grayven's fending off someone who is. Irony is funny.

    Of all the things I thought I'd see here, Matchmaker!Grayven was not one of them. And I'm glad it is!
     
    Well,

    That was ....... interesting, wonder if she's going to show up in the Paragon timeline and go for Superman as canon. And I wonder who Grayven is going to try hooking her up with.

    Blight said:
    Probably when switched from orange to yellow.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    In all seriousness I think so, the orange Ring's effects were a volatile combination with Grayven's issues the Yellow ring comes with less effects on the mind and the brain of someone who knows exactly how it works attached.
     
    Vaermina said:
    At the end of the day it's hidden master secreting their knowledge that's holding humanity back in the mystic kung-fu bullshit category.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Leaning mystical kung-fu on Earth 16 is like learning medicine in medieval Europe. Some of what you will be taught is good and sensible and rational and accurate and some it is total nonsense and there's no way for a lay person to tell which is which. The Chinese are only just starting to study it scientifically, and the lack of thaumaturgical knowledge is making it very difficult.
     
    Mr Zoat said:
    Okay, about the chi thing. For the purpose of this story:

    The physical and mental abilities of Humans 16 are the same as Humans Prime once arcane effects are taken out of the equation.
    Everyone uses minute amounts of spiritual power while doing anything, but the result is usually so small as to be negligible.
    Without specific training is using their innate magics in that way, the effect remains negligible.
    Magic users can take advantage of this, but its just another spell and those without formal training probably wouldn't know how to.
    Those like John Constantine who mostly use tricks and other people's power can't take advantage of it effectively as their own metaphysiques aren't all that strong.
    Batman 16's knowledge of such techniques is fairly basic and not a substantial part of his abilities. He just doesn't have the time to master the more advanced stuff.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...


    It's too bad someone hasn't thought to make some sort of... spiritual 'weighted clothes' that increase the exercise rate of the innate magics. Something he could wear every day for minor returns over time, similar to the weight training he already does.
     
    Mr Zoat said:
    Leaning mystical kung-fu on Earth 16 is like learning medicine in medieval Europe. Some of what you will be taught is good and sensible and rational and accurate and some it is total nonsense and there's no way for a lay person to tell which is which.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Does it matter?

    Even if learning it includes learning a good amount of bullshit there isn't actually anything detrimental or damaging in the process is there?

    The Chinese are only just starting to study it scientifically, and the lack of thaumaturgical knowledge is making it very difficult.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    That makes me wonder if Tibet used it's mystical kung-fu masters to maintain it's independence in DC?
     
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