ABOUT MYSELF

Pseudonyms: The Shroud, John Smith, Operative 23

Age: Below 40

Gender: Male

Interests: Physics, mathematics, understanding, reality, music, piano, violin, and writing fanfiction, apparently.

Favorite Authors: Tom Clancy, Isaac Asimov

YouTube Playlists For My Stories

YouTube Profile: John Smith

For Fanfiction Works:

Prometheus Unleashed, Season 1 - Decision: Decision, Season 1 Of Prometheus Unleashed (Episode III of The Justice Chronicles)

For Originals Works:

Our Story (Still In Progress): Our Story - Complete Set

MY CONCEPT STYLE

Looking through my future concepts below, I have stories in which Malcolm Merlyn didn't leave his son behind, changing a lot of stuff, Slade Wilson and Tommy Merlyn forgive Oliver for their mistaken beliefs that he betrayed each, in a way, Adrian Chase ends up working with Oliver Queen (and Talia al Ghul), Adrian Chase turning upon Talia al Ghul to end up working with Oliver Queen, Savitar 'saving' the heroes, and a saner Light from Death Note. There are others, but these have similarities between each other.

Those all have the common theme of a character being a better version of themselves. Malcolm not killing Robert, Slade not attacking Oliver, Adrian not going on a Slade-Wilson-esque quest of vengeance, Adrian turning away from vengeance, Savitar focusing on something different from killing Iris on a specific street at a specific time to cause a specific result somehow, and Light not becoming horribly arrogant.

And each of these characters being somewhat partway redeemed is a 'psycho'. Malcolm killed Robert and started the Undertaking, Slade killed Moira and took Oliver's company away, even if he was under the influence of the Mirakuru, Adrian killed Samantha and tortured Oliver until he broke down, Savitar manipulated Killer Frost into working against Team Flash and killed HR, and Light killed L and slaughtered a variety of people that were already imprisoned and not escaping.

I'm relatively new to writing fanfiction, so I want to at least start with a more original story, even if only to compensate for any errors I commit as a new author, and it's more likely that no one has written a specific story with a morally better [better, not a good person] character that used to be an absolute psychopath than a specific story with any specific hero.

I also tend to write darker stories, possibly featuring: torture, manipulation, murder, mass murder, and maybe suicide. It can be fun to write the darker, bolder psychopath characters, and they may be more willing to use torture, manipulation, and murder to get to an end.

That being said, I also tend to prefer happier endings. Endings where not everything is lost, where characters have survived through their ordeals, and where there is a future. Because otherwise, the characters might as well have not done anything, and the narrative is pointless. If there was no real future, then the past didn't matter, the story didn't matter, the characters didn't matter, and it stabs itself in the back. This isn't the same as a cadmean victory, or the reverse case of a failure that leads to a new future, which are happy endings to a degree. I am referring to where everything is lost AND the characters haven't survived to continue to do what they can AND where there is no future.

It seems to state that there is no choice that matters, that the universe is a hopeless pit of despair, that we might as well go out in some blazing light of glory. All three are worthlessnesses of the highest order. If no choice matters, the journey featured in the story is not a journey, but a march towards the guillotine. Saying the universe is a hopeless pit of despair is no better than an excuse for doing whatever you like, saying that if the universe is bad, then it isn't a problem if you also do bad things. This is like, to exaggerate, a murderer saying that 'Well Officer, I know I killed those people, but this still spares them from a life of hardships, so I should be given a medal for being such a good person!' It doesn't make sense.

The idea of a blazing light of glory is similarly ridiculous, even if it is the famous quote 'Do not go gentle into that good night.' Let one imagine two equal but different worlds, or sides, or countries, etc. A small group of people on the first one have already chosen to obliterate the other. Another small group of people on the second can choose to also obliterate the first, or not. In a blazing light of glory, the second world then would destroy the first. Even if this justifies the death of the first small group, it doesn't justify the end of the whole first. This generally applies, because every action has effects that spread to people other than the original target.

To paraphrase, civilization rests on the principle that people treat such villains better than they treated their victims. When this is not understood, civilization begins to fall apart, even if only to a degree. In this hypothetical case, society would literally be destroyed. This is different from, for example, a cop that has been shot and is bleeding to death within the next few seconds that then shoots and kills a serial killer. There is a purpose, to save future victims of said serial killer, and the cop would be treating them better then their victim by having the killer die for a real purpose that is correct, to save people, rather than a conglomeration of meaningless death. A blazing light of glory is a meaningless spectacle designed only to make oneself seem impressive.

However, there is still a place for sad endings. A cautionary tale, for example, and also possibly in comedy and/or parodies. Similarly, happy endings also have flaws. For example, the 'happily ever after' ending thinks that things will stay forever the same, which simply doesn't happen, and shouldn't.

RESPONSE TO ARROW 7x21 and 7x22

7x21:

Fun having Tommy back. Not so fun having him arguing about the 'circle of violence'. It's the exact same thing as what the psycho Doctor said (on Level 2 of Slabside), utter nonsense. Violence incites fury, fury causes dissent, dissent leads to change, change spawns those who are left behind, those who are left behind use violence, etc. This is a dark process, but a necessary one. Unless one truly leaves behind fury, violence, and dissent to focus on pure, positive change, and no one on Arrow does so, then the cycle of violence is why there are vigilantes, and is what keeps people from doing whatever they want to others, what causes karma to take a brutal, physical form in Arrow. The cycle of violence is simply a sloppy blender making a perfect smoothie over time, a primal form of change -- impure, but change. It should lessen in effect, but it will not lessen in need until humanity learns to change. And that will take decades, decades Arrow doesn't cover.

7x22:

Archer is a general tool, like martial arts. It can be used defensively and offensively, both to great danger and effect. And the episode seems to claim that choosing to help others is caused by parental issues (when saying that Oliver, Felicity and so chose this life because their parents drew them into the circle of violence) -- which it isn't. Felicity (and Oliver, to an extent) seem to be trying to prevent their kids from getting mixed up in it -- which is hypocritical, their kids should get the same choice of becoming vigilantes if they want to, and the job description of being a vigilante is 'We get mixed up in anything and everything'. The same is happening on The Flash, and to no better effect. Bronze Tiger was awesome -- like DC Wolverine, clawed and brutal, except there's a possibility he could technically die, making it slightly more thrilling. And as much as they talk about being heroes, the one who fit the bill most was Mia, because to be a hero is to die so others can live. The whole Emiko death was anti-climactic because that dagger was slower than Oliver's arrows, which she can catch consistently. As for the Mia scene, she so should have used a low velocity arrow to trigger the bomb -- that's kind of some of the point of using a bow versus a gun, variable velocity. It did make sense why they chose to kill her -- it's the easiest way to opt out of a redemption arc, and they don't have the time with one half season left. Season 8 will presumably continue with the flashbacks, where Felicity essentially committed suicide under a different pretense (unless they bring back Oliver, which could be worth it... maybe), those in Star City -- who seem to be a pretty good group, what with most of their melodrama gone -- and Oliver working with the Monitor. It's the end of an era, but it's more promising than it has been in a long time.

PERSONAL VIEWS OF SOMEWHAT RUINED CHARACTERS

Savitar: In canon, he has a god complex, is angry that Team Flash didn't care about him and is throwing a tantrum, and wants to survive. In my thoughts, he's moved on from Team Flash. He's carving out a new fate for himself, to become as powerful as can be, since now there's no one else he cares about, the only person that matters to him and he can help is himself. But now, his time is approaching, and he doesn't want to go. So he needs to survive, no matter how, even if it means hurting his former friends, even killing them. This can be used as being good, sacrificing his morality in the process of just surviving and saving others, neutral, sacrificing his morality to survive only, or evil, killing anyone who stands in his way.

Adrian Chase: In canon, he acts like Malcolm Merlyn while possessing the goal of Slade, vengeance for his father. In my thoughts, he doesn't hold grudges, he could care less that his father died. It's about so much more than vengeance. It's about showing Oliver who he truly is, that he's a killer, that everything he touches dies. It's a favor, because when Oliver killed his father, he didn't feel anything, and realized it. He understood that he didn't care, and realized that he was a psychopath, embracing it and becoming a killer. Oliver made it possible for him to finally understand that part of him, so he's giving, in his mind, Oliver the benefit of finally understanding that part of himself. He doesn't realize that Oliver already understands that part, and wants to move on and escape it, because he thinks no one would try to avoid it once they understand it. This would be an evil Adrian, as I plan in Failsafe and many others. A neutral Adrian, would have disliked his father and been inspired by the Hood to become someone more, as I plan in a future project in which he is Vigilante. A good Adrian (oh boy) was blinded in his anger, wanting vengeance, and then was manipulated by Talia to attack Oliver, before eventually figuring it out and switching sides, as I plan in Prometheus Unleashed

Voldemort: In canon, he's an insane cult leader, who champions a cause that would discriminate against himself. In my thoughts, he's an intelligent psychopath, who wishes to control the magical and mundane world. He pretends to believe in the Death Eater cause, but they are all merely pawns to him, that he tortures on a whim to exert control over them. He's ambitious, bold, and somewhat psycho, but he isn't desperately insane. His plan, to explain more at length (and somewhat 'borrowed' from TheSerpent86, one of the best writers I have ever seen the works of), is to force the exposure of wizard-kind to the muggles. There was already a reckoning coming, caused by wizard-kind's unwillingness to recognize how the muggles are changing, and Voldemort would accelerate this reckoning. As a result, wizarding-kind would be united, and need a leader, where Voldemort would be the ideal candidate. If one wants a good Voldemort, this is simply to unite the Wizarding World, because it has been too divided, and potentially the Wizarding World with the Mundane Population, once tension ended enough, as I plan in Rebellion. If one wants a neutral Voldemort, this is to unite the Wizarding World against the dangers of the Mundane Population, under his control to enforce his changes, as I plan in Evil. And if one wants an evil Voldemort, this is for him to gain power, as I plan in Prophecy.

SOME OF MY CONCEPTS

Arrow:

Emerald Archer, Season 1: AU, Malcolm didn't leave his son behind for the League of Assassins, and a few other things. In 2006, Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy Merlyn, and Robert Queen were lost at sea. Four years later, Malcolm Merlyn was found. Two years after that, Tommy Merlyn returns to his city. At the same time, a vigilante, the Archer, appears, who begins to unravel a sinister undertaking, connected to a List. [I plan for ARGUS to have a bigger role in this. And Malcolm Merlyn will be semi-good in this and Time, as opposed to being a villain everywhere else.] Five Season Story. I'll probably only start to post this once it's nearly complete, so it'll be a very long-term project, but it's one I'm interested in and will probably be working upon on the side. Fifth most likely to be worked upon, though not finished, to be honest

Canary: Part of the Protector-verse. AU, in which Oliver is dead. Canary is a story that follows the journey of attorney Laurel Lance, who, after a particle accelerator malfunctioned, has received some extraordinary powers. Laurel sets up practice in her old neighborhood of Star City where she now fights against injustice as a respected lawyer by day and masked vigilante at night, being taught by someone she knows as Slade Wilson. Three season story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Vigilante: Part of the Protector-verse. AU, in which Vincent was betrayed. In Vigilante, after exacting revenge on those responsible for the deaths of his family, Vincent Sobel uncovers a conspiracy that runs far deeper than New York's criminal underworld. Now known throughout the city as Vigilante, and legally dead, he must discover the truth about injustices and make uneasy alliances, in order to finally end the war that has controlled his life for too long. Two season story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

The Firestorm: Part of the Protector-verse. AU, in which Thawne successfully killed Barry. In The Firestorm, while attempting to become a successful private detective, Ralph Dibny is building a personal life and career as an initially self-interested yet carefree private detective willing to walk the thin line, working in the Glades. Ralph battles demons from within and without, beginning to work with Firestorm as unlikely champions for those in need. Three season story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

The Vixens: Part of the Protector-verse. AU, in which Thea is almost as old as Oliver, and the McCabes live in Star City. In The Vixens, after her father and brother meet a tragic fate when the Queen's Gambit sinks, a young Thea Queen is accepted into Nanda Parbat by the League of Assassins, where she is taught how to survive, how to kill, and how to become someone else, something else. Returning to Star City after being missing for years, Thea Queen fights against the criminal element corrupting Star City with her combat skill and the help of a new hero with mystical powers. Two season story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Nathan: Part of the Protector-verse. AU, in which Nate received his powers from the particle accelerator. In Nathan, after a sabotaged particle accelerator experiment leaves him able to transform into an organic kind of alloy, Nate Heywood starts to work with a fugitive, Rene Ramirez, who is trying to rebuild his life in modern day Star City. But his new partner is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city -- forcing Rene to confront a past he had tried to bury. Two season story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

The Protectors: Part of the Protector-verse (Similar to how the Arrowverse focused on heroes that stood behind those like Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman (or at least claimed to focus on them, really focusing on melodramatic characters), this focuses on heroes that stand behind even them). AU, in which something else is formed instead of the League. The Protectors is a story which follows the Canary, Deathstroke, Ralph Dibny, Firestorm, Nate Heywood, Rene Ramirez, Thea Queen, and Vixen. A group of heroes with one common goal - to save Star City. This is the story of eight figures, burdened with their own personal challenges, who realize they just might be stronger when teamed together. One season story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Vengeance: Oliver died in the Undertaking, setting off a chain reaction, inspiring Tommy Merlyn to honor the sacrifice made by his best friend, and forcing someone else to finally realize their hatred of Queen was misplaced. Tommy receives training, from the man who was a brother to his own brother in all but blood. Ten Chapter Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Demons Within: Part of the Within multiverse. Fifteen Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

A New Dark Archer Freed (Redemption, Restriction, Reconciliation, Retrospection, Reconstruction): Sequel to Prometheus Unleashed.

Prometheus Unleashed (Decision, Lo-~-~-n, Pr-~-~-n, Su-~-~-n, Ig-~-~-n): Weird story idea. Once Adrian Chase finally breaks Oliver Queen, he realizes that it is only because he has been brainwashed through the torture, not a true confession. He turns upon his mentor, Talia al Ghul, who has been manipulating him to believe her lies. Three Season Story. Third most likely to be worked on and completed.

Kapiushon Untethered (De-~-~y, Em-~-~y, En-~y, El-~y, Le-~-y): Prequel to Prometheus Unleashed.

Deathstroke Emancipated (Island, Horizon, Tyrant, Asylum, Silent): Prequel to Kapiushon Untethered.

Failsafe: Amanda Waller has decided what must be done. She will enact her failsafe, a dormant ARGUS reprogramming treatment she subjected Operative Queen to long ago, making it possible to force him to follow her every direction without choice, and use it to combine the ruthlessness of her orders with the lethal skill of the Hood, taking out threats to national security in the process. Fifteen Chapter Story. Most likely to be completed soon.

The Following Effects: Part of the Follows universe.

Death Follows: Part of the Follows universe. No one knows him. Not the criminals, not the wealthy, nor the police. He has three rules... if you attack the innocent, he will kill you. If you try to control him, he will stop you. If you cross him... you are already... dead. Once Luchnik arrives, death follows.

Following Through: Long-shot series in a single work. Already have 40 ideas, just have to finish and publish them.

Flash:

Darkness: In the Speed Force, Savitar decides upon a change in plans, after stewing there for an eternity. He will save the heroes from their own mistakes by making them embrace their darkness, and he will find a way to continue to exist, if in a different way. He enlists a team of his own, coercing Reverse-Flash, Malcolm Merlyn, Earth 2 Killer Frost, Talia al Ghul, and Rip Hunter. After making drastic changes to the timeline, removing various figures, will his decision succeed, or lead to a darker future, filled with nothing but vengeance, anger, despair, futility, and failure? [Iris West, John Diggle, Clark Kent, Caitlin Snow, Felicity Smoak, James Olsen are some of those he removes from the timeline. An Injustice-esque Flashpoint will probably appear. I like 'happy' endings.] Eight Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

To Kill A Cicada: AU. Differences? Thawne is 'redeemed' (actually, the Negative Speed Force affected his mind, so he wasn't exactly ever evil.) Nora does want to kill Cicada. And Oliver doesn't die in Crisis of Infinite Earths. Five Chapter Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon, not until Arrow ends.

A Lightening Conversation: Barry knows Thawne's plans have plans. And he understands this one for once, with Ralph's help. But he might have to let it happen. He explains why. One-shot. Complete.

Angels Within: Part of the Within multiverse.

Schemes and Ploys: Prequel to Lies to Crisis. Part of Schemes, Ploys, Lies, Crisis, and in the same universe and time as Kapiushon Untethered.

Lies to Crisis: In the same universe and time as Prometheus Unleashed.

Barty, Barry, Remnant, Lies: As the course of Savitar's plot unfolds, nothing is as it was, no one is who they were, and no sense of truth or lies is clear. Happens at the same time as Decision, Season 1 of Prometheus Unleashed. Beginning season of Lies to Crisis and part of Schemes, Ploys, Lies, Crisis

Supergirl:

Sadness Within: Part of the Within multiverse.

Legends of Tomorrow:

Legends Within: Part of the Within multiverse.

DCEU:

The Bat: Begins. Falls. Rises. Flees. Returns. Somewhat based on the Dark Knight Trilogy, and the DCEU Batman's personality, style, capabilities, etc. Five Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon, even if I love the plans I've crafted.

League: A complete rewrite of DC. Not the DCEU, not the Arrowverse, none of that. Of DC. My most ambitious project. Three saga story (Sixty Years in Total, hardly any time skips). (A saga is multiple generations, probably taking between thirty years and three centuries. A generation is many seasons, probably taking between five years to thirty years. A season is many episodes, probably taking between a month to a year or two. An episode probably takes somewhere between a few days to two months.) Not going to be thought about in the slightest until I have literally nothing better to work on.

Vengeance Within: Part of the Within multiverse.

Justice Within: Part of the Within multiverse.

Original Works (No such category on FanFiction, so may be posted on FictionPress):

Our Story: Working on a summary. My second most ambitious project, but probably my favorite. Focuses on two main characters in first half, Falling Through Darkness, and continues with them as well as their successors in the second half, Rising to the Light. Sci-Fi, Superhero, Friendship, Crime, Drama, Adventure. Two generation story (Sixty Years in Total, though each is more about 15 years long, with a thirty year gap inbetween), each five seasons long, with each season a little longer than a year long, with time skips. As much as I have done a lot of work on it already, it'll be a side project for now. Zeroth most likely to be worked on (like, literally, every moment of my free time my mind drifts to this or one of my personal interests), but very unlikely to be finished.

Mind: Working on a summary. Psychological thriller, crime. Not to be worked on until Our Story is finished. No idea how long.

Broken Hearts: Working on a summary. Angst. Not to be worked on until Our Story is finished. No idea how long.

Soulless: Working on a summary. Philosophical, Spy. Not to be worked on until Our Story is finished. No idea how long.

New Chassis: Working on a summary. Sci-Fi, Drama, Adventure. Not to be worked on until Our Story is finished. No idea how long.

MCU:

A Civil Conversation: An AU of why the Civil War stuff happens. One-shot. Complete.

Death Note:

Sanity: A Saner Light, who ends up being a lot more difficult to take down. Fifteen Chapter Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Control: A less fatal Note, similar to Lelouch's power in Code Geass. Twenty Chapter Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Code Geass:

The King Must Lead: Lelouch begins his Black Rebellion, returning from the future. The catch? He has no Geass. Three Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Succession: AU, No Ragnorak Connection or Geass Order. Lelouch begins his plans to take over Britannia, deliver justice, and create a gentler world. Ten Chapter Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Contractor: A different contractor, and some other, various things changed. [Bad summary, and I'm working out a better one.] One Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Harry Potter:

Evil: A fearsome battle of wits, wands, and warriors, that shall decide the fate of the magical world. [Vigilance and Rotfang Conspiracy have been merged with this. Phases: War, Harry Potter, Death Eaters, Dumbledore, Ministry, Rotfang Conspiracy, Voldemort, Grindelwald, Riddle, Twenty Years Later. Ten Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

The-Boy-Who-Didn't: AU. Harry died along with Voldemort. The rest follows simply, as a war not between Voldemort and Dumbledore, but between the chaos of change and the old, obsolete form of order, that becomes about so much more than just a war. Ten Chapter Story [End of a War, Loss of a Stone, Return of a Basilisk, Capture of a Traitor, Tournament of a Lifetime, Death of a Phoenix, Betrayal of a Prince, Discovery of a Hallow, Use of a Horcrux, Beginning of a Partnership]. Not likely to be completed soon, but is being worked on. Second most likely to be finished soon.

Rebellion: AU. Working on a summary. Phases: Voldemort, Potter, Riddle. Three Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Prophecy: Revelation. Resurrection. Resolution. A teenager learns from mysterious people about the true nature of reality and his role in the war against those who intend to utterly destroy his side of reality. (Dumbledore sided with Grindelwald in this, Grindelwald is somewhat less evil, Dumbledore recruited Voldemort and other promising magicals as enforcers, and under their control, the magical world has become more powerful and widespread, taking control of the mundane world, keeping it mostly stagnant in the 20th century, while the enforcers have a similar control over the magical world.) Three Season Story. Fourth most likely to be worked on and completed soon.

Crossovers:

Time (Doctor Who & Arrowverse): Begins with the canon Arrowverse, except that Malcolm Merlyn is Captain Jack Harkness, Captain Rip Hunter was once Rory Williams, and Dinah Lance will be River Song. Three Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Grim Reality (Death Note & Constantine): The Death Note is also a grimoire. [I plan for more focus on Wammy's House.] Ten Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Luchnik (Arrow & John Wick): The Hood, when he was Luchnik, was trained by someone dangerous. That person, no, legend... was John Wick.

Some New Exploits of The Merc With A Mouth (Deadpool, Flash, & Minor (Arrow, Game of Thrones, MCU)): Comedic one-shot series.

Light In Justice (Young Justice & Various Series (Code Geass, Death Note, MCU, Arrowverse, DCEU)): Similar to Young Justice, but with different characters. Working this one out in my head, to be transparent. Technically not a crossover with Young Justice, but the plot will likely be similar enough for it to be essentially a crossover. A sequel to Without A Vengeance. (Modified YJ: incomplete) Three Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

Without A Vengeance (Justice League & Various Series (Forever, Person of Interest, Jason Bourne, Jack Ryan, John Wick, The Equalizer, Mission Impossible)): An Idea. Why? Because a complicated mash-up of universes will be so much fun and not millions of hours of headaches. Right. (Modified JL: Ethan Hunt - Scalpel, Benji Dunn - Comms, Sameen Shaw - Hammer, Henry Morgan - Doctor, Robert McCall - Front-Liner, Harold Finch - Team's Tech, Jack Ryan - Analyst, Jason Bourne - Scout, Ilsa Faust - Infiltration) Three Season Story. Not likely to be worked on or completed soon.

INSTANT PLOTS

Time Travel: Send an individual/group from any point in time to any previous point in time. Either in body, in mind, or in memories.

Portal: Send an individual from one place to another, whether across dimensions or remaining within the dimension.

Character Swap: Switch attributes (equipment, personality, etc.) between any number of characters (from any source) and see possible results.

Character Modification: Change such attributes, whether for an individual or group.

Different Choice: Have a character choose to do something different.

Correction: Have the entire universe change to 'work better' or 'make sense'.