Of Ice and Men (Young Justice. Icicle Junior SI.)

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 39: It Takes One To Snow One
​

Paris, France
October 17, 7:38 AM CEST​

"You just brought the whole place down?" Ratcatcher's eyes widen as he accepts his coffee from a very flirty server.

Been a while since I've been so overlooked. I watch the mousy brunette write her number on the back of the buck toothed man's hand. Kind of nice to see the world doesn't revolve around me, no matter how much Roy seems to disagree.

"The presence dropped Jade and Tommy in less than a minute. Wasn't taking any chances after the cave itself starting attacking me." It's only twisting the truth a bit, but it seems to be enough to make Jade lose interest.

"So I really did call the right guy." Reaching into his jacket, Ratcatcher pulls out a very thick envelope. "You think I could ask for a favour?"

I accept it and frown as soon as I open it. "How much money is in here?" Sighing, I remember to ask about it's origin. "And please tell me it's not stolen, I just got my record wiped clean."

"Two hundred grand and it's all clean. After a month in Brest to prove it was effective, Paris brought me in to clean up the place." He lifts his hand and shows off the eight gaudy rings. "The catacombs under the city have centuries worth of treasure to find and they just want me to map it all out."

"So why are you giving me this?" It still doesn't explain handing me an envelope full of cash.

"Tommy said you let him keep almost all his loot. So this is your cut for setting me up with the job." The beady eyed man explains as if it's obvious. "I couldn't quite figure out what gas money would work out to. Just decided ten percent of whatever I find is easier to divide."

"Told you the Boss looked after us," Tommy crows in celebration, reaching up to slap hands with an equally gleeful Ratcatcher. "Just remember to keep it on the down low. Boss might get in trouble if the Justice League finds out why he timed his break out for right before the end the world."

The wink Tommy gives me at that comment, sends my head spinning with confusion. Does he think I knew about the Red Robots and planned the whole thing out like some kind of Machiavellian mastermind?

"My friends that enter a specific section of the catacombs..." Ratcatcher wrings his hands anxiously. "They just never come back and none of the rats are willing to find out why."

"So you want me to what?" Crawl around in a dark tunnel and look for rats?

Across the street, I catch a glimpse of a pale girl watching us. A long black sundress and waist length blonde hair ignore the windy morning, remaining perfectly still despite the strong breeze.

Almost as if she's just a daydream, when I turn my head for a better look the girl is gone without a trace. This again?

"Greta, you better not be haunting me again." My words startle Ratcatcher, who starts frantically scanning the nearby area. "We're friends now."

"Who are you talking to?" After deciphering some squeaks from Pinkie and the Brain, Ratcatcher asks the question for the rodents resting on his shoulder.

"One second," I growl back in response and start searching though my bag for my rarely used phone. "I need to make sure I don't have a Secret watcher."

I get no answer when I try Artemis and it's the exact same thing when I try Roy. It's not until I call Paula that I finally hear a voice.

"She said they had a mission that might take most of the weekend?" The mother's explanation is enough for me to relax. "Alright... Thanks Paula."

"Your stalker still following you?" Snorts Jade, her smirk strangely tight.

In the end, we decide to take the rodent tamer up on his request. He has almost a mile already mapped out in perfect detail and it's only the oldest sections that really pose a danger now.

"I'm just really worried about Martin. He's not a warrior, no matter what he tells the other rats." The scrawny man leads the way beneath the city and I get well and truly lost before the hour is out.

I swear we've doubled back on ourselves at least three times. But the ground is still covered in a fresh layer of dust, with only the tracks of critters pressed into it.

"What do you think we're looking for?" I'd rather not face danger blind and try to get some more information out of our guide.

"... I'm trying to find the Philosopher's Stone." He hangs his head after a few seconds of internal debate. "I found a few decoy laboratories already and think Martin finally found the real one. But something bad happened to him."

He sniffles for another few hundred feet, only stopping when we find a door of stone blocking the corridor. "This is as far as the rats will go. Whatever the cause is, it's behind this door."

"Alright." I'm not risking all of us and give Tommy and Jade clear instructions to wait here. "If I'm not back in three hours, go get the Justice League. Ted Kord's number is in my phone and he can get you in touch with the heroes."

"But-" Tommy tries to insist on coming, only to get silenced with a firm no.

"I need you to look after Nora. Not die a mile under Paris because I was careless." I cross my arms and cock an eyebrow at Jade. "You better go with him. This is a private contract, Shadows not invited."

That just pisses the assassin off and she makes that clear with her snarl. "So why the hell did you bring us all the way down here?"

"So someone knew where to look." Ratcatcher has millions of friends mapping the place out and he's not even a quarter done yet. "I'd kind of like to be found..." I express as much discomfort for the cramped tunnel as I can with just a single expression. "Preferably before I starve to death."

I freeze the hallway between us, confident it will last the time I allotted. "And if Paris collapses, it means something really bad was down here."

"What could bring the whole city down?" Gasps Ratcatcher as I push the stone door open, the ancient rock screeches like a banshee until I finish.

"Me." If it comes down to it, I'll do what I have to.

"Please tell me hat's the backup plan?" He stutters back with raw fear in his voice.

Confirming that only eases his fears a slight bit. But the sight of golden rats littering the floor, has his terror shooting through the roof.

"Martin..." Ratcatcher reaches down and grabs a solid gold rat that to my eyes, looks identical to the rest.

I give him as long as I can to grieve. But when he starts saying goodbye to each rat individually, I have to put my foot down. "You want to stop this from happening to anymore of your friends, or not?"

"Sorry." He wipes his eyes and carefully places the rats he befriended in his satchel. "I'm ready."

He follows a half pace behind me as I enter a room that I first think is made from sandstone. No... That's just what centuries of blood stains look like.

I try not to spend to long staring at the implements I assume had been used for torture. Instead I allow my gaze to focus on the faint pulses of crimson light.

A ruby a little bigger than the diamond I found yesterday, is carved with the same perfection. It doesn't hum a lullaby like the crystal girl though. It trills with an agony and only my helmet saves me from the wave of force.

Ratcatcher's face contorts in pain as a bubble of scarlet energy expands rapidly. It washes over him effortlessly, he and his clothes turned into even more of the precious metal in less time than it takes me to open my mouth.

The energy doesn't stop and I flinch in preparation for my sudden end. Except even though I feel it crackle against my skin, something about Thanagarian metal saves my life.

My helmet crackles with energy and emits a pulse of it's own. The instant it does, the wave of crimson energy fades away from my body harmlessly.

"I'm really glad you came prepared." The girl from the cafe is back, this time speaking with a voice that sounds like it has experienced endless lifetimes. "I heard about your dream and thought it was a very interesting one. I didn't even have to nudge your path very much, you just jump right in with both feet."

"... Huh?" That rocks my thoughts and I find it hard to formulate a response more complex than grunting.

"Chaos might have it's claws wrapped around you. But just like the luck you seem connected to on a spiritual level, it's not just good or bad." She shrugs at my confused face and asks me to help her disciple out of the wizards cage. "Your friends could really use some help and I've needed someone to bring Kole's family back for a very long time."

She makes no visual gesture and yet I know she's the reason a silver cloud of sand rises into a spinning disc. It settles into a black and white movie of Young Justice. Almost the entire team is sound asleep in the cavern I just buried and I can only grind my teeth in frustration.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 23: Safety Fails
​

Womb of the Earth, France
October 17, 7:52 AM CEST

"He's alive!" Gasps M'gann as she picks up sheer terror from the caveman. "And scared."

"I don't blame him." With a pang of sympathy, Huntress remembers exactly what that sensation was like. "Was probably the worst day of my entire life."

Taking a long pause to consider how stupid it is, Red Arrow gives the order to start melting the ice. "Miss Martian. Can you make contact with him while we wait for the ice to melt?"

He eyes glow white and a hand is pressed against the ice. "... He's scared we're going to take her away too."

"Can't really blame him, his friend must be worth millions." Roy scowls at the diamond girl also entombed in a block of ice.

"You think all this was just to find the worlds most expensive statue?" Shaking his head, Robin goes back to the cave paintings in hopes of finding his own clues. "Something else has to be here."

Spraying the ice with short jets of flame, Danette tries to get the caveman out without injuring him. "Be ready to restrain hi-"

The ice around the diamond girl shatters into fine pieces, with the now freed figure tilting her head at the new arrivals. Coming to a decision, the diamond girl starts to hum.

The music is more than just noise, it reaches right into the mind and whispers goodnight. One by one, those with beating hearts collapse in a snoring heap.

The spirit of Greta Hayes and the gynoid Firebrand are unaffected, watching friends snore on the glowing moss. Left alone with the equally strange pair now freed from the ice, only Captain Marvel seems to still be in a state to help.

"Firebrand, you have to get us out of here." The ten year old in disguise barely manages to yawn, his heavy eyes watching M'gann try to lift herself from the cave floor.

The largest of them makes a few deep grunts and roars the only word he seems to know. "Gnarrk!"

"I know we must have really freaked you out and I'm sorry Gnarrk." His divine gifts allow him to understand what the cavemen meant. "You can call me Captain Marvel and I just want to help."

The crystal girl emits three long chimes, warning the strangers of the true danger. Her plea is enough to convince Billy Batson, not hearing a shred of deceit in the voice.

"Knights came and took the rest of your family?" His faces morphs into sorrow. "And you couldn't keep them both asleep by yourself anymore?"

Gnarrk and Kole are relieved at finally being able to communicate with outsiders and soon Captain Marvel is narrowing his eyes. "What do you mean it's too late? He can't quite get an exact match for the caveman's mumbling. "The sky demon is awake?"

A voice shrieks from every direction at once and nowhere at the same time. No words are coherent aside from the barest promise of agony. Hatred for anything sentient, drips with each sound that echoes though the cavern.

<Where is she?> The voice drowns every organic mind present under the weight of it's psychic power. <How long have I slept?>

The words aren't English or even human. But the basic message gets across perfectly fine and it rocks all who experience it.

M'gann somehow finds the strength to climb to her feet, only to have her entire world be torn apart. Every bit of moss ignites and sends the Martian girl cowering back in terror.

The fire moves as fast as Wally, engulfing her friends in searing heat as it races towards her. <No!>

<Burn!> The monster slaughtering her friends cackles in her mind. <All shall burn!> Sheer glee at her torment, crushes M'gann beneath it's vile grip.

Firebrand tries to combat the flames, using her own mastery to extinguish them before it's too late. But the second she leaves herself open, a bone white demon tears her in half with flaming claws.

Captain Marvel doesn't even have time to do more than raise his arms, the primordial Martian phasing a hand right through his heart. <Die for me!>

The blood that splatters across M'gann's face is hot and sticky, making the horrified girl cry out in horror. We're all going to die and no one even knows where to look for our bodies.

"Gnarrk!" The caveman's roar cuts right through her grief, just long enough for M'gann to watch the diamond girl smash into the monster.

The caveman doesn't let up his furious assault and delivers crushing attacks against the monster with all of his might. "Gnarrk!"

Savage blow after bone shattering strike, Gnarrk lays into the flaming foe. All of his rage at his stolen family, is delivered against the shrieking monster.

A beam of azure light, emerges from a suddenly present disc of silver mist. "What in the damn hell is wrong with all of you?"

Sub-Zero emerges from the portal, a blonde girl watching him with a sadistic smirk. The ice manipulator has a glowing red ruby clutched to his chest with one arm as he stomps forward. Writhing on the ground in agony, the inhumane creature is at his mercy.

He slams the gem against the monster and to M'gann's astonishment, everything is over in a flash of gold light. She blinks in shock at the sight of a golden replica of the monster.

"Oh that was pretty. You're way more fun than the stupid knights who found this place first." The odd child claps excitedly. "They lost almost all of the fragments. But you still figured out a way to make it work."

She floats up and pats Glenn on the head like a dog. "I'm keeping you. So don't go and do something stupid like bore me."

"The Dreamstone was supposed to keep that stupid Guardian's breeding pair, asleep the whole way back to Oa." The inhumanly knowledgeable being rolls her eyes, seemingly unconcerned by the Earth shattering information being revealed. "Klarion gave them a little push and had his fun for the last fifty thousand years. Now it's my turn."

"The guy who worked with Psimon?" Wally groans as he rubs his temples vigorously.

"He's as much a guy, as I am a child." The smirking blonde offers but her expression is quickly losing interest in the topic. "Kole and the other fragments might have the ability to teak reality on their own. But together, they could probably even put things back how you remember them."

The way Glenn reacts to the words implies a deeper meaning, though M'gann can't even pick up his surface thoughts to find out. It doesn't look like anyone really knows how to react to his sudden rescue, with all the teens trading looks of guilt.

Gnarrk remembers who froze him though and bellows a warning to his new allies. He only stops when the diamond girl loops her arm though his and trills soothing words.

"Don't worry Dude, I'll be gone as soon as I finish yelling at my 'friends'." Giving the now calm caveman a look of apology, Glenn turns his harshest glare on the entirety of Young Justice.

"I'm sorry..." Artemis is the first to utter an apology, the shame nearly choking her.

"I thought I could trust you," Retorts a chillingly cold Glenn, his eyes boring right into his childhood friend. "But now I know why the League doesn't let you handle the big stuff. They don't trust you either."

He snorts at the realization and really hammers the point home. "You want to stop being treated like sidekicks. Start acting like heroes."

Roy tries to respond and Glenn just growls right over him. He's so mad, no actual words come out for a full five seconds.

"I helped you save the world last month and yet you think I need a babysitter?" He snarls at the red faced teens, not holding any of his pent up fury back this time. "The League trusted me to protect an entire city by myself and they gave you two!"

"Ouch..." Rocket winces at the brutal words, confused at why no one is really defending themselves.

"Don't call me unless the world is ending." Glenn stalks towards the silver disc that reveals a laboratory with a few more gold statues visible from M'gann's angle. "I need some space and this damn well better have earned it."

The girl that is definitely not human, coughs just as Glenn is about to step through the portal. "As much as I like you, you aren't the sharpest person I've ever met." She giggles when her frosty companion freezes in place and growls.

"What are you trying to say?" He very visibly restrains himself from yelling again.

"If you want to be able to use that thing to do more than a one to one transmutation..." The girl's eyes shine with mischief at the same time her hands snatch the ruby from Glenn. "You really need someone with more computing power to make the wish. Unless you want the Ratcatcher guy to get turned into all skin, when you inevitably fail to visual all of his atoms at the same time."

Glenn closes his eyes and counts out loud all the way to thirty. "Danette. I need your help and I'm willing to forgive you, if you come with us." He turns to Red Arrow with his eyes shimmering with betrayal. "I'll be done in a few hours. Pick her up in Paris when you're finished unleashing some more monsters I buried."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 40: Fierytale Ending
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Catacombs, Paris
October 17, 10:14 AM CEST

When the silver disc disperses into a cloud of sparkly dust, I try not to freeze my 'cousin' with my frosty glare. "Thanks for doing this."

I swallow the hurt and let my expression soften as she accepts the gleaming ruby. She takes it, hesitating with her own conflicted look.

"You said nothing untrue." It's nice to hear her admit that, even if it's really Artemis and Roy who I'm the maddest at. "I'm sorry for not reaching out to you before this. I was... worried."

"That I'd want revenge?" Her tone is enough to get me to peel of another layer of anger. "I don't blame you for 'Grandpa' Morrow's plan."

"Red Arrow has a very hard time letting anything go and he's the one I spend the most time around socially." She tilts her head to the left and I'm starting to recognize it as a nervous tic.

Well that explains a few things. "He's just obsessed with me. Still not sure why, I'm not that good looking."

"He's worried the Shadows will recruit you." My 'cousin' peers around the ancient laboratory and the several golden knights frozen in terror.

The sound of shattering ice echoes from the corridor we entered through. "Boss!"

"Are you alright?" Tommy's voice is nearly drowned out by the sound of his pounding footsteps. "I'm coming for ya!" At least I have one real friend.

The entity in the shape of a blonde girl smirks. "You have great taste in minions."

"Tommy's my friend." The words sound hollow even to my own ears. Hard to convince myself when he calls me boss.

"Oh come on Glenn. We both know you don't have any of those." She slaps her thigh at such a hilarious joke.

Tommy dashes into the room before I manage to utter the most brilliant response known to mankind and saves the powerful being from my wrath. Just keep telling myself that and I don't have to break down at how helpless I really am.

The strongman is ready for trouble, only to be disappointed at only finding the two woman. "... I thought you needed me."

"Didn't I tell you to go call the League?" Crossing my arms, I find it nearly impossible to keep a stern face.

Jade answers for the both of them, arriving at a far more casual pace. "You do remember that I'm still a wanted criminal. Not going to just call up the Justice League and invite them over for lunch."

"That actually makes a lot of sense." The assassin smirks at my admission of the facts.

"Which is why I said it."

"Is that Ratcatcher?" Tommy interrupts as he notices our one companion who still refuses to go by his given name. "What happened to him?"

Scanning the room and putting the pieces together far quicker than I would have, Jade jerks her chin towards Danette. "Looks like they found the stone."

"And a way to use it." I give my cousin the go ahead and watch her press the ruby to her chest.

The artificial skin peels away and a cavity opens for the crystal. I get knocked off my feet by a burst of energy, groaning as I watch the transformation take place.

The still visible bits of machinery inside my cousin, reshape before my eyes into actual flesh and blood. The ruby rests where her heart would be and closes up the torso without leaving a scar.

Danette turns to me with vibrant orange irises, the intensity of the sun behind them. "I know how to revert them all back to normal now."

"Maybe you should start with the rats." They are a lot less complex for a first attempt.

"That is probably a better idea." Her hair trails behind her like a comets tail, shifting between all the colours of a campfire. "Thank you."

As I watch the rodents get restored back to normal, the thing that looks like a little girl jabs me in the ribs. "Well this is getting boring. I'll drop by the next time you find something really interesting."

She doesn't create a portal or any noticeable means of transportation. One moment she was standing beside me and the next she wasn't.

"So I'm guessing she's not human?" Jade's eyes trace the outline of the vanished entity.

"She just showed me that I don't have nearly as many friends as I thought I did." Scowling as the emotions start boiling inside once more, I try and focus on watching Danette work.

"The heroes will never really let you walk away from the life. They'll always have one more emergency to call you with." She isn't saying anything I'm unaware of, it's just the stuff I didn't want to admit to myself.

Turning the scowl on her, I point out why she's here. "And the Shadows will?"

"We'll at least be honest about what we want from you." Unlikely. "The Great One is pleased with your work and would like to keep you on as a private contractor."

"If he gives me Psimon wrapped up with a bow..." I let the words hang in the air. "I might consider it."

"Not the hard 'no', that I was expecting." Her eyebrows rise enough to make it seem genuine. "Something must really be pissing you off."

"Just found out my heroes are only human." And we all suck.

Danette finishes with the rats and they lead her towards the form of Ratcatcher with desperate squeaking. "I'm ready to help you friend now."

"Do it." I don't hesitate in the order, the weight of the envelope filling me with guilt.

A flash of gold light later and the buck toothed man is shivering on the stone floor. Kind of like Han Solo after he was thawed out.

"Martin!" He gasps with joy at the rat on his chest. "You saved Martin!"

"That would be my cousin Firebrand." I point to the girl I'm not even sure is a gynoid anymore. "She owed me a favour."

Danette's head tilts with habit as she smiles at me. "I believe we shall go be Firestorm now."

"We?" I notice the pronoun and need to clarify this before I screw up.

"Red Inferno was meant to replace the Firebrand operating system. But the code was locked behind a firewall and not completely deleted." Before I can get concerned, Danette explains exactly what she means. "What was left of her program merged with my own. When the stone made me what I always thought I was."

"Even hotter?" Ratcatcher stares up at her with adoration in his eyes.

"Human..." Her lips quirk in amusement and she corrects herself. "Mostly."

Once more needing things spelled out for me, I speak up again. "You mean mostly human like Black Lightning?"

"That would be an apt comparison." The newly dubbed Firestorm nods with a warm grin. "Shall I restore the rest now?"

Taking a little longer to consider the question, I eventually respond with a wary nod. "May as well. They know what happened down here."




Notes: I'm almost out of ice puns, so I'll be starting to sprinkle so other relevant ones in.​

 

[Flightless Man]

What I'm using as my sources of inspiration: The Dreamstone is 3 different things in DC, I took bits of each origin for my own version. In one version, it's Dream of the Endless' and is split into 12 gems. In Wonder woman 1984, it was created by the Duke of Deception and granted monkey paw wishes. And the original version was Doctor Destiny's philosopher's stone version.

Sometimes the Duke of Deception is a roman god, sometimes he's a Martian one. Which is why I gave the Dreamstone a Martian origin.

The Martian's used to be sociopathic megolomaniacs with flaming heads. The Guardians transformed them into the Red/Green/White martians and gave them an innate fear of fire around 50'000-30'000 years ago. Vandal Savage is also 50'000 years old in Young Justice canon.

Vandal Savage encountered one of the only Burning Martians to survive the purging of Mars. It killed Vandals entire tribe over a few weeks (with only Vandal and I think it was 3 of his friends surviving out of hundreds.)

Gnarrk and Kole from the Teen titans cartoon.

MYCLIFF NOTES VERSION:

Spoiler

I made Gnarrk one of the Cro magnons who attacked Vandal the night he got his immortality. Gnarrk as the only survivor and "dead" Vandal floated away and couldn't find his way back. Gnarrk lived in the cavern with the shiny rock that talked(The Guardian inside trying to keep the Male and Female martian asleep.) The psychic energy combined with the Guardian's willpower to turn the asteroid prison into the dreamstone on the way to Earth.

It responded to Gnarrk's wish for family while he slept for years at a time in the cave (same metagene as Vandal Savage and is immortal.). And when Gnarrk woke up, he had 12 crystal friends who took turns singing a lullaby.

Knights arrived in the 8th century and started capturing the crystal kids. All but Kole got removed from the cavern and it woke up the female Martian. She killed most of the Knights and went East on a rampage. ONly the Ruby child was brought to Paris and turned into the philosophers stone.


The blonde girl is a Chaos Lord Child and hasn't revealed enough for me to share more.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 41: Colden Touch
​

Catacombs, Paris
October 17, 11:03 AM CEST

We wait for Tommy to move all sixteen knights all into one place, before my upgraded cousin works her literal magic on them. When the gold is replaced by steel and flesh, I scowl at the vaguely French cursing.

"Does anyone speak-" My snarky comment is cut off as the knights finally notice who we are.

"Démonz!" All of us recognize the intent of the word, though it's Tommy who reacts with the most anger.

"Shut up!" He roars at the medieval men, making all of them reach for weapons. "Don't talk about the Boss that way!"

The warriors mutter a few more curses to each other and seem to come to an agreement, bracing themselves to charge. The most loyal person I've ever met however, doesn't seem to care in the slightest.

Tommy grabs the nearest stone table and heaves the entire thing at the French knights. Most manage to leap aside in time. But three are pinned under the debris and groaning in pain.

"I got this, just need to teach the boys some manners." He shakes his head when I offer to help, his neck cracking in anticipation as he stalks towards the knights. "Isn't going to take long at all."

It really doesn't. In less than three minutes, Tommy has the armour peeled off of each man. Easier than I can crush a beer can, which is a little hard to admit.

"Say sorry and I'll let you up." He pulls on the leaders earlobe, twisting the same way I saw Tuppence do to him a few times.

"Je suis désolé!" The knight with the bushy moustache wails in pain, his men shouting similar sentiments in a cacophony of voices. "Clémence!"

While Jade snorts at the scene, I start to feel bad about how much I'm enjoying it. "I think they got the message Tommy. Thanks for taking care of it." I probably would have done more than bruise a few egos.

It doesn't take much effort for Tommy to make it clear I'm in charge and the one on fire is my family. This does nothing to dissuade the earlier opinion of being demonic. But it gets the warriors to leave the swords on the floor.

Tommy somehow manages to start a dialogue with nothing more than grunts and pointing. By the time we're emerging back into the sun of Paris, I'm being asked to arrange an identity for each.

"Boss, they can look after the gallery for you." Explains my right hand man, proving he really does have a knack for middle management. "I've been knighted by a Queen, I can keep them all in line."

"Are you going to keep learning French once we go back to Gotham?" I barely know enough to ask where the bathroom is.

"Of course I will," He promises instantly and I have no reason to doubt his word. Unlike some people I know.

If the Justice League can get actual aliens a fake identity, I have no issue getting a few for some time travellers. "I'll call Oswald and have him get the paperwork started."

The rough explanation we manage to work out while we wait for Young Justice, is that these are the only survivors of the thieves. The knights claim hundreds went to recover the Dreamstone from the demons' mountain. But only three of the order returned with the ruby child. So not exactly good men.

I give the knights a stern look as they peer around the modern city in amazement. "If any of them cause trouble Tommy, I'm going to be pretty disappointed in you."

"That's never going to happen." He promises with pure loyalty and I don't doubt him in the slightest. "You pay us, break us out, and you even bring us back to life!"

Ratcatcher holds up a hand and adds his own frantic agreement. "I thought he was just a crazy kid you had wrapped around your finger. But I'm breathing again because of you."

His words ring with honest devotion and I catch Jade's expression shift ever so slightly. The ever present smirk of superiority is replaced with considering eyes.

It only lasts a couple seconds and I nearly convince myself it was a trick of the light. But now I have proof Jade's not as indoctrinated as she claims. She really is just doing everything to keep her dad as far away as possible.

"Huntress refused her orders to place a tracker on you." Danette suddenly taps me on the arm and I frown in confusion. "I just thought you should know, it was her sister she was following."

It's not a very big difference to most people, really just semantics. But to me... That tiny detail means everything in the world. Artemis was just worried her the Shadows wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"I'm still mad at her..." But I'm going to get over it eventually. "It's just too soon to forgive anyone yet."

"Red Arrow will most likely continue his interest in you," Danette admits after a few seconds, her cheeks strangely going pink. "Would you like me to keep you informed."

"No." The response is so automatic, it actually takes me a little while to figure out why. "... I want to trust my friends." This is just the last chance I'm giving him to prove he really is one. "And I'm never going to ask my family to betray the people close to them."

The glow of Danette's eyes reminds me of what powers her at the moment and I realize what I gave up without a second thought. Unlimited wealth was in my hands and I didn't even care.

"You know if you really want to try making things better between us..." I conceal a smirk as Danette nods eagerly. "You should drop by my gallery and make some of the pieces permanent."

"I'm invited?" She smiles at the offer.

"You're family and so is your brother Tornado." In my first life, more half of my family was related through adoption or multiple marriages. "I'll even give Jefferson a call and invite him and his wife to the grand opening." It's really not that big of a stretch for me to add the Reds and Blacks.



Notes: The french knight said "Demons!" "I'm sorry." "Mercy!"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 23: Diamond Mine
​

Womb of the Earth, France
October 17, 11:04 AM CEST

Blinking away the pain in her head, Rocket lets her astonishment come out to play. "I know I'm the new girl and everything. But why did you all let him yell at you like that?"

"Because he was right about all of it." Rubbing her temples, Huntress has a voice bathed in bitterness.

Frowning at the defeated heroes who inspired her own journey, Raquel doesn't hold back herself. "It's not like any of you to just take that kind of tongue lashing, not even from the Justice League."

"He's the first person who really took us seriously as a team," Admits Robin with a guilt ridden sigh. "Even named us."

Angry at himself for screwing everything up, Red Arrow agrees. "And he just blew right past the kiddie leagues. But I've done nothing but distract you all, when I should have been leading you."

"You've been doing a great job!" Sonic tries to defend his friend from himself.

"I've been mediocre at best," Counters the red headed archer. "I'm taking some time off when we get back. I need to figure myself out, before I try teaching you lot anymore terrible habits."

Hex Girl crosses her arms and frowns at who her dad may try replacing him with. "And who exactly is going to take over?"

"Firebrand and Captain Marvel are still on the team," He reminds the magician with a tired smirk. "They can take over."

"... Actually, I haven't been perfect either." Captain Marvel has managed to calm down the caveman Gnarrk, rejoining the conversation with a guilty expression. "I'm not the one looking after you." He hesitates for just a moment, before screaming 'SHAZAM'.

The lightning forms inside the cave and slams into the hero with the build of Superman. He doesn't scream in pain like the teens expected, instead being transformed into a blushing ten year old boy. "You guys are babysitting me."

"Whoa..." Gasps Sonic as his mind scrambles to connect the dots. "You're even shorter than Robin."

"And you're even dumber," Retorts the suddenly far less mature Billy Batson.

"Who's the one that recreated the Flash formula?" Chest puffed out in pride, the speedster's eyebrow creases.

Snorting at the bluff, Billy dares him to prove it. "One time lab accident, that you could never in a thousand years reproduce."

"And when I do, how are you going to pay up?" Sonic smirks back, even as his mind scrambles to remember any tidbit from that day. "I don't gamble with pocket change anymore." Going to need Megan to do a deep dive tonight.

"I'll bring you to the Wizard and let him explain magic to you." Everyone can hear the capital letter in wizard.

"We kind of have a bigger problem right now." Robin jerks his thumb towards the watching pair. "What are we going to do with them?"

A frown grows on Zatanna's face. "Are we even supposed to?"

"The Shadows are going to come looking eventually. We need to get them somewhere safe." Red Arrow closes his eyes to think. "Any ideas?" I really don't think we should stick them in an active superhero base.

"What about the animal sanctuary?" Remembering the invitation to visit at Easter, Superboy thinks it's far enough away from any crowds of people.

"You just want to go see Cassie again," Teases his brother.

Megan gives the speedster a pointed look and supports the clone. "Doesn't mean it's a bad idea."

Billy transforms back and starts talking to the locals. With Gnarrk amazed by the magic, it's very easy for the divine champion to get the pair to agree.

"It's not going to be safe here anymore. But we can take you to a really nice place, it has lots of animals for you to play with." Everyone hears the explanation, though is lost with Gnarrk's single word vocabulary. "You think that sounds like fun?"

"Gnarrk?" The large and hairy cro-magnon man, grunts warily at the translator.

Nodding with an understanding smile, Billy reassures the primitive. "I promise to try finding the rest of your family. But you need to keep Kole safe until we do."

The diamond girl lets out a trilling sound, getting a thoughtful look from Captain Marvel. Able to understand her perfectly, Gnarrk adds his own vigorous growls. Complete with pantomime that has Sonic snickering.

The duo tell Billy everything as they all start the long trek back through the tunnels. He doesn't interrupt the flow to translate, only asking a few seemingly unrelated questions.

"You slept beside the glowing rock after the Neanderthal killed your tribe?" Billy nods slowly, trying to put the whole puzzle together out of ancient memories. "And when you woke up, the stone was a dozen crystal children. They followed you back to your tribe's cave and took turns signing to the monsters?"

"Gnarrk," Agrees the rather innocent brute. "Gnarrk."

"You played and slept for a really long time. But bodies started appearing in the cave after some of your naps?" Billy is finally starting to have a rough timeline and leads the pair onto the bioship with little fuss. "So you started leading people away from the mountain. Wow, I think that makes you the first human hero Gnarrk."

The words make the caveman smack his chest with pride and Kole lets out a happy sounding chime. Glad that someone else finally knows ho great her protector is, Kole trills out even more of the mystery.

"This guy Rip was the first person who woke up and he even left the cave. He was nice, but not the people with shiny rock clothing." Billy parrots the words for the rest of the team. "And they took away the rest of your family, waking up one of the monsters."

Gnarrk wails in sorrow, confirming the words as the crystal girl pats him consolingly. "I'm so sorry Gnarrk. That sounds terrible."

"Um..." Sonic gets everyone's attention as he points out the window at one of Paris' most famous landmarks. "I'm pretty bad at geography. But how long as the Eiffel tower been made of gold?"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 42: Such An Ice Night
​

Paris, France
October 17, 4:28 PM CEST

It takes Danette longer than a mere touch as she flies by the tower, with it taking nearly ten whole seconds of contact. But once the pulse of gold light covers the tourist trap, my cousin rockets towards us.

Ratcatcher has dressed the knights in whatever he could grab from street vendors, the group now looking more like football hooligans. And I know we got overcharged for all of it.

The molecular reshaping of the tower is enough for the casual viewer to think it's solid gold. But Danette had to inform me how soft the metal is. Giving it a titanium core, should just drive up the value even more.

The miracle is enough to convince the knights of how powerful we really are and only one still retains shifty eyes. Sir Philip de Mille, I believe you need to be watched a little more closely.

"You will forgive the team now?" She lands in front of us, drawing the flashes of cameras as people realize who as the cause.

"I told you I'd give them all the chance to apologize themselves," I remind her with a scowl. "It's up to them, to make the words mean something."

Sighing at the best offer she's going to get, Danette knows not to push right now. "That will have to be good enough."

"Just make sure to drop by for dinner next Sunday." That will give me time to get some of my best work ready for the transmutation. "I'll be heading back to Gotham once Oswald gets some passports lined up for the guys."

As Firestorm rockets up towards the cloaked spaceship, Jade gives me the most incredulous stare. "... You just gave her the god damned Philosopher's Stone?"

"I don't really want to destabilize the world's economy right now." How would I sell any of my art? "I'm more than happy letting her practice different molecules at my gallery." As long as she does a couple precious ones each visit. "It's win-win."

Snorting in disbelief, Jade scans the knights for something. "So if we can't leave the country yet, what's the plan for tonight?"

"I'm disappointed in you Jade." Trying not to let the anger take hold, I force a playful grin onto my face. "Where do you think we bring a bunch of knights?"

"You've had a bunch of pretty stupid ideas. For all I know, you want to take them mini golfing." Crossing her arms, the assassin doesn't even bother looking back at me.

"That's tomorrow." Good idea. "We're going to a nightclub!"

"You're going to start at least a dozen bar fights." She isn't against the idea and seems eager for the theoretical action. "Sounds like fun."

"Tommy is going to keep a tight leash on his boys, right?" I really just want to relax after today.

The southern twin cracks his knuckles, making the knights all take a half step back in fear. "You know it Boss. No one is going to start any trouble until you say so."

"Not really what I meant," I have to remind Tommy we aren't the ones who cause the mischief anymore. "We can find out if they have any living family later. Tonight, we party."

I need to show these guys the benefits of working for me and it's pretty hard with only a hundred words of French. Getting them all drunk seems like my best bet.

"Not going to let me pick out something nice?" Jade reminds me of her missing luggage, with only her mission clothes on hand.

"If you wanna stand in line all night." I have no intention of doing so, not when I have the super power of company sponsorship. "We show up and sign some autographs. Turn it into an impromptu publicity stunt with a few free ice sculptures, we get let in easy peasy."



Paris, France
October 17, 11:41 PM CEST

It really isn't as easy as I claimed, as the bouncer so smugly informs me at the door. "What do you mean France banned the game for excessive violence?" I didn't know that!

"We don't want our kids tearing peoples spins out." The bald man isn't moved by any of my pleas.

"Isn't that the guy who smashed one of the heads of Mount Rushmore?" A drunk girl exclaims suddenly, even holding up a picture of my mugshot with her phone. "See, it is him!"

That's what finally gets the rope lifted and my whole posse escorted inside like royalty. "Have a great night Mister Friese."

"That's my dad." The joy I feel at being able to say that, is almost impossible to describe. "Just call me Glenn."

Marching right up to the bar, I order the first of many drinks tonight. "I want something that will make my whole face feel fuzzy and one for everyone in here."

The bartender counts the wad of bills I slam down and I smirk at her growing shock. "This is..."

"A hell of a lot of money." A whole thirty thousand in fact. "So make sure you give me the top shelf stuff. But you can water all the other drinks down if you want."

"Yes Sir!" The curly haired woman gives me a bow low enough to see right to the bottom of the treasure chest. "Only the best for you and your friends."

The first drink is down the hatch before I can even taste it, which has me waving for a second already. I know I should be more responsible. But after what the 'not a girl' offered... I'm in serious need of mind numbing.

I lose myself in the rhythm of the music and the pulsing lights, working my way onto the dance floor at some point. And after the amount of dance classes I took in high school, I know I'm not embarrassing myself.

She said the restored Dreamstone could reshape reality. That means I could make it like the last four months... Really all was just a crazy dream.

Yesterday I would have turned it down with barely a second thought. But it's amazing what being betrayed will do to your emotions.

It's what they all expect from me. Why disappoint them with this pitiful attempt at redemption?

I catch sight of a stunning woman and my thoughts are stalled. Her ethnicity is vague enough that I'd have a hard time guessing while sober and I'm far from that at the moment.

"Hey." Moving closer, I leave enough room for her to back away. "I saved the world you know."

She laughs at what must sound like a ridiculous claim. "Sure you did."

Even though she rejects my bragging as nothing but a lie, she doesn't move away. "Well... I guess the Justice League helped. But I was the one who stopped Yellowstone from popping like a zit."

"That's a pretty impressive story." Moving closer, she makes it clear we're dancing together now. "Got any proof?"

"I do." I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her right against me. "But it sounds even better when I embellish it."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 24: Mothers I'd Like To Finance
​

Logan Animal Sanctuary
October 17, 7:16 PM EEST

Marie leans against the frame of her door, peering at the assembled heroes with incredulity. "You want to leave a caveman and girl made out of living diamond here?"

"... If it's not too much trouble." Captain Marvel pleads for them all, hoping his public persona will help.

"That sounds like a dam's worth of it." Joining the owner at the door, Helena Sandsmark at least seems interested. "But the chance to study an actual Cromagnon Man..."

The way she pleads with her eyes alone, makes it clear to most that the relationship has grown between the two women. Though Roy is the one who snaps his fingers in excitement.

"You're an archaeologist!" He pushes past the confused Billy and stares intently at Helena. "You could find the other children."

"Ones like Kole?" The blonde mother is intrigued.

"Hopefully." Roy is careful not to make promises he can't keep. "I can't just sit around doing nothing-"

"Otherwise he might end up stalking Glenn again," Interrupts Wally with a teasing grin.

Instead of denying it or getting mad, Roy hangs his head in frustration. "... I think I might and that's starting to scare me. I need something to keep me distracted."

"You're really not coming back?" Greta's voice is worried, her eyes staring hard at the guilt ridden archer.

"Not until I get my head screwed on straight." He turns to back to the doctor and sweetens the pot. "I'll finance any travel to the sites you find."

Snorting at the easy offer of cash, Artemis mutters a snarky comment into Raquel's eager ear. "Money is going to fix everything."

"Does with most things," Counters a smirking Marie, as Cassie and Garfield are finally allowed outside. "This place could really use some."

Wally hears that and starts to think. I have more money than I know what to do with after those commercials. Why not do some real good with it?

"How much are you talking about?" The words lack his usual cockiness.

It gets him a strange look from Marie, who very clearly remembers the braggart. "You know a millionaire?"

"As a matter of fact..." The Sega sponsored hero puffs out his chest and glances at his friends with a smirk. "I know at least ten."

He ends up promising a full million to the place, emptying his wallet of the few thousand he had on him. "I'll have the rest transferred by Easter."

The shock almost drops Marie in a dead faint, with her son cheering in glee at the great news. "You. Are. So. Awesome!"

Wally's about to play it off with a compliment to the whole team instead. But Megan wraps herself around his arm and makes his words vanish. "He really is."

"Oh..." Smirking at her sassy blonde friend, Raquel snorts out her own. "Someone's getting lucky."

While Roy discuses the fine details with Doctor Sandsmark, Gnarrk and Kole are introduced to the animals. The caveman proves to be a gentle giant, with the herb beasts crowding around him eagerly.

"I'm not getting left behind this time!" Greta waves her hand right through Roy's face. "I'm coming with you."

That makes the mother uncomfortable. "I'm leaving Cassie with the Logans for a reason. It's really not the safest line of work for children."

"Don't worry, I'm already dead." The instant response has Helena go white as a sheet. "Nothing hurts anymore."

"I should join the search." Danette understands her 'heart' has left her connected to the quest. "I'm part of it now."

"Wait a second..." Zatanna realizes something. "Whose in charge now?"

Not even glancing at the rest of Young Justice, Roy has clearly already thought about it during the flight. "Kaldur."

"Not even going to pretend one of us had a shot?" Robin smirks.

Between the other three originals, he really is the best choice to lead. Wally and I would spend the whole time bickering.

"You still don't always report in before you vanish and Wally..." Roy turns to the red faced speedster, who still has Megan plastered against him.

"None of us girls in the running?" Zatanna is only half teasing.

"Not putting anyone in charge of Young Justice, without at least a full year of field experience first." Not willing to budge an inch on this, Roy lays out the facts. "So ask again next September and I'll consider letting you take command of some missions."

Getting jealous of Wally's physical contact, Robin turns to the magician with clear interest in his voice. "Any closer on breaking that spell?"

"I can kind of muffle it. But that just freaks Dad out and he starts looking for me anyway." Shaking her head, Zatanna is quite done with the magical nanny.

Kirk waits until everyone else is distracted to approach Captain Marvel. His palms sweat with each step as he prepares himself for the confrontation.

"You need to apologize to Wally. My brother's probably the smartest one on the team and you know that." He doesn't want to shame the person he now knows is only ten. But the insults from earlier have been bothering him all day. "He might put his foot in his mouth a lot, but he's the one we ask the science questions."

Knowing Superboy is right, Billy Batson is forced to hang his head. "I just wanted to fit in with all of you. Now that you know my secret, I was worried you wouldn't want me hanging around anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Kirk frowns at what he considers insanity. "I'm only a few months old and no one is trying to kick me out."



Gotham City, New Jersey
October 17, 2:32 PM EDT

Tuppence waits for Nora Friese and is very relieved Paula chose to come. "Thanks for the help. I'm not very good at meeting new people." Usually end up fighting.

"Artemis is the same, don't worry about it." Smiling up at the well dressed teen, Paula is proud of Glenn for changing her path. "It just means you need to work harder on the second impression."

"Not many people give me that chance," Admits the blonde powerhouse, her voice oddly meek. "This is the first time someone trusted me to help someone, instead of hurt them. I don't want to screw it up."

The doors swing open and Nora is wheeled out in her own wheelchair. It's only going to be needed for a few weeks. But Paula can see it's being operated with experience.

"Didn't think I was going to need one of these again," She isn't upset about her fate and has far higher spirits than anyone expected. "Not after I fell of the stage and actually broke a leg back in seventy nine."

"And here I was hoping to teach you all the cool tricks." Paula introduces herself and the suddenly shy Tuppence. "Guess I'll have to settle for the city."

"Glenn said you danced," Blurts out the southern bred twin. "But he never told me you was famous enough to be on a stage."

"Ballet," Nora agrees with a warm smile. "And I really can't wait to meet this Glenn. Viktor told me so much about him."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 43: A Bitter Chill To Swallow
​

Paris, France
October 18, 10:41 AM CEST

I'm woken up by the sound of my hotel door closing far louder than I would prefer. My searching hand finds my overnight guest absent and I groan in disappointment. Was really hoping to go for round nine.

When I climb out of bed, the sun makes me squint in annoyance. Pulling the curtains the rest of the way open, I endure the brightness. "Am I mad enough to erase all these people?"

Because that's what the entity was really suggesting. That kind of power is both terrifying and very tempting.

I don't have to undo the entire world just to get the people I miss back. I could just replace a few people my new world wouldn't miss.

My gaze is drawn to a family crossing the street and I quash my dangerous thoughts. "I'm not strong enough to stop myself."

That realization is hard to admit out loud, ringing painfully true in my ears as I watch the cars zip by. My reflection stares back with disappointment and I hate myself for even considering such a thing.

"None of you hurt me." I need to say the words or risk ignoring the truth. "But right now I just don't care." I just want to lash out at someone.

My hands start to shake at my sides, as I consider all the things I never believed possible. But with the Dreamstone, I could make any of them true.

Reaching for the phone on the bedside table, I dial one of the only three numbers I have memorized. It's three long rings before she picks up and I waste no time when I hear Paula's voice say 'hello'.

"I need to talk to someone." The words tumble out of me. "Or I'm going to do something incredibly stupid."

"Glenn..." She's more annoyed than angry. "Do you need a lawyer?"

"Not this time, I swear!" The yelp I make draws a chuckle from the mother over in America.

"If someone you had reason to believe could actually give you the power of a god..." Pausing as I search for words that don't make me sound insane, I really hope I'm not about to get put on speakerphone with Ted. "What would you be willing to sacrifice for it?"

I get no answer for a solid ten seconds, as Paula considers the not so hypothetical question. "Would I have to hurt anyone for this power?"

"Probably." But I could start small and work my way up.

"Anyone besides Lawrence or Joar?" I recognize her ex husband's name at once. But it actually takes a while for me to remember Joar is Cameron's father.

"Eventually." Can't get much more absolute power than reshaping reality.

I get no judgment from the woman, she let's me find the answer with only a few leading questions. "Do you want to hurt people anymore?"

"No. I just want to create things." I could make whatever I wanted though.

"Do you still feel bad about Las Vegas, even after Yellowstone?" Those words make my right foot start tapping frantically.

"Of course I do!" I'll never be able to forget those seventeen names.

Paula hums with satisfaction and teases me now that the crisis is over. "So what's the right thing to do?"

"Not accept vague offers of unlimited power." It sounds so obvious when it's spoken and I feel a little ridiculous for panicking. "Especially when I don't even know the being's name or species."

"I was going to say, make sure Jade doesn't get any bright ideas." Warns my fellow ex con, an edge of seriousness to her tone. "That's not the kind of offer the Shadows would turn down."

After she calms me down from the overwhelming responsibility, I fill Paula in on how the trip has been going. The only part I leave out, is the whole part where Artemis was spying on me.

I'm the one mad at her, I don't want Paula giving out the punishment for me. It's the same reason I'm not telling the League what Young Justice was doing.

She laughs when I tell her where I found Tommy working and promises to tell Tuppence. The conversation shifts to how Tuppence is doing and I'm very relieved to learn about the shopping trip.

"Got a little emotional at the end. But Nora is going to make a full recovery." I'm relieved she hasn't had any complications. "Turns out, MacGregor's Syndrome needs human lungs to fill up with fluid."

My mouth goes dry when I hear a voice in the background. "Was that Nora?"

"Do you want to say hello?" Paula lets me make the choice.

"Be terribly rude of me to hang up now." My eye starts to twitch wildly as Paula hands the phone over.

Her hello is stronger than I was expecting for someone fresh out of having most of her organs replaced. "Viktor's letter had so many nice things to say about you Glenn. I can't wait to meet you properly and thank you for what you've done for us."

"You haven't seen him yet?" That confuses me until I realize Viktor isn't a surgeon.

"Your friend Tuppence is bringing me back during visiting hours. It's hard to believe he's going to look twenty years older than me now." We share a laugh and we share our love for the arts.

When I tell her about Danette and her abilities, Nora has an ingenious idea. "If you don't want to crash the gold standard, how about the ivory trade?"

"... That's a terrific idea!" It really wouldn't take long for Danette and I to flood the market with sculptures of authentic ivory.

"Did you and your cousin create the hawk in my room?" Nora mentions the aquamarine bird I almost forgot about.

"No. That was found as is, when I made our family glacier in Colorado." Boy, does it feel incredible to finally say those words with no shame.

"Was this the same trip you defaced a national monument?" Her tone actually sounds like a disappointed parent and I kind of want her to scold me.

"I'm going to fix it." Now that I've been reminded and Danette can do the hard part. "...Eventually."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 25: Overdue Reunion
​

Arkham Asylum, Gotham City
October 18, 1:37 PM EDT

Waiting in the lobby for visiting hours to begin, Tuppence does an admirable job keeping the less savory eyes somewhere else. Her reputation has grown enough, that only those on the top floor would even consider taking on the twin.

"That's right. I'm wearing a skirt, you want to make something out of it?" She snarls at the nearest guard, getting Nora to shake her head in amusement.

"That's a decent way to keep the meek controlled. But Tuppence, you need a cool confidence to really control the room." Nora gives an apologetic smile that seems to relax the twitchy man in uniform. "Everyone knows ho strong you are physically. So now it's time for you to show them how strong you are mentally."

Hanging her head at those words, Tuppence's voice comes out just above a whisper. "But what if I'm not?"

"We aren't going to have any kind of talk like that in my home." Grabbing the teen's hand in her own, the waiting wife makes it clear Tuppence is always welcome.

"But Tommy is going to be here in a few days, you ain't going to need me around anymore." Tuppence has really enjoyed the short time and is already regretting how she turned down the long term job.

"Do you really want to go back to working security?" Without putting any of her own opinion into the words, Nora gives the southern girl all the time she needs.

"I like hitting idiots..." The teen holds up her bruised knuckles and smirks at the memory of Humpty Dumpty's noogie last week. "But not many of them are still willing to start something."

Being twenty years out of date, Nora has no problem asking for clarification on Gotham's current events. "You're that strong?"

"It's only the ones dumber than my brother that I have to deal with anymore." Shrugs Tuppence awkwardly. "I made Firefly piss-"

"Language." The slight frown Nora reveals, is more than enough for Tuppence to blush in shame.

"... Wet himself. He bawled like a baby when his crew ditched him for Two-Face." The story has made the rounds here at Arkham already and it gets her a thumbs up from the guard Tuppence had intimidated.

"If you want someone new to hit legally..." The slightly chubby guard now has a conniving grin on his face. "My sister needs a partner."

"For what?" Tuppence frowns at the guard with the faintest hint of a Mexican accent.

"Amateur wrestling. Rosa's ranked third on the local circuit." Brags Guard Mendez, clearly a huge fan of his sister. "But that's because her last partner sucked. You could probably keep up though."

Insulted and a little confused, Tuppence forgets to growl her response. "Keep up?"

"You're probably stronger," Reassures Steve, his hands waving in a placating gesture. "My sister just has the reflexes of a panther."

"It's not going to be a problem that I have powers?" Tuppence doesn't want to be breaking any laws. Not when everything is finally going right for me.

The Hispanic man shakes his head and explains eagerly. "Roulette runs the Meta-Brawl and she only wants people who can last at least a minute with a cape. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"How much money we talking about?" She wavers, clearly interested in the idea.

"My sister has a Henry Ironson bike and is on the wait list for one of his custom cars." Brags the proud Mendez brother.

As her shocked mouth starts to catch low hanging planes, Tuppence is astonished to hear such a claim. "The guy in Metropolis who does every single order by hand? The greatest automobile artist in the history of America!"

"Oh, so you've heard of him?" Smirks the guard as the clock strikes two above his head. "Alright ladies. You both want to go up and see him?"

"I don't believe I need a chaperone with my on husband." Rolling her eyes, Nora is already wheeling herself towards the doors.

"You sure that's what you want to wear?" Steve points at the very thin summer dress. "His room is a tad chilly."

Tapping at the stitches on her chest, Nora doesn't think that will be a concern now. "Just another thing I need to thank Glenn for. Cold isn't going to be a concern for me anymore."

Her heart races with anticipation, rising with the floors as Nora nears her husband's cell. Steve hesitates in front of the door, the key card gripped between his whitening knuckles.

"You get two hours normally. But I think I can forget my keys just this once..." Steve's voice is low as he peers around the hallway. "Should give you another fifteen minutes or so."

"Nora." Viktor Friese stammers as his cell door opens, the divine figure of his wife entering. "... It's really you."

"You look so..." His temporarily wheelchair bound wife, searches for a word that isn't too harsh. "Distinguished."

He laughs at the teasing gleam in her eyes, dropping his tools in his mad dash towards his wife. Arms wrap around each other and mumbled words of love fill the air.

"I was so scared. I thought I would never speak to you again." Viktor practically collapses against his wife.

Her hand strokes his head consolingly as she hums their wedding song. "I always knew you would find a way. You're far too stubborn to give up."

"It's the only reason I ever wore you down." Chuckles Viktor as he feels warmth inside himself for the first time in two decades.

"You didn't wear anyone down," Corrects Nora, making it very clear she's still the one in charge. "I just got tired of playing hard to get."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 44: Make Ends Sleet
​

Gotham City, New Jersey
October 21, 8:12 PM EDT

"Can't believe telling them not to scare the plane worked." Jade cracks her neck as we disembark the plane.

Giving her an incredulous stare, I try to keep myself from screaming at the knights behind her. "I had to buy every seat on the plane. Telling them the plane would fall, was just to let me get a few hours of sleep."

The medieval men found the in flight movie, one of the most incredible things on Earth. It kept them seated most of the way. But now I need to worry about them starting a gang war in Gotham.

I guess I could have let Danette handle it, she's really the one who undid the Midas touch. Though I don't think I like the idea of Roy having a bunch of morally questionable men at his beck and call.

"So Boss, I was thinking..." Tommy gives me a hushed whisper as his guys file onto the bus.

"I thought I smelled smoke." Smirks a very amused Jade.

The comment makes Tommy take a deep breath and count to three, something I've noticed Jade makes him do an awful lot. "Gotham's not really a safe place, right?"

"Understatement of the century!" Chortles the bus driver, getting a glare of annoyance from the strongman.

"Well, you ain't going to need all of the guys to guard the gallery at the same time." His expression is incredibly proud and beckon for him to explain. "So what if we offered protection to some of our neighbours? I bet they'd pay good money, if we could promise all the shops would still be safe in the morning."

Instead of telling him how that would actually look, I scowl at the sight of the bat signal on the clouds. Not really looking forward to crashing at Artemis' house right now.

"Just bring the boys to the Motel." I hesitate and decide not to climb on board with them. "I'm going to work of some energy at the gallery." I have a key and an office I can sleep in. "Suddenly really inspired to get started."

"You really don't mind if Tuppence keeps my job looking after yer ma?" Tommy is nervous about changing my plans and wrings his hands.

"I offered her the job first, remember?"

He nods slowly. "I know. I just didn't want you to think I couldn't be counted on."

"I trust you more than anyone on the entire planet Tommy." You've proven yourself for the next five lifetimes. "You never have to worry about me doubting you in anything."

He gives me a hug that nearly crushes my spine and leaves me waiting on the curb. It being Gotham, even my appearance doesn't keep a cab away for more than thirty seconds.

I give him the destination and let my bags be tossed in the trunk. Letting his upbeat funk music fill the silence of the drive, I'm free to stop hiding everything behind a cool facade.

I don't want to end the world and I don't trust myself with the kind of power that would make it possible. But the 'Not a child' clearly wants the fragments found... Do I try and stop her myself?

The thought isn't completely ridiculous... Only mostly.

I know what I'm actually capable of now. Taking on a god tier threat is not in my wheelhouse.

When the driver pulls over outside my gallery, I almost think he's in the wrong place. It's far nicer than Oswald talked about setting up and I know the property is worth at least a few million. No pressure or anything.

Disbelief shines in the cabbie's eyes, right up until the moment my key opens the door. The room fill the place with sterile white light when I finally find the switch. The size of the building really starts to sink in and I remember this is only the first floor.

"The place isn't open yet!" A startled man gets my attention. "They don't have anything to steal."

I calm down the custodian by pointing at my picture on the wall beside Cobblepot's own. "Not here to rob the place. Just wanted to get started on a few pieces."

He's doubtful of my claim at first. The rather tall man, only truly getting excited when I ask for suggestions.

"The Hungry Hungry Hippos!" He chuckles as soon as the words leave his mouth, clearly thinking I'm too serious to even consider it.

"Coming right up," Teasing the guy ho looks close to retirement age, I create all four as if it was nothing.

"Is that the Kool-Aid Man?" He doesn't bother holding in his laughter.

To of the hippos are lifting up the pitcher shaped man, while a third tips him into the open mouth of the final one. I even remembered to leave some melting ice inside the guy to simulate the juice.

"I had a really bad week, give me the most ridiculous ideas you got."

My challenge is accepted with an eager smirk, with the crafty man actually pressing my skills by the end. The Flash slipping on a banana peel was a nice start and Green Arrow wrapped up in a giant bow was worth a few chuckles. But it was the next few that really had some inspiration.

Wonder Woman in the Marilyn Monroe pose over the steam vent, will bring in a ton of bids as soon as it's seen. And I'm even considering donating the Batman umpire to the local baseball team. It would really let my work be seen by everyone.

"Aquaman talks to fish, doesn't he?" I grin as the custodian explains his idea, sending outing a blast of blue that takes shape in moments.

"How is that?" Waiting for the cloud of mist to dissipate, I grin at the sight of Atlantis' king.

The man is in full League uniform and lays on a therapist couch. With the one listening, a fish in a tweed suit. The Sherlock pipe and coke bottle glasses, a last second addition I add with a couple more beams of blue.

I end up making the Deathstar next and surround it with a fleet of ships that the custodian hangs with wire. When he stumbles back into one of the less interesting pieces and shatters it, I just snort in amusement.

"Looks like we have Alderaan now." He's confused until I point back and forth between the icy debris and the Imperial fleet.
​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 26: Filling In The Blanks
​

Mission Silo, Nebraska
October 22, 4:29 PM CDT

Kaldur'ahm returns to a strangely silent base. With none of Greta's music blaring through the speakers, he follows the noise of training.

He spies Megan and Wally working on homework at the kitchen table, with her one of the few actually able to correct him. She explained it away as Mars just being a little farther ahead in that area, not any special talent on her part.

Neither notice his presence, so Aqualad continues towards the main room without disturbing the study session. Good to see he's not just goofing off at the base today.

To the Atlantean's confusion, he finds an unknown boy playing one of the speedster's games. "Hey Kaldur, everything go alright?"

"I do not believe we have been introduced." The blonde with a well manicured buzz cut frowns at a potential security break. "Are you a new recruit?"

The ten year old Billy shakes his grinning head. "Nope."

"Someone the team is protecting?" Kaldur keeps his expression from changing, even as his concern grows.

"If Batman was the only hero who knew before Sub-Zero gave the League his list, I really want to know which of my baddies saw me transform." Calling out his word of power, Billy transforms into a new, if familiar form.

"Captain Marvel?" The teen in front of Kaldur, looks like the divine heroes son more than anything.

"Going to go by Lieutenant for a few years," Explains the boy who looks closer to fourteen than twenty five. "Grow into my responsibilities a little more first before I have to act like a super responsible adult again. It's really no fun watching you all goof off without me."

As Kaldur begins to understand more of what Marvel's magic can do, he holds out a hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Thank you for trusting us with this."

"Bad guys already knew. Should have told you all weeks ago." Billy shrugs at the team leader who is still unaware of his promotion.

He joins Kaldur on the walk to the training area, both impressed at how hard everyone is working. Raquel creates a bubble of energy just long enough for Artemis or Robin to land on it. The moment they continue into the air, a new one is created a few feet away.

"You're going to fall," Taunts Dick Grayson as he waits for Zatanna to cast some kind of spell on him. "Those legs must really be getting heavy!"

"That's what the weights are for," The blonde archer growls back, barely pushing off the next bubble in time. "No stop distracting me or I'm going to shoot you on your turn."

"Hold still." Zatanna flicks the Boy Wonder on the nose. "This is more dangerous than a haircut you know."

Smirking back at her, Dick never the less sits down cross legged. "It's really taking that long to identify my specific essence?"

"You're pretty much bone dry in the magic department," Admits the magician. "It's hard to isolate you from the ambient energy Greta, Billy, and Danette leave everywhere."

"Is that a bad thing?" Completely at a loss, Dick cocks an unconcerned eyebrow.

Holding up her hands to signify it has give and take, Zatanna returns her own playful grin. "Magic will have an easier time effecting you. But that means any long term spells will also wear off way faster."

Snapping her fingers as she finally succeeds, Zatanna blurts out the magical words. "!eeb yenoh a fo taht ot, tnecs lacigam syo'b siht egnahC"

The could of pollen that coats Dick, leaves him couching as some unexpected changes take place. "Why is it so itchy?"

"Um..." Lieutenant Marvel frowns at the yellow and black hairs starting to emerge from the acrobat's entire body.

Artemis finally loses her composure and a jump, as she chokes at the sight of Robin. "You look like a freaking bumble bee!"

"Why did you turn me into a bee?" The afflicted hero wails, unable to resist the temptation to feel his face.

Zatanna leans right down in his face, pressing her nose against Dick's. She starts to grin in relief when her father's magic doesn't react immediately. But has to push him away when she feels the surge of now familiar energy on her skin.

"Why didn't that work?" She's almost in tears after her weeks of preparation amounted to absolutely nothing. "You shouldn't look like a human to the spell. So why does it still care if you come near me?"

"Maybe it's not regular boys that Zatara is trying to keep you safe from." Trying not to laugh at Robin, Kaldur stays focused on the mystery. "What if that is just a side effect of the spell's true intent."

Kirk finishes his own workout and walks over with the alien sphere. "You think her dad is scared of aliens abducting her?"

"Or something else not quite human." The tattooed hero frowns. "But I have no clue as to what."

"Speaking of abductions..." Wally strolls out of the kitchen with a hand entwined with one of Megan's. "How'd the report go?"

"Almost too late to be of any use," Admits a suddenly glum Kaldur. "Nanauve, Xebel, and Neptunos, have all broken away from Atlantis. They have declared themselves an independent nation and have closed the southern seas to us."

Still not sure why he was given the political geography of Atlantis, Kirk is well aware how big a loss this really is. "Three cities seceded? But that's almost half of the city-states."

"I am aware," A dozen emotions fill Kaldur's voice. "As is King Orin."

"But the Justice League is still busy trying to round up all the escapees!" Billy gasps in concern.

"Not like more than half of them could even help out anyway." Grunts Raquel, still sore over Icon's firm 'no' when she asked about visiting Poseidonis.

Growling to draw the attention back to him, Dick cross his arms in annoyance. "Can we focus on the important stuff right now. Like turning me back into me!"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 45: Hail Take Care Of It
​

Gotham City, New Jersey
October 22, 3:41 PM EDT

Once I know Artemis isn't coming home right now, I get out of the cab with a nervous sigh. "Really can't put this off any longer."

Of course knowing that, doesn't make my hand connect with the door any faster. What if she doesn't like me?

When I finally muster the will to slam my knuckles against the door, I end up waiting several tense seconds for an answer. I hear feet behind the door, which narrows it down to Tuppence or Jade behind the townhouse door.

"My sister really must have pissed you off." The door swings open to reveal a smirking Jade in work out clothes.

"I don't see you giving Roy any calls." Flipping her question, I'm disappointed by her lack of interest.

All she does his flip her hair to one side with a casual snort. "I got what I needed out of him. Working on a new project now."

"Just don't ever betray my trust Jade." Before I enter, I warn the assassin with a steely expression. "You get ordered to take me out and that's just business." I will stop you though. "But no using our bond to do it."

"... That's surprisingly generous of you." Jade doesn't press with her teasing. "You really are upset about this."

"Messes you up, to learn that Batman trusts you more than your best friend." At least in regards to doing the right thing.

She shrugs and leads me into the living room. Nora and Paula are right on the middle of dolling up the female Berensford.

Hiding her grin upon noticing my entrance, Tuppence blushes bright red in expectation of teasing. Since I live to disappoint people, I decide to let her know exactly what I think about the new look.

"I never would have figured you for capris. But consider me corrected, because you have great legs Tuppence." I hold both thumbs up and make a show of glancing her over from head to toe. "Tommy's going to have his hands full, fighting off all your new fans."

"Yer not gonna say I look ridiculous?" The fear is obvious in her voice and I'm just glad her pa died of natural causes already. "Or that only pretty girls should wear this kind of stuff?"

"I'm just worried I'm going to make you and Nora look bad now when we go out." I've been travelling for so long, I really don't have many nice outfits. "But I am going to need to arrange a mall trip for the boys. I'll just have to treat myself at the same time."

With a wide grin at my words, the nearly white haired Nora speaks directly to me. "Viktor was right. You really are kind."

"Not exactly a pushover anymore." Jade shares a look of respect with me and I realize she really does consider me an equal now.

Giving me her own strange look that takes me a while to decipher as pride, Paula has her own bit to say. "It's nice to know one of you is smart enough to know how to call me."

"How are you doing?" I ignore the compliment and anxiously take a seat beside Nora. "No unexpected complications?"

"No super powers yet," She confirms with a pearl of laughter. "Only a great appreciation for what you did for both Viktor and myself."

"It was inspiring to see someone really care about the person they claimed to love." Sportsmaster and Icicle are not the best examples of it and that's all Cameron has any memories of. "Figured the heart should go to someone who would actually use it."

She takes my hand and squeezes. "Thank you."

"I'd do almost anything for Viktor." Blushing my own unique shade of purple, I squirm under the praise. "For anyone in this room really."

I make sure to make eye contact with Jade when I say it. Hammering home the fact that I'm including her.

"Exceptions include exorcisms I assume?" The assassin crosses her arms and glares back with intensity.

"Are you asking?" I don't really want to wage war with an entire secret society. But I will I have to.

"Just finding out how serious you are." Her brow creases and I almost think I see a moment of true doubt in her eyes.

Time to be serious. "I'm only doing these favours because it's easier than jumping at Shadows. Ra's really doesn't want to find out what happens, when the easiest way out is through him."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Her words are conservative, clearly doubting I can really do what I claim.

"What is she talking about?" Nora isn't happy about the private conversation taking place in the middle of the room. "Is someone trying to extort you Glenn?"

"More like trying to hire me." With no reason to hide anything, I spill the beans with a scowl. "And they sent a very persistent scout to make sure I say yes."

Admitting my words have had at least some results, Jade quietly corrects me. "... Maybe not quite as persistent as you think."

The conversation is steered to less stressful topics by Paula, who is quite excited to help Tuppence create her persona. "The Meta-Brawl is pretty new. It's only been going for six weeks and is already bringing in millions."

"And it's not just a cage fight with super powers?" I have to make sure, because that probably isn't legal.

"No!" Quick to defend her new passion, Tuppence gives us a full rundown of the event. "It's more like American Gladiators crossed with professional wrestling. My partner is a girl who goes by Pantha, so I need an identity that doesn't clash with her theme."

"Polar bear!" I slam both of my palms on the coffee table, making sure my suggestion is the one that gets all the attention.

Tuppence considers the idea and smiles after a few seconds. "Mister Cobblepot would probably love that. He really only needs me around for special meetings now."

"No one has tried anything for weeks." Is her response when I ask about her regular work. "Only Humpty does and that's just cause he won't take 'no' for an answer. Mister Cobblepot is really excited to sponsor us, he even got box seats for the season."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 27: Bright Eyes
​

Logan Animal Sanctuary
October 24, 6:45 PM EEST

Kole finishes rolling around in the wet sand and presents herself for Danette's inspection. The happy ringing sound, makes it very hard for the former gynoid to stop herself from smiling.

"You only missed the back of your neck." Danette reaches over and rubs some more damp sand on top of the sparkly spot.

"Don't forget the hair!" Flying out of the barn, Cassie has a bundle of carefully chosen straw clutched to her chest.

"Gnarrk," Agrees the relaxed caveman as Garfield shows him how to handle the cheetah cubs, waiting patiently for Roy to set up the targets.

It takes a while to get the whole bundle layered properly. But when it's done, the straw nearly looks like a head full of blonde hair.

Danette feels the energy swell inside her chest as she calculates the changes in the sands molecular structure. She focuses on replicating the change made to her own synthetic skin and covers the crystal girl in it.

When the light show ends, Kole is covered in coal black skin with a slight sheen to it. The straw has been replaced by strands of golden hair and the only hint of diamonds comes when she opens her eyes.

"It's like you have disco balls instead of eyes," Helena mutters in astonishment, not truly believing the claims of a magic stone.

"Aside from looking like she has the worst sunburn in history..." Marie squints at the disguise. "I guess it's passable in dim light."

"We don't need her to look human." Handing the Logan boy a smaller practice bow, Roy shows him how to string it himself. "I just don't want her looking more valuable than whatever is buried at the sites we go to. Sounds like a great way to get held kidnapped."

"So far it's only happened in America and that was on vacation." Helena remembers the terror she felt when Cassie was ready to fight Danette's cousin.

"I still can't believe that's how I ended up meeting all of you." Taking a deep breath, Garfield takes aim with shaking arms.

Grinning at the boy's excitement at seemingly every single thing, Roy knows it would have happened eventually. "Megan would have dragged the team out here eventually. She's been your mom's biggest fan for longer than you've been alive."

"It's strange to think the girl is a year older than I am." Marie is just glad the girl alters her appearance slightly before visiting.

"Gnarrk is older than Homo Sapiens," Danette reminds the red headed mother as they all watch Garfield's arrows get closer to the target.

"But he acts like a man out of time," Agreeing with her fellow parent, Helena noticed the same thing about the Martian. "Megan hasn't finished growing up yet."

Giving Garfield a high five when he hits the edge of the target, Roy explains what little he knows of the alien biology. "She has another couple decades to go, before hitting the equivalent to out twenty five. Or at least that's what Martian Manhunter has led the League to believe."

He could just replace himself with another Martian and no one would ever know for sure. Ever since Glenn's freak out over M'gann and his own attempted hypnosis, Roy is starting to see conspiracies everywhere.

"If they ever reboot 'Hello Megan', at least they have a perfect replacement for you." Helena smirks at the woman who is slowly becoming more than just her friend.

After calculating the travel time, Danette announces it's time for her to leave. "If I'm going to make it in time, I really do need to get going."

"You really think we can ruin the ivory trade?" Marie is doubtful of the claim, even after seeing the reality warping magic at work.

"As long as Roy can get in contact with President Harjavti and get clay shaped into tusks." Confident in her new power, Danette is finally understanding her cousin's urge to create something. "I can double the weight of all the ivory on Earth each year."

As her eyebrows nearly shoot right off the top of her head, Marie slowly nods at Firestorm. "... That would probably be enough."

"Just remember not to make anymore gold for Glenn." Roy grabs Danette's hand as she prepares to take off. "Green Arrow said France was pretty split on whether to press charges or reward you. The League really doesn't have the time to deal with anymore petty plays for vanity."

"I will make sure." She notices Roy doesn't let go and finds the sensation pleasing.

"Just tell him..." The green eyed archer sighs. "Tell Glenn that he doesn't have to worry about bumping into me for a while. I still don't know why it took so long for me to accept the truth." I really do have an unhealthy obsession with him.

Danette is forced to let go and is already planning to increase her cruising speed. "I will use the command phrases Cheshire tried to implant in you, see if any of them work on my cousin."

"Thanks." Nodding in relief, Roy steps back as Firestorm ignites with an aura of heat. "Just worried about him being alone with her for so long. Took me like half the road trip to realize that he really is trying to turn his life around."

"He wasn't so bad, really just seemed lonely." Cassie pulls an empty bottle away from the cub that looks more like a honey badger.

They watch Firestorm shoot into the sky and arc west like a rocket. The trail of flame goes from blue at her feet, to red almost a hundred meters behind her.

Once Danette is out of sight, Roy glances at the archaeologist. "You have a couple leads already?"

"Possible ones..." Helena holds reaches into her vest pocket for her notepad. "A topaz in Bwunda is in several legends. It's supposed to create illusions so real they can kill a person."

"And the other one?" Really not wanting to rush into another deathtrap so soon, Roy decides to play it safe.

"An emerald brought to the Americas. It was able to make the locals believe anything the holder told them." Helena offers a less risky choice. "It went missing on the way to El Dorado, shortly after the fall of the last Mayan city."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 46: Too Cold For This
​

Gotham City, New Jersey
October 23, 11:48 PM EDT

Dinner with Danette is only awkward for the first fifteen minutes or so. Aside from lingering tension between her and Jade, that I'm still not really sure the cause of.

When the two of us go to the gallery, my minder decides to take the night off. I know she's really going to report in.

But it's her job and I'm kind of proud about how invested people suddenly seem to be in me. Besides... She's been upfront about it since day one.

"I'm relieved none of the commands worked on you," Admits my cousin as she tries the last one on the list.

"Can't believe Roy thought Cupid would shut me down. Seems like most of those had been designed just for him." Which makes me wonder if it's really fair to give the guy all this anger I'm carrying.

Isn't this kind of like when I was forced to get arrested? How much free will does the guy actually have?

"So should we try coming up with phrases that would be specific to you?" Danette is intrigued at the idea of digging into my past with my permission.

"We can make it part of the weekly tradition." I'd rather find out around people who aren't going to take advantage of me.

Grabbing the hollow shell of a miniature camera out of my pocket, I hand it over with a smirk. "Can you just stick this in Roy's room and leave it somewhere it will take a few hours for him to find."

She pulls her hand away from another transmuted sculpture and takes a moment to appreciate the sight. Hawkwoman flying into a cloud of her own mace was another one of the custodian's ideas. I'm going to make sure he gets a cut when this thing sells.

"It's light." Frowning at the hollow shell in her hand, Danette doesn't get the joke. "This camera is defective."

"I don't actually want to know what he's doing. I just want him to see how I felt for a few seconds." I'm not above a little petty revenge.

It takes her a couple seconds to weigh the decision in her mind, finally giving me a slight nod of approval. "That is acceptable."

She converts the icy shape of Martian Manhunter in a complete safari outfit, into jade now only in need of polishing. The butterfly net being brought down over Blue Beetle's head, is by far my favourite part.

"Why are so many of the pieces a mockery of the Justice League?" I'm honestly surprised it took her so long to ask.

"It's pretty much given me immunity." At least that's how Oswald explained it to me. "Everyone wants to get an exhibit at the Iceberg Lounge. Killer Croc must have brought in six blocks worth of copper pipes, all of it just for a really big rock he broke Batman's hand with one time."

With nothing left for her to transmute, Danette shoots into the sky with a final wave goodbye. It was made clear I'm not going to spend another night sleeping on the floor here and so I flick of the lights with a content smile.

This is all mine. I made everything in here and people are going to buy it.

I pass a couple of the knights on the way out and decide to walk back instead. It's a nice night, why pay for it?

It's not that far to Paula's place, with my whistle the only sound I hear for a couple blocks. But when I turn onto Cedar Street, the sensation of being watched is impossible to ignore.

"Mom sent me to make sure you came home tonight." Artemis hesitates under a street lamp and waits for me to approach. "Thanks for not making this awkward with any pleading on my part."

"You're out late." I know Young Justice had some kind of aquatic search and rescue training planned. But I'm pretty sure that just meant they went to the beach.

"Got interrupted by a group who think we stole Sphere from them. Call themselves the Forever People and think they're some kind of gods." She explains and it takes a second to remember the robotic orb they found in Bialya. "We helped them tracked some stolen tech down. Turns out Intergang has a lot of new friends and they have some fancy toys."

"Big night." I decide not to make things difficult and walk beside her. "How did it go with Kaldur in charge?" He seems the most level headed out of them all, i hope it's not just an act.

"They decided to leave Sphere..." She pauses and reconsiders the words. "Supercycle I guess. And one of them is staying until the rest of the tech is rounded up."

Glad none of this insanity is going to be my problem, I can let my curiosity come out to play. "The new friend play well with others?"

"Serifan would probably love to raid your closet." Artemis looks me over from head to toe and is a little impressed. "Especially now that you seem to have gotten a personal shopper."

"Oswald was tired of me showing up in rags." I'm not really a fan of the suit material, way too itchy. "I didn't even know half of those stores existed." But the dress shirts are incredibly soft and I'm going to be getting a few more in brighter colours.

"Nora is making me donate all of my old stuff." And how do I say no to a woman recovering from a nearly complete organ replacement? "You can bring it all to the Silo tomorrow. Something should fit the guy as long as he's not built like Tommy, I wasn't really choosy on sizes."

She frowns at a noise and glares me into silence. "Someone's following us."

"You have any gear on you?" I hiss out of the corner of my mouth.

"Left my bow at the base." She pulls at her sleeve and shows a bulky glove on on hand and the cartridges around her wrist. "Just have the new dart launcher Ted made me."

"Not digging the archer look anymore?" Is it too late to get Ted to change the design?

Shrugging as we turn into an alley, she tilts her head towards our stalker on the roofs above us. "We already have one on the team and another on the League. I kind of want to stand out in my own way."

"Just please don't try boomerangs again." A memory of six year old Artemis with a bloody nose flashes through my mind. "I think that's the only thing I've ever seen you suck at."

A snarl from above would have given away the game, even if Artemis hadn't warned me a few minutes ago. "Found you at last!"

A furry woman dives towards me, only to be peppered by darts that burst into a cloud of green smoke. Artemis and I roll to opposite sides and watch a coughing Hyena land between us.

"You move around an awful lot. But I've had your scent since Belle Reve and none of us are happy with you Sub-Zero." The gas barely seems to phase her and soon she's snarling with little difficulty.

"He took my eye." Brick's rage filled voice struts into the alley behind us. "I want both of his!"

"More than enough pieces of the bastard to go around." Snarls a voice filled with scorching fury, echoing into a dozen copies of itself.

Another voice agrees, this one a more refined female. "Right you are Numerous. Just make sure you don't try taking them all yourself, I have lots of things he needs to hear me say."

"He's not slipping away this time Banshee." A guy who looks like he bathes in grease slams his hands together, creating sparks of electricity between them. "We got him and his little friend cornered."

"Five on two?" I try to get most of the attention on me and give Artemis a chance to call for help. "We've got you horribly outnumbered. You sure you don't want to call this off..." I let the ice coat my skin and bulk up around my vitals. "Before one of you really gets hurt?"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 47: Time For A Hoe Ho Ho Down
​

Gotham City, New Jersey
October 24, 12:41 PM EDT

The twenty or so clones of the same guy, all give me an identical look of confusion. "But that's not how math works..."

The two seconds was enough for me to create a pair of icy weapons, tossing them both backwards to Artemis. She catches the curved sword and baseball bat, her foot pushing off my shoulder a moment later.

"Yes it is." Her roar is followed by the bat smashing against the speaking copies jaw, dropping him in a single hit. "Haven't you ever heard about the ninja rule?." The bat cracks against another three clones in quick succession. "Every single one of you, makes it that much easier for us to win."

Brick grabs a dumpster and gets ready to heave it at the melee. "Oh this is just too perfect to pass up!"

The spear of ice, nearly tears the metal right in half. The garbage spills out onto Brick and leaves him snarling in fury.

"How is it," Artemis ducks under a swipe from Hyena's claws and trips her with a spin kick that I really wish I had the grace to pull off. "That you have more enemies than my whole team!"

"Are you really asking why I'm better at pissing people off?" I coat Brick in several inches of frost and throw myself at Hyena's back. "It's kind of my specialty!"

Wrapping my icy arm around the were woman's neck, I'm shocked when her jaws crush right through my armour. The shock is replaced by pain, causing me to react on instinct for my next attack.

The bellow of pain follows both of us into the air, my pillar of ice rising in only seconds. It sends her soaring towards the next alley when I let go. The layer of ice on my feet, the only reason I don't follow her.

The pillar beneath me shatters when Silver Banshee unleashes a screech that makes Black Canary sound like a whisper. I see Artemis dancing through the clones of Billy Numerous, with more on the pavement than their feet.

I barely catch myself with an emergency slide and angle my fall back towards the street fight. The speed I build up, makes my kick strong enough to knock the wind out of the Superman foe.

Before I can recover, I get tackled by the grease covered Eel. His punches are powered by fairly low voltage electrity and he must think it's enough to give him the edge.

"You know I've been struck by actual lightning." My grunt gets the crook to frown in worry as I barely react to the current he sends into me. "This barely even tickles."

It's an exaggeration of course. But I can already hear Brick breaking his way out of the ice.

"What?" Eel loosens his grip enough for my to throw him off me, through a combination of the frosty skin and his own slick coating.

"The grease should keep you warm until Batman finds you." I'm only slightly concerned about his well being and freeze him to the ground under a couple inches of ice.

Finally taking the time to glance at my wrist, the sight makes me grimace. The ice was enough to stop Hyena's jaws from snapping clean through my bone. But the flesh is mangled and dripping with magenta blood.

"You alright?" Starting to tire out against a seemingly endless supply of Billy's, Artemis works her way back to me. "She got you pretty good."

"I don't see any teeth marks in the skin. I don't think you're going to need to chain me up outside for full moons." At least I hope not.

"My dance partner is a little too persistent. Want to switch?" She motions to the now free gangster with brick red skin and a few hundred pounds on her.

Nodding, I rotate with her and smirk at the copies. "Brick's as dumb as his namesake, so don't hold back on the head games."

Blasting the ground under Numerous' feet, I turn our half of the alley into a skating rink. Without my practice, the copies of Billy are forced on the defensive.

Since he doesn't actually know how to do more than throw a basic punch, I actually find myself in a situation where I could win without powers. At least against the first couple.

Skating around his duplicates, I drop them one after the other. Each hit is fast and unleashes the frustration that has been building all week.

I feel a couple bones break when I drop the first few and figure out how much force to use around the tenth moron. It's not perfect and I still make a couple more cry out in more pain than I wanted.

When I start to get winded myself, I unleash a torrent of snow on the remaining copies. Seven feet should be enough.

Thinking everything is almost over, I take the chance to watch Artemis dismantle the lumbering brute. Her moves lack even a fraction of his power, each one barely even being felt. But they serve to get her into position for the take down.

Sliding between his legs, she brings the bat up behind her. Brick squeals in pain and collapses on his face with a final kick.

Right as I'm about to compliment her on a job well done, Silver Banshee has recovered enough to scream a second time. The force and volume sends me crashing through the brick wall.

Dust fills the room I'm suddenly inside. But the collapsing roof forces me to act instead of survey.

Columns of ice appear around me and I can only hope it's enough to stop the building from collapsing on top of me. I don't hear a follow up scream, only the faint sound of fists hitting flesh.

When I finally am confident the building is stable enough to last an evacuation, I emerge ready for the tie breaker round. Hyena hasn't come back yet, though it may be because of who did.

Batman is attaching a muzzle to Silver Banshee, while Batgirl waves at me over Robin's head. "Hey, nice job. Sorry it took us so long to get here, Calendar Man was trying to get rid of all the Cancers."

"That's a bad thing now?" The confusion leaking out of me, is enough for even Batman to smirk in amusement.

"The horoscope kind." Deadpans the Boy Wonder.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 28: Bird's Eye View
​

Mount Justice, Rhode Island
October 30, 2:28 PM EDT

With eyes narrowed into slits, Amanda Waller is satisfied with the performance on display. The male twin Lex scrounged up, managing to keep Adonis busy for the entire ten minutes.

"That's time." Her strict words come through the speakers and the combatants break apart for debriefing. "Good. No one needs to be disciplined today."

The stunning redhead shrinks back down to normal proportions, her hands blurring through the sign for 'lunch'. Her own training partner, reverts from an elephant back into the female Wonder Twin.

"Why are you always hungry?." Jayna's yellow eyes gleam with annoyance against her milk white skin.

The response Giganta provides, just makes the alien frown. "The food doesn't grow with you?" Empathy for the gorilla brain in a model's body starts to form. "You must be starving every time you get big."

Turning to her right, Amanda gestures towards the new arrival. "Guardian has little else to teach you. Agent Scandal will be taking over your torment."

"What can she do?" The Russian recruit asks slowly, taking great care to not let his accent slip through.

"Kill people." The dark haired woman is already moving, her elbow slamming into Red Star's throat.

The teen who has at least six inches and a hundred pounds on her, drops lick a sack of potatoes. The rest of the team shares intrigued looks, with Jinx cackling at the sight.

"I like her." Adonis stares down Scandal with a growing leer. "Guardian is too soft to get the job done. It's about time you brought me someone who can."

The Atlantean Purist Wynnde, is just as happy to see his rival gasping for air. "You must have a mission ready for us. This is no mere basic training."

"Of course she does." The missing Serling snidely adds her own voice to the discussion. "We're being wasted in here."

Waller stares at the cyborg and watches for any sign of disagreement. I don't know how Luthor was able to find you. But I can't deny you're committed to the cause of replacing the current heroes.

"So what is it?" Red X demands, his voice muffled y the skull themed helmet that he believes conceals his identity.

"Are you finally going to let us play with the other kids?" Gemini de Mille reshapes her face in only a few seconds, a perfect replica of Waller's own staring back at her.

"Yes." Agent Scandal nods sternly. "It's time America had heroes who will actually save people. Instead of running off to spy on ex cons and aggravate foreign armies."

"We have solid intelligence on a worldwide magical attack. It's going to be soon and I need you all ready to step in at a moments notice." Retaking hold of the conversation, Waller gives Jinx a very piercing stare. "Exceed my expectations and I will tell you where he is."

"About time." Gripes Cameron Makhent, very ready to get back into his own body. "Seems like none of the bad luck I send through the link is even slowing down the body snatcher."

"When the incident occurs, I have a special assignment for you Doctor Serling." Waller gives the nanobot infused woman a calculating look. "Guardian will have the clearance you need."

Confirming the words with a rigid nod, Nanite's mind races for possible targets. Ever since her rescue, she's agreed to work with Luthor's team. Replacing the heroes who abandoned her to the Shadows, just icing on the cake.



Batcave, Gotham City
October 30, 9:47 PM EDT

"Have you made any progress on the Thanagarian ship yet?" Batman turns away as the computer runs an analysis.

The suddenness of the question isn't what makes Dick nearly fry the circuit board in front of him. "... No." It's that he has no idea how his adoptive father found out. "The thing wrecks all my tools. I'm waiting for the new Kord Industries drill that is supposed to be able to cut anything."

"Hawkman took a look at the satellite images and said it's one of the older colonization models." Trying to turn the failure to deceive into a teaching moment, Bruce keeps his tone light. "Two mated pairs on a one way trip, meant to prepare the primitive worlds for the empire's arrival."

"Is that why the Hawks are here now?" Robin is confused at how casually the paranoid detective is talking about an alien invasion.

"All three lanterns have confirmed that Thanagar went through a change of government. Almost a hundred years ago in fact," Explains Bruce with a knowing grin. "I made sure to find out why two aliens came to Earth. Before we offered them a place on the Justice League."

Now curious, Dick has to ask. "And what is the reason?"

"Love." Is his father's blunt response. "The empire mandates arranged marriages to stop the rampant defects from returning. The only exemptions are for agents deployed for life on foreign worlds that the empire wishes to have friendly relations with one day."

"So they're here to butter us up before the diplomats arrive?" Dick nods along, now finally seeing a rational answer for Batman not overreacting.

"Essentially." Bruce doesn't bother holding in a chuckle with only his son present.

"Did Hawkman say what these older ships run on by any chance?" Since the secret is out, Dick sees no reason to keep struggling by himself.

Proud of how hard his son tried, Bruce decides to share the secret. "Lightning."

"So..." Dick smacks himself in the forehead. "Billy could have turned it on at anytime?"

"Yep." Turning back to the computer as his results come up, Batman is frustrated by the results.

I don't understand, where have they all vanished to. Thirty of America's most violent offenders... just gone without a trace.

Meanwhile the cannon fodder runs the League ragged as we try rounding them all up. Maybe we should look into another expansion, it's clear the villains are starting to work together.


Notes: I know Giganta isn't normally mute, but I really loved the idea of a sign language gorilla brain being the one she got. Everyone who said Cassandra Cain as the mute girl was right, way too easy.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 48: Chill Out
​

Gotham City, New Jersey
November 6, 12:52 PM EDT

With Ted almost finished my order, I decide to wait before rushing back into potential danger. I'm starting to learn.

Since I have nothing but time to kill, trying out some new uses of my power is always fun. Making any kind of dairy based dessert ends up being nearly impossible without tanks of cream. But I master the art of making shaved ice in a variety of flavours.

It's really not hard once I figure out the right measurements of flavour. Toss it in the air and flash freeze it before it lands in the paper bowl.

When Commissioner Gordon and his partner Bullock drop by to check on me, I actually manage to resist screwing with either of them. Even through Bullock really is asking for it with all that sass.

After I get the police seal of approval, parents start allowing children to order my mini masterpieces. I'm forced out of my comfort zone rather quickly, with the third kid asking for his treat to be shaped liked a throbbing brain.

I watch the cops stare at the back of the preppy looking blonde's head and take a closer look at the kid. After a second, I let a smirk grow along with my relief at the sight of his 'Return of the Living Dead' shirt.

"Hard to make it look gory enough with just the blue and white." Handing the teen his cup, I realize I've been specializing a bit too much. The brain looks like something I would have made back in August.

"Are you kidding?" He grins around his first mouthful of raspberry ice. "Now I feel bad for all those times I melted your face off."

It takes me about three full seconds of silent blinking before I realize what he means. "I heard my skin isn't the least popular anymore."

"They fixed the lag bug a few days after the plant attack." He leans in like it's some huge conspiracy, even though I was the one who suggested it to the development team. "You actually do full damage and don't die in three hits. It's not just the try hards who play you now."

"Good, because does it look like I'm trying hard?" Tossing some blueberry syrup into the air, I send a blast of swirling mist at it.

Once I have it and a matching pair of strawberry ones, I had all three to the waiting grandmother. "On the house miss. This is all just advertising for opening night."

The red panda and dolphin are something I've done before and look a heck of a lot better than the brain. The blue looks more like a storm cloud though and I can see the little girls disappointed frown.

"Guess I'm just going to have to come back her every weekend until you don't hate how it looks." Her shocked glee makes my grin turn into a full blown smile, one that stretches from ear to ear.

"That would be amazing!" She gets pulled away by the now far friendlier grandma, resisting until I give her an exact time to come back tomorrow.

Hyena and Numerous managed to escape and I'm positive I could see Billy for a split second. But when I crane my neck for a better look, it ends up being just some guy and his border collie out for a jog. Damnit, I'm getting as paranoid as Roy.

"You're opening an art gallery?" A blonde woman with obviously fake boobs, tries to press them against my arm. Her mistake.

She yelps after only a brief moment of contact and pulls away. "You're freezing!"

"Well duh. I don't want to melt the treats." I can get my body to room temperature if I really concentrate, as I discovered back in Paris. "And yes, I am opening an art gallery in December."

Oswald found out when my birthday is and felt that Christmas Eve was a great night to draw a crowd. It only gives me and Danette a few more weeks to get it all ready and I'm definitely starting to feel the pressure.

"Any birds?" Her tone is casual and so I see no reason to keep it a secret.

"One or two." I see blue eyes flash with desire that I mistake for interest in me. "Why? You have a favourite?" I need all the inspiration I can get.

"As long as it's shiny." She takes her cup and saunters off, with me forgetting about her after a few dozen more people order.

After a couple hours and no one ends up needing an ambulance, I get swamped with suddenly very eager customers. The line stretches around the block and I don't have a chance to do more than give the off duty Robin a wink.

The older British guy with him must be Alfred and I straighten out of my slouch at the sight of him. He smiles when I explain I don't have a business license and this is all being done from the goodness of my heart.

"I'm so glad you turned your life around." His words are kind and seem to be honest, though the pair doesn't stay for longer than the time it takes to accept a trio of treats.

The afternoon goes by in a blur of faces. With a few I'm sure have already waited in line a few times today.

I start running out of syrup by five. First the raspberry and then everything but pineapple is empty in another hour. Guess I don't need to get anymore of that tomorrow, I think I only made four cups the whole day.

"Hey, can you guys clear some space?" Calling out to the people in the park, I wait until they back away far enough. "Thanks!"

A blast of white right above the ground, creates a blanket of snow a couple feet deep. It's only about twenty feet across at the widest spot. But I grin as some children are already rushing to have a snowball fight.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 49: Hailien Abduction?
​

Flight 483, Gotham to El Paso
November 11, 12:27 PM EDT

"Why did you only get us business class seats?" Jade grumbles as the plane bounces into the air with the grace of a very new pilot. "Isn't the point of being rich to you know... Enjoy the perks?"

"Just be happy I didn't make you fly economy." It's supposed to be the little things that will keep me grounded.

Ted sent word he finished my suit and a few of the gifts, getting me on the first plane with available seats. It's pointless to try hiding who I am once I see a few kids waving.

So with a wide smile, I slide my hood of and wave back. A few other people are fans of the games, with one dark haired teen furiously sketching away. His eyes glancing back up at the pair of us every few seconds.

"Get ready to sign some autographs when we land." Jade smirks teasingly at me and I start to think she enjoys the recognition.

We hit a spot of turbulence and my stomach does a few flip flops. "How are the Shadows going to be able to use you? Aren't you going to get a little too recognizable for assassination?"

"You said it yourself. I'm easily replaceab-" Her words just end suddenly, along with all the other adults on the plane.

"What's going on?" One of the only people still on board, is the artist around my age. "Where is everyone?" His panic is nothing compared to the few terrified wails of children.

"I have no idea!" I'm already out of my seat and running for the cockpit. "Get everyone in one spot!" If we need to jump, I want everyone together.

The nose of the plane is tipping downwards, so I waste no time knocking on the door. I blast it with a beam of blue and shatter my way inside with a shoulder.

Both pilots are gone and I start to panic at how fast we're losing altitude. "Less than three minutes at this rate."

I don't bother screaming for a pilot. I only saw a few kids younger than me still on board and throw myself into one of the seats.

"This is Sub-Zero to anyone who can here me!" Shouting into the microphone doesn't get me an answer. "How do I land a fucking plane?"

Seeing our path will bring us down right in the middle of some town, I try to push aside all of my fear. "Get those kids buckled up!"

They always say to pull up in the movies and I resist every urge to the contrary. Yanking the wheel up, I use all the strength in my legs to struggle against the shaking plane.

It's not enough to bring us out of the nose dive and I feel the terror sinking in. The artist almost rolls into the seat beside me and copies my actions with the other wheel.

"Can you make a track and try guiding us down?" He calls out a suggestion and I decide to give it a try.

"Strap in!" Turning behind us, I seal us off from the rest of the plane with a wall of ice.

He shields his face when I shatter the windshield with a volley of spikes. The wind makes everything harder and it's nearly impossible to aim.

The first couple attempts get missed by a mile. But the fourth catches us and finally gives me a little bit of control. The icy ramp crumbles behind us, but it lasts long enough let us fall in style.

I manage to steer us to the right of the town and aim the plane towards a far emptier field. My copilot has white knuckles as he strains against the steering wheel.

"This is your captain speaking." Holding down the intercom, I try to warn everyone before we crash. "I'm going to fill the plane with snow in just a few seconds. So I'm going to need all of you to stay in your seats and I'll dig you out after the crash."

That's all the time we get to prepare. The plane starts to skid along the dirt the same moment I act like an in flight airbag.

I get nearly all of first class filled with snow by the time we hit something big, though it barely does anything slow us down.

It feels like a lifetime before we finally stop. Though it must have really just been a few seconds of pants wetting terror.

Like I promised, I release my hold on the snow. It melts away fast, leaving me with the sounds of screaming kids to deal with.

"Thanks.... For the assist." Panting as the knowledge of our survival sinks in, I pat the other teen on the shoulder. "I was going to stick everyone in a life and jump onto a slide."

He turns to me with a growing frown. "But the plane would have crashed into that town."

"I didn't have any ideas and we had less than three minutes." I hang my head with more than a little bit of shame. "So we better make sure the news knows your name."

What could have made all the adults on board, just vanish without a trace? I reach for my phone and prepare to call this in to the people who want to live this kind of life.

"Kyle Rayner..." The artist mumbles to himself and my eyes nearly pop out of my skull. "Hero."

It takes four rings before Artemis picks up, her voice filled with barely contained panic. "I really don't have time for this."

"So it wasn't just the people on my plane who vanished?" I let my own frown grow, tabling the idea of a future Green Lantern for later. "How big was the area of effect?"

"... The whole world." Artemis' panic makes a hell of a lot more sense and I don't waste time with any jokes. "Is this big enough to ask you for help?"

"Well I just stopped a plane from crashing into some hick ass town." I hear her voice hitch with concern. "I could really use a pick up and it sounds like you need all hands on deck. We just need to grab a few things at Ted's on the way back, they may come in handy."

This is sounding an awful lot like that one episode of Justice League Unlimited, when the little twerp Mordred split the world between children and adults.

The Justice League transferred to the other world as soon as they became children. A grin grows when I realize they already have someone who can do that at will on Young Justice. "Tell Marvel to try transforming."

"He's kind of terrified of disappearing if he does," She counters with a heavy sigh. "Can't really blame him."

"Put me on speaker phone." What can I say to convince him to try? "Are you the hero?" I ask when I hear the echo of through the phone. "Or is it just the powers that make you one?"

"SHAZAM!" Billy Batson proves the one who chose him was right, and even over the phone I can feel an echo of his power.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 50: You Snow The Drill
​

Kord Industries, El Paso
November 11, 4:56 PM MDT

The light of the zeta beam fades and reveals four grim faces. Robin holds up the vaguely lantern shaped hunk of glowing green rock.

"You better have a good reason for knowing why some old guy had this in his house and an even better one for why I should let you have it." He's completely confident in his decision to stand up to me and I try not to laugh.

"I don't want to keep it." Every ring is supposed to have it's own lantern. "Kyle just needs to charge his ring with it and you can go stick it back in Scott's basement."

Beside me, Kyle stares down at the jade ring on his finger. The ecstatic glee he had when I first offered it to him is gone, replaced by growing realization of what it really entails. But I still don't sense any regret in him.

"I got the heart from Free-" Batgirl stops herself when I cough rather loudly. "... Viktor's cell."

"You didn't need a full set of organs?" Did he really already advance so far in his research?

"Not according to the notes your dad had." She hands Wally a rather thick bundle of papers. "I had no idea you knew how to do heart surgery."

Shaking his head no, Wally starts whipping through the information as if it's a flip cartoon. "I don't. But I'm a really quick study and we have no other options."

"What do you need us to do Boss?" Tommy is wearing the paper mache armour that Danette transmuted into a sturdy titanium alloy.

Beside him, Tuppence looks very embarrassed to be wearing her Meta-Brawl outfit. When no one laughs at the white fur vest and leather pants, she relaxes ever so slightly.

"Almost half the team is in Bialya," Aqualad answers for me, his voice extremely close to cracking from the stress of the situation. "We would greatly appreciate any help."

"Do you want to take a guess at how many kids have already died?" I saw Rocket running some rough numbers and I did not like how high the graph spiked. "Because it's not going to stop until we fix this."

"So why did you want us to all meet here?" Artemis' foot taps a steady beat against the tile floor.

Opening a cabinet, I pull out a bow made of Nth metal. She shuts up at the mere sight of the priceless weapon and I drop it into her hands with a sigh.

"Wasn't even sure if I was still going to give you all this stuff." The League may have said it wasn't le Fay or her son. "But I think some anti magic gear will come in handy." But they at least agreed it's a mystical cause.

I hand Tommy the broad sword and smirk as he gives it a few practice swings. Tuppence accepts her own axe with a predatory grin, while Dick bashfully tests the balance of his batons.

"Shoes?" Wally holds up the boots and lined gloves with a frown. "No cool weapon for me?"

I slide my own new armour on and see the speedster staring at his brother's shield. "Didn't really think you wanted to start leaving a trail of bodies."

His face twists in horror as he realizes how easy it would be to kill someone. "Complaint withdrawn."

"The metal would interfere with your powers." I shrug at the hopeful looks from the Martian and magical heroes present. "And you hadn't joined the team yet."

Rocket nods in understanding, letting a teasing smile emerge. "That's fair. But I expect something really nice next year."

"Uh," Interrupting with a nervous voice, Kyle frowns at the chunk of emerald rock. "It's not working."

"It's a prototype lantern. You have to make it believe the words of the oath, not just repeat them." I made sure he memorized them while we waited and gesture for him to try again.

"Sure it's not some kind of security feature?" He mutters under his breath, lifting his hand to try again.

Scowling at his lack of determination, I watch him utter the words to futile effect. "See, nothing!"

"I saved the kids on the plane." My frosty tone cuts through his haze of self doubt. "But it was you who saved the town."

"Wait. Really?" I can hear Zatanna hissing to someone behind me.

Pride shines in his eyes and I watch his back straighten. "You really want to let us do this without you? Because I'm pretty sure I'll just try taking the easy way out again."

"And I shall shed my light over dark evil," His voice echoes words I never taught him, at the same time the lantern pulses with vibrant green light. "For the dark things cannot stand the light." A beam of emerald connects his ring to the Starheart and sends energy surging into Kyle. "The light of..."

Kyle trails off for a few seconds as the glow becomes a blinding flash of green. "THE GREEN LANTERN!"

When I can finally see again, Kyle is floating before us with a face set into fierce resolve. He isn't wearing the standard black and green uniform or even the one I remember him having from the comics.

Kyle is wearing a perfect replica of Alan Scott's uniform. The red wool shirt with the Lantern symbol stands out over thick padded pants of deep forest green. He even has a flowing cape of purple to complete the look.

"You changed the words..." I'm not complaining since it worked. "Why?" I'm just curious how he even knew what to say.

"I just said what felt right." The emerald artist shrugs in the air. "It worked."

Standing up with a very queasy expression, Sonic grabs the mechanical heart. "You better hit them all twice as hard for me."

"Good luck." Robin nods solemnly and dials in the coordinates for Seattle.

"Same to you." Mutters Wally as the zeta beam zips him across the country in the blink of an eye.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 29: Breaking News
​

Logan Animal Sanctuary
November 11, 5:21 AM EEST

As soon as Robin calls with the details, Roy quietly checks to see who is still present. He sighs with relief when both Cassie and Garfield are snoring away and even Greta can be seen chasing after the animals.

The mothers' room is empty and so is the nest Gnarrk made for himself. Even Kole seems to have vanished with the rest of the adults.

"Danette!" When he opens the last door and expects to find another empty bed, he instead finds a nude red head.

He stumbles back into the hall with his eyes hastily shut. "How old are you?" Blushing despite the emergency, Roy is astonished to find her still present.

"I could answer that a few ways." Unconcerned with her state of dress, Danette considers the choices. "Do you mean when I was first built, or when the Danette program was turned on?" Her head tilts to the side with familiarity. "It could also mean when Red Inferno was reprogrammed, or even when we became Firestorm."

"Since you aren't on the other Earth Robin said we're dealing with, It's one of the last two." Roy is about to tell her about the incoming broadcast, only for a creaky door to startle him.

Poking her head out, Cassie is rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What's going on? It's still too early for chores."

"Something big." Instead of lying, Roy wraps his knuckles on Garfield's door. "You all need to hear this. Get dressed and meet me in the living room."

When he does flick on the television, it's the same hacked signal on every channel. "Why is Glenn giving the speech?"

"I know this is terrifying. But I'm not asking any of you to be heroes." Sub-Zero addresses the camera, with only his mouth guard absent from the new costume. "I'm asking all of you to be human right now."

What the hell does that even mean? Roy doesn't have to wait long for an answer, as Glenn straightens his shoulders.

"Humans are one of the most feeble species this planet ever produced. But we became the dominant lifeforms because of one very simple thing." The words are confident and Roy is forced to admit Glenn isn't terrible at public speaking. "We work together when times are the scariest. That's why we aren't bowing down to lions right now."

"Instead of acting like frightened animals and causing a bunch of trouble. I'm asking you to do what your heroes would..." Taking a moment to let the words sink in, Glenn sets his jaw with a determined smile. "Help each other, so we can get your parents back."

"This wasn't some random bit of chaos. Someone planned this because they wanted to break the human spirit!" Nearly growling now, Glenn slams a fist on the desk, his ignored notes flying up around him. "Don't be superheroes, leave that to the people in stupid costumes. Be super friends."



New York City
November 11, 5:24 PM EST

The nine members of Waller's team who remained in Mount Justice, sprung into action like they had been training for. The magnitude of the disaster was not something Waller's intelligence covered and the team was forced to deploy how they saw fit.

Clark Kent from a world without superpowers, pushes the subway full of kids to the next station. While on the street above him, the silent Giganta carefully extends her hand towards an apartment fire.

The Wonder Twins leap into action, with the brother dousing the flames with his now river shaped body. His sister swims through him in the shape of a dolphin, using her echolocation to find the trapped kids.

With a 'borrowed' green pickup truck, Red X collects any children he finds wandering the street. His pulse has been racing since the vanishing, despite his completely calm body language.

Jinx pushes a shopping cart with four kids younger than five, only to freeze at the face being displayed on all the billboards. The voice at the back of his mind is far too impressed for Cameron's liking and he hisses at himself to knock it off. "He's a thief and will get what's coming to him! So don't get too attached, unless you're offering to share bodies with him instead."


Poseidonis
November 11, 3:29 PM WGST

Watching the crowd surge through the city, Garth is forced to admit the cause is lost. All of the missing students are back with a platoon of sharkmen.

"The Seperatists must have been involved with the spell!" Tula shouts her revelation. "The entire force they sent was only teens. It wasn't just a training exercise!"

"The city is lost." Feeling his blood boil at the clouds of red drifting up from the few spots of resistance, Garth calls for the school to be abandoned.

"We need to warn the other cities." He motions for everyone to start lining up in front of the zeta-tube. "Shayeris will be our rallying point."

All of them can feel the gates fall, with Tula knows it will take too long to get everyone through. "I'll give you the time you need, get them to safety!"

She presses a kiss to Garth's startled lips and swims back into the hallway. Even though his heart screams at him to follow, his brain reminds him that no one else knows how to operate the surface device.

"Make sure you tell the Justice League what is happening." Garth gives the evacuating students a firm command. Kaldur will avenge us.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 51: Winternet Generation
​

Kord Industries, El Paso
November 11, 5:45 PM MST

"How did I do?" When the red light above the camera turns off, I feel the sweat pour down my face as my nerves catch up to me.

Artemis finishes testing the draw on her new bow and gives me a satisfied thumbs up. "Not quite as good as Sonic. But he is our PR guy for a reason, he was born to run his mouth."

Frustrated that I have to leave my own whip in the cabinet until I get some training, I try to remember my armour is far superior. Of course I picked something I can't just pick up and swing around, needed to be a special snowflake.

"Most of us lack the experience you do in inspiring strangers," Kaldur agrees with gratitude in his voice as his gaze follows mine to the Nth metal bow. "These will really give us an edge against the mages?"

"You still want to smack me for what I said to Megan in Vegas?" After so long around the teens, I've made the connection between the girl who told me off and Zatanna. "Because I'll let you blast me with whatever you want right now Hex Girl."

Her eyes light up with glee and Robin takes a half step away from the magician. "You serious?"

"Just don't cast anything you can't undo before we leave." I'm confident in my armour and need Young Justice to trust in the weapons. But I'm not a complete idiot, only like seventy percent of one.

Not waiting for me to change my mind, Zatanna whips her white tipped wand in my direction. "!eep uoy litnu hguaL"

The orange strings of light just slide right off of me. I barely even feel a wave of pressure slap against me as the spells fades away.

No one says anything for a few moments. But I can see the expressions are suddenly a lot more confident.

"Well that's neat." Robin gives the team leader an intense stare. "You thinking what I am?"

"I believe so." Turning back to me with a guilty sigh, Kaldur reveals just how long they followed me. "Salvage laws state we should return the Thanagarian ship to you."

As much as every little kid wants a spaceship one day, I know exactly what will happen if I accept. "Why would I need a spaceship? Only thing I'd use it for, is to go turn Pluto back into a real planet."

"You don't want a working spaceship?" Stunned into a stupor rarely seen by anyone, Robin's brain just isn't making the connection.

"Hey Superboy, you want it?" He's the only one here, who might ever have a reason for leaving the solar system.

A crack of thunder announces the return of Billy, his brows set into a grim stare. "The League has a target for us. But we need to strike the exact same time they do."

"What are the objectives?" Taking charge of the conversation, Aqualad shows he is ready to lead Young Justice.

"We need to disrupt the ritual and everything will go back to normal." The explanation sounds far too simple for my liking. Way too many ways this can go wrong.

"Since we have an anti magic ship..." Superboy is trying not to let his grin grow to large. "Wouldn't that be our best way to sneak up on these mages?"

Knowing her bioship can barely carry the team, M'gann is forced to agree. "It has weapons and a cloaking field. It's the better choice with this many people."

"What do we call the twins?" Artemis stares past me at the brother and sister showing off the weapons.

"Polar Bear and..." I actually don't know what Tommy chose for himself, so I go with a name I know isn't currently in use by anyone active. "Shining Knight."

I notice a small locked box in her hands and point at it. "Decided to rob Ted?"

"Of course not!" Her denial is quick and her scowl fierce. "He just told me to only get this out if the world was ending."

"What is it?" Curiosity fills me as she pulls out an iron key. Not many things could fit in a box that small and still be useful right now.

"Let's find out." Her voice is tense as she inserts the key, twisting it open before she can change her mind.

Inside is a black and blue metal bug. It looks like a beetle with massive pincers and is about the size of an original Gameboy.

"I still don't know what it is." I shrug as Artemis reaches a hand into grab the bug, only to jerk back in shock when it starts skittering up her arm.

She starts to shriek and spin, trying to get the robot off of her before it reaches her neck. My own swats are avoided by the scarab like device as it crawls down the collar of her costume.

It squeezes between the nearly skin tight material and her skin, creating a bulge that approaches her spine. "Get this thing off of me!"

"I'm trying!" Not even blasting her back with chilly mist does anything with her insulated costume in the way.

The bulge reaches her spine and clamps down with the pincers, eliciting a roar of pain from Artemis as she collapses in my arms. The costume tears into shreds as a black and blue metal covers her skin in chitin like armour.

"Artemis!" The others rush to us, even as her screams die down into groans of pain instead.

Jerking upright, Artemis snarls in my face suddenly. "Shut up! I'm not exterminating any of my friends!"

"None of use said anything..." Frowning at the strange metal covering my friend, I have no idea what's going on.

"The scarab did and it's not very friendly," Artemis admits with a hiss. "It's telling me to wipe you all out before you turn on me."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 52: Ice The Fun
​

Roanoke Island
November 11, 9:17 PM EDT

"I am in position and ready to provide support." Danette's voice comes through our earpieces clearly.

"No Red Arrow?" Aqualad frowns as Robin pilots the ship towards the orange glow I assume to be our target.

"I wouldn't have been able to fly fast enough with him. He told me to go alone and he would provide aid to Qurac." She sounds more concerned about him than those of us about to face of with the mages and my lips quirk into a smirk.

"We brought some back up. I hope it is sufficient." The Atlantean sighs under the weight of his new responsibilities.

The only one of us who doesn't seem at all concerned is Tommy and he shares the reason for his overconfidence. "Boss will take care of everything."

"Wish I had that kind of faith in myself," Muttering under my breath, I just focus on my breathing beside Kyle.

"Borrow some of mine." My fellow artist grunts as he focuses on making his little emerald robot walk across his arm. "Because right now I think pretty much anything is possible."

Feeling bad about forcing him into such a crazy situation, I give him a chance to back out. "You really don't have to do this. Shouldn't have just sprung all of this on you."

"Don't even think about taking this away from me." Kyle gives me a stern look, his jaw firmly set. "You might just want of a normal life. But this is what I've dreamed of since I was three."

That's why the ring didn't react to me and you can carry the weight of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Nodding at his blazing determination, I let my guilt slide away in the face of someone who actually wants this kind of life.

"Thanks. I sometimes need to be reminded that everything isn't my fault." More than sometimes, I know I carry way too much unnecessary guilt with me.

The ship stops moving when we're close enough to make out a lone figure inside a runic array. We all peer out the window at the mage of unknown power, with Aqualad taking charge.

"Superboy, do you see any heat signatures?"

The Kryptonian with a magic cloak scans the area and shakes his head. "Nobody but the mastermind."

"Hit him fast and with everything we have." Hexgirl seems to recognize the teen with hair curled into hornlike points.

"Klarion can take it." Lieutenent Marvel launches himself out the yet to be repaired hatch, rocketing towards the target with his fist outstretched.

"What the-" The voice that comes out of the teen makes my blood boil in recognition.

He narrowly avoids Marvel's attack, blasting the hero back with a wave of force. "Where did you come from?"

"End the spell and I'll tell you!" Recovering quickly, Marvel throws himself back at Klarion.

"This isn't fair at all." Blocking a gout of flame from Firestorm, the source of the chaos realizes how close he has gotten to the edge of the array.

His eyes lock onto me, with a cackle that I recognize from my nightmares. "You really shouldn't be here. This doesn't concern you."

"You concern me!" My rage breaks free with a furious roar.

His eyes narrow in frustration until he seems to get a source of inspiration. "Mortal Kombat is supposed to be one on one, isn't it?"

"We aren't going to just come at you one by one." Aqualad sends a torrent of water at the source of all my problems.

"You're all about to be a little to busy to help each other." Snapping his fingers, the ground outside the array starts to shift.

The dirt and rock forms into humanoid shapes, enough for each of us to have an opponent. The transformation ends when they all take on very recognizable forms.

"Dibs on Sonya!" Robin throws himself at the earthy replica of the fighter, his baton tearing through her wrist as if it was tissue paper.

The rest of the teens are challenged by other characters from the games I took my identity. An imitation Scorpion roars his catch phrase at me, shooting out a brown snapping snake from his wrist.

It slams into my chest but doesn't pierce my armour. Instead the magical earth crumbles against my chest. Klarion sees how easily the others are carving through his creations and snarls at me.

"You aren't supposed to have weapons like that!" Klarion's petulant voice rings across the battlefield. "You dirty cheaters need to be taught a lesson!"

The ground starts trembling all around us, with scores of imitation fighters forming. "You want to hack in some items, well lets see how you deal with endless mode!"

The swarm of Kombatants crashes against us and force us back. Not even our trump cards manage to reach Klarion against so many golems and the variety of abilities they have.

I ignore the sounds of my allies crying out in pain, my rage giving me tunnel vision. But no matter how hard I try forcing my way through the seemingly endless distractions, Klarion just cackles madly at our failure.

"Look at them run Teekl, they think they have a chance!"

Freezing a fourth copy of Johnny Cage, I don't even bother shattering it as I move onto the nearby Kano. None of them have managed to really do more than knock me around and yet I'm pretty sure I'm farther than when I started.

A roar of determination makes me look over in time to see Superboy streaking through the air. His shield plows through the Kombatants that manage to leap in his way, none of them diverting the clone from his target.

He shatters through Klarion's hasty shield like a cheap window, only being stopped when a massive orange cat tackles him. "Good girl, you're getting lots of treats when we finish."

When Klarion turns his back so he can mock the struggling Superboy, he doesn't react in time to a combined attack. Artemis unleashes some kind of plasma cannon on Klarion, while Kyle matches it with his own jade train.

The being of chaos manages to only stumble forward a couple steps from the energy attack. But the emerald locomotive carries Klarion the rest of the way out of the array.

As soon as the cackling teen is knocked away, Firestorm scours the glowing orange symbols with purifying flames. The air around us shimmers as Klarion screams in frustration, the Justice League suddenly appearing beside us.

They help us tear through the remaining Kombatants and we return the favour by restraining the four adult wizards. When we finish and realize Klarion isn't coming back for his lackeys, Robin notices something strange.

"Anyone else seeing double?" His eyes darting back and forth between Artemis and someone else in identical armour.

"Artemis..." Ted's voice doesn't come from either of the matching suits and I see him standing over beside Hawkman. "Please tell me that's not you in that thing." Both face plates lower at the same time, with Artemis and her mother exchanging concerned looks.

"What do you think you're doing in that thing?" Both yell at each other almost in the exact same moment, creating a weird echo effect.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 30: Two For One Deal
​

Mount Justice
November 12, 2:32 AM EDT

"Dismissed." Waller sends the teens to bed after a debut performance in New York. "Except for you two."

Serling and Guardian stay at attention, waiting for the others to filter out of the briefing room before they report. When the teens are gone, Nanite starts uploading select files to Waller's PDA.

"Young Justice is being lead around by the nose, the same way as the rest of the world." Annoyed at having to redirect her anger, Serling cannot dispute the information she downloaded from the missile silo. "They have no idea of the Justice League's true intention to take over the world."

"Just as Luthor said." Amanda grimaces at the complication. "... Which means we need to at least try saving them first. They could still be useful once the true threats eliminated."

"Using child soldiers to invade Bialya and France..." Disgusted by his former allies 'true' intentions, Guardian clenches his fists. "The League truly is beyond recovery."

Happy to finally have a way to strike at the tyrants, Waller allows a slight smirk to appear on her face. "You had better get started on installing our own zeta system. We need it connected to the League systems, if you're going to take the satellite from the so called heroes.

"They also had a spacecraft in in the base." Nanite's words bring an actual smile of surprise to Waller's face. "I'm uploading the blueprints now."

"Earth's very own fleet." Not one to think small, Waller's mind is already racing through the possibilities. "We wouldn't need to rely on heroes to save us from the next invasion. America can retake it's place as the dominant force on Earth and ensure humanities safety."



Watchtower
October 12, 4:51 AM EDT

The light of the zeta beam fades, to reveal a completely soaked Superman. "Poseidonis is back under Arthur's control. But the Conservatory of Sorcery was left as little more than rubble."

"Is this going to turn into a war?" Still riding high on his own protege's successful surgery, the Flash is having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"It's looking that way. The separatist cities have declared the southern ocean off limits to all surfacers." Wonder Woman wrings out her hair, a concerned frown growing on her face.

"Joy." Grimacing at the idea, John Stewart brings up his own concern next. "Hal and I still have no idea where Kyle's ring came from. Can't even get answers from the kid's ring, not since the AI was burnt out by Alan's weird lantern."

"Do you even know if it ever had one?" Flash points out, stroking his chin in consideration. "Maybe he's not even one of yours."

"Ring's the same model as they have been for the last billion years." John shakes his head no. "They just aren't meant to hold as much juice as Alan's ring. Even if they have far better control over what they do have access to."

Explaining that the Guardians want him to bring Kyle back to Oa, John is not looking forward to his sisters reaction to another trip away from Earth. She's close to popping out my niece and I'm supposed to be here for that.

Knowing that the implants caused the death of Sub-Zero's mother, Earth's third Green Lantern has been terrified of what that means for his sister. Jefferson better look after Lynn while I'm gone.

"What are we going to do about these Challengers of the Unknown?" Superman asks the second Batman enters the room with Green Arrow. "And how did Cadmus get more of my DNA?"

The footage of Adonis was a perfect match for Clark in his teens. Even more than Superboy when he still had black hair, this is unmistakably a clone.

"I have no idea. We found nothing in the rubble of Cadmus," Bruce reminds his friend that they did investigate. "They only had data on Project Kr."

"What about the others?" Just as concerned about the origins of the other eight teens, Wonder Woman points to Wyynde specifically. "I don't believe Arthur knows about him."

John checks with his ring before speaking. "The pale ones are Exxorians. The planet was attacked almost twenty years ago. The sector Lantern wasn't able to stop then until after eight million people had been shipped off world as slaves."

That news doesn't sit well with anyone and even worse when Batman starts filling them in on the other origins. He tells them about the brilliant teen who had gone missing and now seems incapable of speech. It only makes everyone furious, when he points out the signs of brain surgery.

"The one known as Jinx, was in a coma for the last four years. Presumed never to recover after she tried to stop Psimon from hurting her father." Batman's voice is flat as he goes through he files with operational distance. "Gemini is the daughter of Madame Rogue, the right hand woman of the Brain."

Smirking at his fellow baseline human, Green Arrow can't resist the chance to needle the world's greatest detective. "What about the kid with the skull mask?"

"... Red X is an unknown at the moment." Everyone present can see how much it frustrates Batman to admit that. "But I will find out who he is. Cadmus and it's Challengers are my top priority."

"Any idea why only the alien bug thing duplicated itself?" Flash has a few ideas himself and wants to see if Bruce has anything different.

"When it bonded with the Crocks in each version of Earth, they created separate experiences." Not completely sure, Batman shares his most likely theory. "When the worlds merged again, they could no longer call themselves the same sentience."

Doing everyone a favour, Green Arrow asks for clarification with a tired sigh. "Kind of like a split timeline?"

"Essentially," Agrees the League's chairman. "Otherwise we would have had doubles of anything not in the same place."

"At least with the Green Lanterns, we can call them by name." Flash realizes something that is going to be an issue. "Don't we have three Blue Beetles now and none have a public identity?"

"Ours is going to start calling himself the Silver Scarab. He feels it will be easier to rename himself, than try creating paint that will stick to Nth metal." Smirks Oliver Queen, who pointed the very same thing out to Ted a few hours earlier. "Still not sure about the mother daughter duo though."

"Is the Scarab as hard to repaint as the Hawk's metal?" Flash feels like it's obvious. But he also knows how easy it is for the brilliant minds on the League, to get stuck on a single train of thought.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 53: Imperial Or Meltric
​

Gotham City
October 12, 8:43 AM EDT

I get woken up by a brilliant flash of green light, followed by the sound of my window shattering. Rolling out of bed, I only peek up when I hear Kyle's voice.

"Sorry..." He floats outside my room with a blonde man in an identical costume. "Still not quite used to this thing yet."

The man who looks to be in his fifties, glares at me with crossed arms. "This is him?"

"Yeah." Kyle nods slowly, giving me an apologetic look for this whole mess. "He gave me the ring."

"I don't care about that. What I do want to know..." A giant fist of blazing emerald light wraps around me, causing me to dangle over the lawn. "Is how you knew who I am and what was in my house!"

"I already told the League. Bad guys know a lot more than you would like." My blasé attitude just makes his scowl deepen.

Kyle tries to intervene, only for the still to be introduced Alan to silence him with a green gag. "Well how about you tell me again. Because this is all news to me."

Before I can think of an answer, a pair of energy beams crash into Alan. Kyle catches me before I plummet to the ground and I watch a pair of Blue Beetles rocket towards Alan.

"Stop!" My shout is enough to get the furious women to wait for answers. "He has every reason to be mad at me. I did get Robin to break into his house."

"You admit it." Alan's eyes blaze with green fury.

I have no reason to lie, not when Kyle has clearly already been questioned. "I thought it would end up back in your basement when everything went back to normal. Spell must have given priority to whichever one was used last, so it should still be at Kord Tech."

"Told you he wasn't trying to steal it." Shooting the elder Lantern a glare, Kyle floats me back into my room. "Again, sorry Glenn. I told him we should just knock."

"We'll see." Alan doesn't say goodbye or give my fellow artist a chance.

A green chain wraps around Kyle as Alan streaks shoots westward. Just below the speed of sound, the two Lanterns are out of sight in only a few seconds.

"What was that about?" Jade growls from the door to my room, a ready knife in her more twitchy hand.

"Something I thought would have taken care of itself when everything went back to normal." I shrug at the strange rules magic has.

"Call Ted and Tell him to expect company!" My warning gets a wave of acknowledgement from Paula who I'm still amazed to see walking. "And don't worry, I'll pay for the window."

Nora is the next to enter my room, now that the excitement seems to be over. "Of course you will. Frieses do not make our friends pay for our mistakes."

I notice Jade scowling at me and I'm definitely not feeling patient enough to put up with her attitude this morning. "What?"

"So you gave that guy from the plane his ring?" She growls menacingly and takes a few steps towards me. "This world splitting spell ends and three people end up with alien super weapons. But for some reason, only two Crocks got one." Jade is not happy with me in the slightest.

"Was an emergency and I'm trying to get out of that life." Trying to shrug of the anger, I don't really see what the big deal is.

Scoffing at my words, Nora cuts right through my bullshit. "You're doing a terrible job Glenn. Are you sure you really want to walk away, or are you just scared of failing?"

"Huh?" Not really my most eloquent sentence.

"You have all this potential and yet you hand out ice cream for free." Shaking her head in disappointment, Nora makes me wilt under her stare. "You keep giving away anything that could make you stand out. Why are you fine with mediocrity?"

A wheeze of smug laughter escapes from Jade, who still hasn't backed away from me. "Because he's scared. Deep down, he still just wants other people to tell him what to do."

I can almost smell the cockiness mixed in with her shampoo and feel my pulse start to race. "Whose been in charge the whole trip?"

"Ra's." Jade takes another step closer, forcing my spine right up against the wall. "You went everywhere he sent you. All because he scares you."

The truth does hurt and I reel from the words. For almost a minute I waver in place, my eyes crossing as I lose focus on everything else.

She's right. Glancing past her at Nora's shaking head, don't run away from this with more denials. Both of them are.

I wanted to be a hero, I think deep down everyone wants that. But I know it's not the powers that make one.

I wasn't anything special in my first life, just an average guy. So why would things be different in a world with actual superheroes?

"Tell you what." Swallowing all of my self doubt, I decide to keep the honesty going. "Quit working for the Shadows and I'll give you the next one I find."

"I told you, I'm not the hero type." Her scowl softens ever so slightly, as she seems to notice the change in my body language.

I know a quick kiss wouldn't distract her the way it did when I was in the same position with Artemis. So instead, I make Jade a business offer. "I didn't think I was either. But that's probably how everyone is going to see me for a while."

"You do have a lot of enemies." Her chuckles make me blush a deep shade of purple. "Going to be even more after that broadcast."

Meeting her stare once I fight off my blush, I make the offer. "I'm not helping the Shadows anymore." The words are unplanned. But I mean them with every fibre of my being.

Shock appears on her face for a brief instance, only to be replaced by a blank expression. "Ra's isn't going to be happy."

"Probably not." Once I make my stance clear, I'm of no further use to the immortal. "Do you still want that demon exorcised? Because I'd rather just get this all out of the way, preferably before school starts."

"Glenn..." Paula and her other daughter joined us at some point during the intense session of truth. "Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"

I so desperately want to respond with 'Mortal Kombat'. But I know this isn't a time to joke and actually think about my answer.

"I'm already in the middle of it. Time to face my demons head on" Ra's may not be a literal one. But Klarion may as well be, I'm going to need some practice taking out immortals.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 54: King Of The Chill
​

Gotham City
November 12, 9:06 AM EDT

"And have you figured out a way to do that yet?" Jade doesn't reject my offer out of hand and watches me carefully. "Or is this just a bunch of big talk?"

"Do you know how Ra's achieved his immortality?" Stepping forward with confidence, I make Jade back up or get knocked over. "Because all we need to do, is make sure his body doesn't get found in one piece."

Revealing information I'm definitely not supposed to have, I give Jade a confident stare. "He has a bunch of pits that will revive him. We just don't let him get tossed in one."

"How do you know all of this?" Artemis can't remain silent anymore and cuts in with a hiss of frustration. "And you better not just say, 'the bad guys know a lot more than you think'. Jade doesn't know any of this."

That revelation is enough for Jade's brow to crease thoughtfully. "Artemis is right. You know more than a simple patsy should."

"Joar decided his son was nothing but a complete failure." I can't get out of this without some kind of answer, so I try to keep it believable for the four women. "Psimon created me out of whatever was left of Cameron. But he filled in the gaps with his own information and now I seem to know a lot of things I probably shouldn't."

"I shouldn't have stopped you." Horror has contorted Artemis' face, as she finally understands the true source of my hatred for Joar Makhent.

Paula shakes her head and hisses with disgust. "I always knew Icicle was nothing more than trash. But this is a whole new level of despicable."

If I think back to a select few minutes of the premiere episode, I can remember seven blanked out faces talking to Doctor Desmond. Ra's is working with six other big names and Klarion is one of them.

"That explains it!" Strangely happy, Artemis smacks her thigh. "None of us could figure out why every name on the list was right. All except for two of them."

Considering I only puzzled a pair of them out on my own, I realize exactly who she means. "He didn't want me to to know who Batman is."

That means he's just as involved in my existence and I only know one person who would care about keeping Superman all to himself. Luthor is going to die with the other three.

"And it really explains why Megan scared the shit out of you." The younger Blue Beetle manages not to laugh, even if I can feel the hot air of Jade's snickering.

"It's taken me a while to figure out who I am. I'm terrified what will happen if a psychic ever gets back inside my head." How easy would it be for a powerful one, to just erase me?

"So the plan is to wage with the League of Shadows?" Nora closes her eyes and sighs. "The centuries old organization with hundreds of agents around the world?"

Nodding with growing confidence in my decision, I force my lips into a cocky grin. "Ones who have relied on a single master for their entire history. After he's gone, the power struggle begins."

"You don't think they're going to want revenge?" Jade rolls her eyes at my bravado.

"Not if you take over the organization for me." I can't just leave hundreds of assassins on the loose.

Jade could use the Shadows to ease the League's workload. Thousands of criminals are still running free around the world and the bounties are only growing bigger.

Her eyes nearly pop out her skull and i let a genuine smirk appear on my face. "Or should I get Tommy to turn all the ninjas into knights?"

"Don't you dare!" The elder Crock sister is right back in my face. "They would eat him alive." Her glare shifts into a slightly disturbed expression. "Some of the creepier Shadows would probably even try to be literal about it."

"So..." I hold out hand and watch Jade consider my lofty promises. "Partners?"

When she grabs my hand, I'm surprised to feel her arm shaking ever so slightly. "We're going to need some help and a way to get to him undetected. Ra's has far too many ways to vanish if he sees us coming."

"Good thing one of us has friends." Releasing her hand, I send a quick text for Tommy to head over. "And quite a few people owe me favours." I just gave Superboy a spaceship, I'm pretty sure I can bum a ride.

"Is this really happening?" Paula's chitinous armour retracts from her face.

"Don't make such a big deal out of this." Her eldest daughter whirls to face her, back stiff with tension.

Ignoring the request, Paula takes a cautious step towards her deadly child. "When do we leave?"

"Mom!" Artemis hisses at the offer. "Who was in a wheelchair yesterday?"

"Ask your Scarab how much that's going to slow me down now." Unable to mask the joy at being mobile again, Paula crosses her arms in an attempt to look stern.

Artemis does just that and goes silent for a couple seconds. "Khaji claims that nothing on this primitive planet can even slow us down. He also seems to think we should be the ones who claim the Shadows."

"He is a bloodthirsty piece of tech, isn't he?" A very amused Paula agrees.

"Is he telling you to steal Glenn's freeze gun and assimilate it?" Artemis points at the high tech weapon in my closet.

"Six times since I came in the room," Agrees her mother with a chuckle. "Make that seven."

Stepping in front of my closest a tad defensively, I glare at the two Blue Beetles. "Mine."

"Khaji wants me to let you know how many ways he can kill you." Artemis rolls her eyes at the running commentary only she can hear. "He's already listed a dozen and they're all pretty creative."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 31: Turnabout Is Fair Play
​

Infinity Island
November 12, 4:20 PM ECT

Cheshire's words are enough for Ubu to hand his master the phone. "The boy has gone hero."

"That is such a shame." Tutting his tongue, the centuries old Ra's accepts the phone. "I really did want Sub-Zero to join us."

"Great One, we have a problem." His agent's voice is tense. "Makhent is going to Bialya to get help for an assault on the island."

Frowning at the disappointing words, Ra's reveals his true plan. "If Young Justice is done collecting my prizes, I believe it's time to pick them up."

"My sister and her friends are being debriefed by the League. You only have an hour for the silo to be empty." Cheshire makes it clear her sister is not to be harmed.

"You have done well Cheshire," The master assassin praises his agent for her loyalty. "I will have Lady Shiva set aside time for your training when you return."

Her answer comes after a gasp of surprise. "Thank you Great One."

Once he ends the call, Ra's turns his gaze to the already assembled agents. Black Spider and Hook are long time assets and stand at attention beside the Shade.

Gizmo and Killer Frost however, prove they still need to be broken to his will completely. The genius teen has been muttering to himself the entire time, only making the icy woman angrier with each word.

"You know what the Great One wants. Do not fail him." Ubu speaks for his master, growling at the agents with distaste.

"In and out." Smirks the Shade as he makes the shadows start to swirl.

"We leave the bomb and come home with some alien tech." Gizmo drools at the idea of to ships and the transforming Sphere. "Sounds like a great day to me."

Smacking the over eager preteen for his insolence, Ubu makes the mission parameters crystal clear. "Sixteen minutes and not a second longer."

"As the Great One commands," The Shade promises with a smirk, as his inky black portal finishes forming.



Mission Silo
November 12, 2:38 PM CST

The shadows coalesce into a doorway, with five people emerging inside Young Justice's base. As soon as they see the room empty of any heroes, the portal fades away.

"Set the bomb Gizmo." Shade hisses out his orders. "And Frost, make it look like Sub-Zero is the one responsible. The rest of you, secure the vehicles."

The bald tech expert scampers off as the ice villain starts covering the walls in ice. Hook and Black Spider, start climbing the ramp into the Thanagarian ship.

But the moment they reach the still in need of repair hatch, both are sent flying by an energy blast. The Martian ship reveals itself and Young Justice pours out of both ships.

"Shade! Get us out of he-" Killer Frost is cut off when Superboy slams her into the wall she just covered in ice.

The shadows start to swirl around the startled Shade, only for his staff to be snatched from his hands by a blue blue. Sonic appears beside Hex Girl and hands her the magical weapon. "You should probably hold onto this."

"Traitor!" Snarls Gizmo as Jade kicks him back into the room.

Paula dashes over to make sure the bomb is deactivated, as Tommy's knights restrain the Shadows. "He hasn't turned it on yet. But I don't really want to keep this thing in the base."

"Put it on the ship." Sub-Zero calls out as he stalks towards the Shade. "I'll return it for you."

"Just be careful with her." Grumbles Superboy with a scowl at the bomb being brought on board his ship.

Ratcatcher and his rodent friends file onto the ship behind the older Blue Beetle, with Jade and Sub-Zero giving promises of being careful to Artemis. Keeping true to his promise, Tommy rounds up the knights with a few french commands.

"You got that thing figured out yet?" Robin nudges the magician as she controls her shadow with the confiscated staff.

"It's pretty easy actually," Brags Hex Girl, making her shadow start dancing with the acrobat's. "I don't think he fully closed the portal as a way to save energy. But that's made it super simple to trace back to it's last location."

Batman drops down from the bioship, landing silently on the concrete floor. "Good work. All of you."

"I'm impressed they actually called us." The newly renamed Silver Scarab lands beside him with a slight ringing sound.

"I know how territorial you are." Sub-Zero pokes his head back out the hatch. "But I'm only giving you a chance to convince his daughter to come quietly. You two shouldn't even be coming to a sovereign island."

Everyone present knows the Justice League can't afford any bad press. Not with Lex Luthor sponsoring a team of his own heroes now.

"No way I'm letting you do this alone." Ted Kord stares directly into Paula's visor, a thousand words passing unspoken between them.

"Okay..." Pretending to gag at the interaction, Jade eventually gives Ted a look of respect. "You have my approval on this one Mom."

"Does this mean no more booby traps when I come over?" Incredibly relieved and just a tad doubtful, Silver Scarab stares down Cheshire.

Nodding at the scientist, Jade starts tapping her foot impatiently. "Not unless you make her cry. They'll never find enough to identify the body if you do."

"Can we go fight the ninjas now?" Tommy eagerly interrupts.

The Gotham Knights are behind him and are all clad in the steel armour provided by the Penguin. It's clear they think Sub-Zero is some kind of demon possessed man. But they seem far more interested in the wealth he has them guard and the golden coins he pays them with.

"Whenever you're ready." Zatanna raises the staff with almost no visible doubt in her abilities. "Just don't expect me to be able to bring you back the same way."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 55: Snowmore Mister Ice Guy
​

Infinity Island
November 12, 4:53 PM ECT

Young Justice wishes us luck with a variety of emotions on each face. Some like Dick and Artemis, very clearly want to be part of the strike team. But the rest seem more relieved than anything, at the command to sit this one out.

Can't really blame them, assassination is not really something they should be a part of. I know Batman is only allowing it because he doesn't actually think I can pull it off.

He thinks the plan has a chance to succeed or we wouldn't be going at all. But he doesn't think I have a way to get rid of an immortal. Or maybe Batman just doesn't think I can do something that he's already failed at several times.

Zatanna waves the staff like a conductor, covering the alien ship with inky black magic in only a few seconds. The shadows muffle the lights on board, leaving us in nearly total darkness for the trip.

When the shadows peel away, I peer out the window with growing excitement. I'm going to be free soon.

We're in a courtyard with a couple dozen Shadows waiting for the delivery. When nothing else materializes, the entire group approaches the back hatch.

None seem alarmed, with no weapons entering any hands. Or at least they can hide it a hell of a lot better than I can.

"I'll handle the bomb," Ted clutches the deactivated device to his chest, following Batman to the hatch. "Don't want one of you setting it off accidentally."

"I'll let you know when I find Talia." Pulling out a few pellets, Batman takes point as we wait. "Maintain radio silence unless it's an emergency. You can't give the Shadows a chance to surround you."

The smoke bombs explode in the faces of the first couple ninjas, giving us a chance to end things fast. Batman drops four of them before I even reach the ramp, with only a few enemies even having a chance to cry out in pain.

"Intru-" Is all the last Shadow still conscious gets a chance to utter. His voice all I need to aim a frigid beam and cover him in an inch of ice.

The smoke clears with only a little bit of coughing on the knights' behalf, showing off a few very creative take downs. Did Tommy go bowling with those ones?

"Don't let the fodder slow us down," Warns an incredibly tense Jade, her eyes watching the door to the castle. "We can't let Ra's escape." Her growl is dangerous enough to make a pair of knights step away from her. "Once the alarm sounds, we have maybe ten minutes to reach him."

"That enough time for you Batm-" I realize the detective vanished already and trail off awkwardly.

Tommy repeats the orders with his slowly improving french, which I really do need to make time for. "Hey Boss, you want me to get a few of the boys to watch the ship?"

Considering the pros and cons as quickly as possible, I eventually give a stiff nod. "Probably a good idea."

We leave Ted and his bodyguards behind, with the scientist completely focused on the suitcase sized bomb. Jade leads the way and let's her mother cover our rear.

The few Shadows we encounter are completely unprepared for a hostile force. We're going to pull this off.

Anyone who doesn't fall to Jades blades or Tommy's shining sword, gets swarmed by Ratcatcher's friends. The rats on the island are already joining his horde, creating a carpet of moving fur that follows us.

I'm left with the job of sealing every door we pass, leaving the ice even thicker than the stone walls. Hope that's going to slow down reinforcements for long enough to pull this insanity off.

"End of the hallway and down the stairs!" Jade slams a ninja's head against the castle wall, his group actually ready to face us. Not that they had the skill.

But it means Ra's knows we're here and time is running out. As we storm down the stairs, the realization really starts to sink in that Ra's could have almost anyone working for him.

The knight in front of me charges into the cavern with steel drawn, ready to face the lone challenger. The Shadow blocking the bridge to Ra's and his best Shadows seemingly explodes. Only for a river of clay to surge towards the us before everyone can react.

Clayface buries a couple of my time displaced fighters too slow to get out of the way and roars his challenge with a barely intelligible voice. Impressed at the resolve of both restrained warriors, I rise to the challenge. Better not be any spikes at the bottom of this bridge!

I know Jade needs to be the one to take down Ra's and swords aren't going to be very useful against this blob. So with a bellow of my own, I cover myself in my familiar ice armour.

"Cover the ladies and put that geezer in the ground!" My quick rising wall, is just in time to shield the rest of the knights from a follow up attack of even more clay. "I'm calling dibs on this one."

With more confidence than I should probably have, I draw Clayface's full attention by launching myself over the wall. Tendrils of ooze lance towards me, only to freeze solid in the face of my azure beams.

From each finger I fire as many quick blasts as I can, peppering the monstrous clay with at least a hundred. He's massive and the attacks really only serve to cover the others and the dash across the bridge.

The french battle cries drown out the other voices, while the mass of living ooze blocks my sight. Not being able to see the engulfed knights anymore, I know I can't keep screwing around.

Changing tactics, I send a pair of continuous frigid beams at the sentient mud. My arms start shaking from the strain even as Clayface starts to retract in on himself.

My gasping knights are some revealed and I let out a sigh of relief. But as soon as I start to get cocky, a primal scream of rage echoes out of Paula's mouth.

The buzz of energy cuts right through the din of battle, an explosion following only a half second later. The cloud of billows away from Paula and whatever roused her fury like that.

A sinking feeling was already building in the pit of my stomach. But when my eyes lock onto the sight of Jade's motionless body, my heart nearly stops.

I'm confused at the sight of two smoking feet near the rapidly growing pool of blood and it takes a few seconds to realize whose absent.

The rest of the Shadows try to avenge the vaporization of Ra's al Ghul, foolishly turning leaving themselves exposed to my knights. Even the bald one called Ubu, leaves himself open to Tommy's steel sword through the back.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 56: Stealing Your Tundra
​

Infinity Island
November 12, 5:39 PM ECT

By the time I reach the battle, only one woman is still fighting off my knights. She's already hacked through five of them before she acknowledges her allies have fallen around her. "Are you going to offer me terms, or do I need to carve a path through the rest of you?"

Jade showed me Lady Shiva's profile before the attack, along with a handful of other high ranking agents. The woman has more than proven herself as deadly as the rumours and so I decide not to give the distraught Paula a chance to do something stupid. That's Roy's job.

"Tell us where the Lazarus Pit is and I'll even give you a ride back to the States." My jaw clenches tightly as I watch Paula lift the bloody body of Jade.

"Ubu and Talia are the only ones who know where it is..." The world's most deadly baseline woman watches me for any sign of aggression. "At least now that Ra's is dust."

My eyes slide over to the bald body at Tommy's feet and he blushes bright red. "... Oops."

"Hey, Ratatouille." Grabbing one of the Demon's feet, I toss the still steaming appendage towards a renamed Ratcatcher. "Have Martin and your friends trace the Demon's steps please." The surviving knights recognize that word and suddenly seem far prouder of the fight.

"You remembered his name?" The beady eyed man blinks a few times, a wide grin revealing his buck teeth.

"You cared enough to introduce him to me." Shrugging awkwardly at the praise, I try to brush it off as no big deal. "Seemed like the kind of thing friends should do."

The rat squeaks out an answer of his own and even gives me textbook perfect salute before scampering off. Hundreds of his fellows follow and I know the magical bath will be discovered soon.

"Still getting used to what real ones are like," Admits the Paris based man with a sardonic chuckle. "But Kiteman has started taking me out to karaoke on Tuesdays. That's pretty fun."

"Just remember, I have dibs on all the Vanilla Ice, Ice Tea, and Ice Cube songs." My teasing smirk gets a grim snort.

Tommy relays my command to the knights and they rush to pick up the fallen among them. When a very smug rat returns, Paula marches after him before I can even give the word.

"So Shiva..." I know Ra's ruled through a combination of fear, desperation, and indoctrination. "Why are you working for the Shadows and not running your own secret ninja clan?" But I want nothing to do with that kind of management style and decide to try the carrot instead.

"Ra's provided challenges that test me consistently and was ensuring my successor would be ready when the time comes." The extremely capable woman keeps her words vague, even while answering the question in it's technical entirety. "Your champion defeated the Demon's Head. The Shadows are yours."

"No they aren't." Frantically my head shakes in denial. "I'm her muscle."

My finger points at a startled Paula and the Jade's body, making Shiva nod with misunderstanding. "She did defeat him in single combat. The rest of the Shadows will fall in line once she finishes of his daughter as well."

"Uh..." Realizing she thinks I mean Paula, I wrack my mind for a quite response. "She has a different plan for Talia."

The sound of rocks sliding against each is all the warning we get, as the floor splits apart. A spiral staircase is revealed, carved right into the very bowels of the island.

"Ladies first." Tommy mumbles and lets Paula lead the way into the eerie passage.

"Jade first and we wait for the madness to pass before reviving the knights." I remember how crazed Ra's was in Batman the Animated Series when he emerged from a pit.

That seems to intrigue Shiva, who peers back at me with curiosity in her dark brown eyes. "You really intend to revive expendable lackeys?" Her words echo my own taunt towards Jade and I fill a worm of guilt wriggling inside me.

"Boss looks after us." Tommy growls at the dangerous woman, daring her to argue further.

"He give you that sword?" The deadly weapon in the shape of Lady Shiva points at the gleaming blade in his hands.

"Made out of space metal and everything." An incredibly proud twin holds it up for Shiva to get a better look. "Cuts right through magic."

"And what would I have to do to get one of those?" The way Shiva asks, makes me more than a little concerned for Tommy's long term safety. At least I finally have a carrot to dangle in front of her.

Paula takes the bait before I have a chance to decide if it's worth getting Artemis something else for Christmas. "Teach Jade how to be better than you and I'll make sure you get any weapon you want."

"That will take a while." Smirks the incredibly smug Shiva. "She had more than a few openings against Ra's."

"The every day it takes, is one more before she confronts her father to confront her father." Paula is first into the living room sized cavern and the glowing green pool it contains.

"That has to be radioactive..." Ratatouille plugs his nose as the stench of boiling flesh assaults us.

Shaking my head to assuage Paula's sudden worry, I watch her drop her daughter into the Lazarus Pit. "Just magic." But I guess that doesn't actually make it safe.

Jade's hand emerges from the green ooze and reaches for the edge. I reflexively grab it and pull, only remembering the madness too late to let go.

"Expendable?!" The feral shriek is filled with betrayal, fury, and the promise of never ending pain. "I'll show you exactly how expendable I am!"

We thankfully remembered to remove her weapons, so I only have to block a karate chop to the throat instead of dodge Nth metal. I can feel Jade's hand break against my mouth guard and see her eyes shine with emerald ferocity.

"You aren't expendable to me Jade!" Knowing she's just going to keep raging until the effects have run the course, I tackle Jade in a bear hug.

The two of us slam against the dark rocks and I can only hope she hasn't broken something else underneath me. Her eyes are flashing wildly with uncountable emotions, my words slowly starting to sink in.

She struggles in my grip in one final attempt to break free and I'm forced to freeze our hands together. "No one I care about is!"​

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 32: Ticking Time Bomb
​

Infinity Island
November 12, 6:31 PM ECT

Waiting beside the dismantled bomb, an incredibly Silver Scarab tries not to think about all the treaties being broken right now. We're here to minimize damage, not take part in the assault.

Ted's eyes dart to the doorway and the pair emerging from the shadows. "You found her I see. Talia give you much trouble?"

"Less than the others are facing against her father." Batman has the woman's arms bound behind her back, escorting a strangely excited middle eastern woman.

"You finally decided to take over," Almost purring with pride, Talia presses her body against the Dark Knight's own. "I was starting to fear this day would never come."

Silver Scarab scratches his chin with confusion at the words. "What are you talking about? Sub-Zero is the one who planned all of this."

"You don't need to keep lying to me. You may not be able to get your hands dirty..." Talia smirks at Batman's clenched jaw. "But once your minions finish with Father, we can rule like we have always been meant to."

"I'm really not the one who planned this." Clearly annoyed at having to repeat himself, Batman tries one more time. "Sub-Zero just offered me the chance to extract you during his attack and since Infinity Island is a sovereign island with no League treaties..."

As her smirk is replaced by concern for her father, Talia finally seems to accept the truth. "You're going to let him."

"If we interfere today, the League will only face more restrictions in the new year." Agrees Batman, chairman of the Justice League. "But Bruce Wayne has offered you asylum and the League will not pursue you further if you accept."

"And the bomb is to hide any evidence of Justice League involvement?" The recently orphaned woman focuses on the explosive.

"The bomb was so Sub-Zero didn't try making his own," Corrects a smirking Silver Scarab. "He's creative enough to figure out a way to sink the island. So I was asked to make him think it was already covered."

Talia can only shake her head at the claim. "Still seems a little too obvious with the imperialism, at least for supposed super heroes."

"You find your target yet Chief?" The voice of Sub-Zero crackles out from Ted's radio. "Because the exorcism is done once I dispose of the feet."

"Mission accomplished," Confirms Batman with the barest hint of relief in his voice. "Meet us back at the ship."

"I told Father to bring Makhent in for reprogramming once the boy went off script. He's given us more problems than the other sleeper agent gave you." Talia's face flashes between rage and guilt as she processes her father's apparent death.

"Other?" Gasps a very worried Ted.

Batman tightens his grip on Talia's wrist and hisses into her ear. "Explain."

"I have no idea who." She doesn't seem to mind the pain, leering at Batman's dominant attitude. "But Father told me one of the sidekicks had been indoctrinated a while ago."



Mission Silo, Nebraska
November 12, 6:31 PM CST

Wally drags his feet as he enters the base, the wide smile a stark contrast with his clear exhaustion. The few still present exchange intrigued looks, with Robin the one to take the bait.

"I'm going to assume the surgery was a success." The acrobat lifts only his head from the couch. "Otherwise that smile is horribly out of place."

"I finally know what I want to do with my life." Sonic plops down beside his girlfriend and throws an arm over her shoulder.

She snuggles in close and tries not to fall back asleep before Wally shares his revelation. "We kind thought you'd have gotten back a while ago."

"After I finished the transplant, I realized the hospital had no one looking after any of the kids." The speedster pulls off his blue and silver cowl, shaking out his sweat matted ginger locks. "So I pretty much spent the whole day in the maternity ward."

"Sorry to break the news..." Artemis raises an eyebrow from her place in the rocking chair, the one she claimed all the way back on the first day in the base. "But you're never going to be able to give birth."

Throwing a pillow at his half Vietnamese friend, Wally is quick to clarify. "I do want kids one day. But that's not what I meant." He leans forward and seems somewhat rejuvenated by the topic. "After everything went back to normal, the doctors told me how Queen Perdita's transplant went."

"Are you going to tell us?" A proud Kaldur runs a hand along his buzzed blonde hair.

"Doing it under three heartbeats, means I didn't even need a single blood transfusion." Wally isn't ashamed to brag about this one. "Glenn and I have both been invited to visit the Queen once she recovers."

"You did the surgery." Blinking at the news, Megan tries to understand the specifics. "But why is Glenn getting an invitation?"

Artemis is the one to answer, saving Wally from having to downplay his own accomplishment. "He owns the rights to the organs and is the one who got Viktor working on more."

"Exactly," Agrees the speedster from Central City as he finally gets his boots off. "The Queen even wants to offer Freeze a work release program. Complete funding of his research and dozens of employees to mass produce the artificial organs."

"Did you see the Challengers of the Unknown on the news?" Megan asks for everyone, knowing Wally is going to be needed to talk to his brother.

"I saw Adonis." With a very uncharacteristic glare, Wally saves her from needing to explain. "How is Kirk doing?"

"He's really not happy that this guy can fly without a magic cape," Admits Dick Grayson with a wry grin. "I'm more concerned about the possibility of even more clones we missed at Cadmus."

Aqualad raises his own concern with the new teen team and the Atlantean Wyynde. "It's Reef that concerns me. He was one of the drop outs and so far the only one who has been seen again."​