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

[Akatsunami]

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!"

Click to shrink...

No, he shall be known as Robeen from now on!

 

[Flightless Man]

For some reason in my head canon sub zero gets a long swimmingly with the shark guys.

Click to shrink...

They do live in the Antarctic ocean.

No, he shall be known as Robeen from now on!

Click to shrink...

Ha!

 

[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."​

 

[Metabolicjosh]

Will there be a pairing in this story?

 

[Flightless Man]

Will there be a pairing in this story?

Click to shrink...

If the chemistry works out. I' don't have an end game ship planned, but I have a few ideas for people who could work.
Artemis, Roy, and JAde, are all easy choices.
Zatanna has her whole spell thing and would give the 'how far I've come' feeling after she saw me hit on M'gann in Vegas.
Donna is just an atraction based on looks and it's not going to work out.
Barbara was pretty much told to call in a few years if she's interested.
Killer Frost gives me the cryomancer parralels, but so does Ice.
Going with a contrasting power set is classic. Starfire or her siblings, or maybe Fire
Nelvanna is my favourite heroine and I could very easily throw in a northern canada arc.
I considered having Harley get obsessed with my money making plots and following me.
Match/Adonis is going through the same stuff and it would be easy to work in some tension.
Could always give Perdita some organs and get invovled with her.
Someone else could be frozen at one of the other sites.
Kole or one of her siblings, since I'm tied into the whole Dreamstone plot now.
Helena has been a consideration since I help the campsite hostage.
Talia is another option.
Hyena has my scent and is one of many escapees, she may show up.
Could rescue someone and get involved, Serling is still missing after all.
Godiva is Englands premiere hero and Glenn has connectinos.
Vixen/Marie is a model and would probably end up meeting me on the convention circuit.
Kara, since I was so interest in Supergirl, it would make sense to find her/be involved in finding her.

 

[FTR2017]

Hmm, that 'exorcist' thing was far too specific from Jade--and Glenn takes it literally, lol!

Thanks for the chapter, it is nice to see how Glenn is affecting those around him!

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Not gonna lie, Jade and Glenn in these scenes have shown more chemistry then their respective initial pairings with Roy and Artemis, not to mention the sheer potential for great scenes of both comedy, drama and romance between the Gelato&Cat Connection of allowed to bloom...

It's weird, but interesting that it's like that to me.
It also helps that Roy has the "chemistry potential" towards anything but his insecurities on the same level as a pile of red bricks.

 

[Flightless Man]

Hmm, that 'exorcist' thing was far too specific from Jade--and Glenn takes it literally, lol!

Thanks for the chapter, it is nice to see how Glenn is affecting those around him!

Click to shrink...

I'm presonally of the belief that most Shadows don't know the specifics behind Ra's immortality. I always felt like he went by Demon's Head, to make him seem like he was possesed by one/a shape shifted one.

I'm glad it worked, I really liked using this arc to show the changes in Tommy and Tuppence. He's more confident and she's not finding a need to be so grouchy as a defense mechanism.

Not gonna lie, Jade and Glenn in these scenes have shown more chemistry then their respective initial pairings with Roy and Artemis, not to mention the sheer potential for great scenes of both comedy, drama and romance between the Gelato&Cat Connection of allowed to bloom...

It's weird, but interesting that it's like that to me.
It also helps that Roy has the "chemistry potential" towards anything but his insecurities on the same level as a pile of red bricks.

Click to shrink...

I'm not going to start testing the waters of an actual relationship until college. Glenn's too focused on his immediate mission right now and has no idea which side JAde would choose if push comes to shove.
Artemis and Glenn felt more like her having a crush on her friends older brother and not a realtionship between equals(It has potential in a few years, but not right now). Roy and Jade was always going to be a psyche out on him being given orders instead.

Feels very much like Spiderman/Black Cat style interactions.

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Feels very much like Spiderman/Black Cat style interactions.

Click to shrink...

Welp. That's explains my weird love for the pairing!
It's mirroring Best SpiderCouple!

Well aside from JJJ and pictures of Spiderman at any rate.

 

[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."​

 

[Akatsunami]

A Clone and a Robot under a tree!

K I S S I N G!

 

[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?"​

 

[FTR2017]

It seems Icicle Sr. is salty about Glenn and fed some inmates info, and what better way to ensure that these blights never bother anyone again by flash-freezing them in true Mortal Kombat Fatality fashion?

 

[NightmareWarden]

"Do you know the favorite trick of the superpowered Mime?"
"…"
"The teeter-totter!"
With a bang, he pounds the asphalt with his frozen mallet. To his left and right villains are frozen in place, but a meter ahead of him an arctic pillar rises. Pushed skyward by the unexpected ice, Hyena is launched off into the Gotham skyline.

 

[Barbaric_Bob]

I love to think icicle now has two icicle peg legs and is wobbling around in his jail cell thinking about how he'll teach his brat a lesson

 

[Flightless Man]

It seems Icicle Sr. is salty about Glenn and fed some inmates info, and what better way to ensure that these blights never bother anyone again by flash-freezing them in true Mortal Kombat Fatality fashion?

Click to shrink...

More just a general fury over the crooks knowing I stopped the first Belle Reve break out. Seeing him on camera fighting plants, made them think I really am a sell out for the heroes.

Some villains are egomaniacs and can't be talked down. Some are crazy and need help first. It's only the outcasts/desperate that can really be cchanged easily. I introduced Hyena at the prison, so I had a way for C-listers to track him down anywhere.

"Do you know the favorite trick of the superpowered Mime?"
"…"
"The teeter-totter!"
With a bang, he pounds the asphalt with his frozen mallet. To his left and right villains are frozen in place, but a meter ahead of him an arctic pillar rises. Pushed skyward by the unexpected ice, Hyena is launched off into the Gotham skyline.

Click to shrink...

Jade would be very happy to know someone else got it worse than she did. No soft landing for Hyena.

I love to think icicle now has two icicle peg legs and is wobbling around in his jail cell thinking about how he'll teach his brat a lesson

Click to shrink...

Joar isn't crazy, so he got transfered to a medical facility to save his life. He was one of the only people who didn't escape during the plant attack. I was also thinking more of an electric scooter that is physically attatched to him. The kind of thing the Brain would come up with. Functional but way to many extra steps.

 

[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.​

 

[Barbaric_Bob]

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."

Click to shrink...

what a swell guy

"The horoscope kind." Deadpans the Boy Wonder.

Click to shrink...

oh... how would that even work?

 

[Flightless Man]

what a swell guy

oh... how would that even work?

Click to shrink...

Kill one out of 12 people in gotham pretty much.

 

[ThedudeManBro]

oh... how would that even work?

Click to shrink...

Dedication, patience, an horoscope and a very big axe.

The chopping tool, not the body spray.

 

[Akatsunami]

"The horoscope kind." Deadpans the Boy Wonder.

Click to shrink...

You know what, I support this cause.

 

[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]

Dedication, patience, an horoscope and a very big axe.

The chopping tool, not the body spray.

Click to shrink...

A really big can of the spray could still bludgeon them all.

You know what, I support this cause.

Click to shrink...

Would be the only cancer free city on Earth.

 

[FTR2017]

Well, Waller is quite an ungrateful bitch if she's setting Glenn to be 'recycled' by Cameron-inside-Jinx after his effort to go clean with his crew. Interesting way to set the butterflies to flap--with Serling now brainwashed and with an axe to grind, the aforementioned soul-in-a-witch, the immortal daughter, and the others.

I do wonder though ... where the hell did Hyena go?

 

[Flightless Man]

Well, Waller is quite an ungrateful bitch if she's setting Glenn to be 'recycled' by Cameron-inside-Jinx after his effort to go clean with his crew.

Interesting way to set the butterflies to flap--with Serling now brainwashed and with an axe to grind, the aforementioned soul-in-a-witch, the immortal daughter, and the others.

I do wonder though ... where the hell did Hyena go?

Click to shrink...

I can't really talk about this in comments yet. anything I say would be a spoiler. (feel free to discuss among yourselves though.)

But the old fashioned brainwashing. Serling thinks she was rescued from the Shadows by Luthor and Waller and is being mislead on everything.

Only her and the Primary Billy got away. They will be coming back when they have a better plan.

 

[FTR2017]

I can't really talk about this in comments yet. anything I say would be a spoiler. (feel free to discuss among yourselves though.)

But the old fashioned brainwashing. Serling thinks she was rescued from the Shadows by Luthor and Waller and is being mislead on everything.

Only her and the Primary Billy got away. They will be coming back when they have a better plan.

Click to shrink...

Oh no, I don't expect actual answers except those that appear in-story! So no spoilers!

Yeah, Serling did gave that vibe--what with being a cyborg, believing that Luthor saved her from The Shadows and her focus on removing the 'heroes' from play.

Welp, Glenn will have to look forward to his own brand of crazy stalkers then!

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Flightless Man]

Oh no, I don't expect actual answers except those that appear in-story! So no spoilers!

Yeah, Serling did gave that vibe--what with being a cyborg, believing that Luthor saved her from The Shadows and her focus on removing the 'heroes' from play.

Welp, Glenn will have to look forward to his own brand of crazy stalkers then!

Thanks for the reply!

Click to shrink...

Usually I can keep it vague or misleading enough I'm fine talking about stuff. This topic, I know I would spoil way too much.

okay good. I always worry female characters will come across more evil than I intended. I wanted it pretty clear she was being misled.

He should probably move outside city limits before Batman gets the wrong idea.

You're welcome and thank you as well. I try really hard to answer any comment that seems like a question and any funny comments I can respond in kind to.

 

[TikkyMikk]

I still dislike the whole Body Jumper thing, I hope it's not really the original Cam and it's just a creation of Klarion because honestly it feels like it's gonna be some dumb forced drama.

 

[Flightless Man]

I still dislike the whole Body Jumper thing, I hope it's not really the original Cam and it's just a creation of Klarion because honestly it feels like it's gonna be some dumb forced drama.

Click to shrink...

It really is Cameron stuffed into Jinx's brain. But I can say the way it play out should be a pleasant surprise for you if stupid drama is a sore spot.

 

[Visual Pun]

I really dig the twist on Giganta and her Superman: The Animated Series origin you have here. Wish I'd thought of it first…

So….

Spoiler

….with the Wonder Twins (minus Gleek), a giantess and a blonde Kryptonian ( bonus points if Match's costume is a gender-swapped Power Girl/Galatea, maybe a white wrestling singlet as the base?) are we going to see a 'Legion of Super Clones' with the numbers filed off? One of my favorite battles from Justice League: International was the assault on the Watchtower.

I'll just stay over here frothing in my fandom for this fine fic.

<Visual Pun uses Alliteration! It's not very effective.>

I've had pokes from my long absent Muse for writing, keep up the good work!