《And Then There Was One》
Cant Get No Satisfaction
In a world where giants exist and actively choose to save the little people''s lives, they face ever-growing odds. The little people who see men leaping tall buildings, becoming shadows, or stopping wars with love, then there are those whose dreams reach higher than the stars, paint smiles on the dreary, and consume themselves in hatred. Whether they were born this way or were small and now dream of touching the sky, more and more are on Earth, the planet of water and rock.
Some don''t know what to do with their powers, some feel that fate has decided their destiny, and some look at their remarkable abilities and decide one word is synonymous with destiny: fun.
This is one of those stories. But as you read these words, ask yourself how long you can carry the world''s weight as it burns on your back. And by the time you''ve had your fill and there''s nothing left on your back, will you stand or fall?
In the shadows of Jump City''s alleyways, figures danced excitedly. They were newborns to the aged monsters of the world, but to the everyman, they were kids.
From the alleyway, a rabbit emerged. Well, not really a rabbit, a rabbit mask. A white rabbit mask with red markings that looked left and right to see Halloween decorations adorning the streets. Pumpkins around every apartment, candles near every stairway, and the color orange gleaming with the leaves flowing as red, orange, and yellow. The cool October air sent a chill down the White Rabbit''s spine, and his head spun and twitched in animated glee.
He bounded from his hiding spot in a somersault and hopped on down to his first spot. He hopped up again to a green door and knocked.
When it opened, he yelled, "Trick or Treat!"
The grizzled, fat man with a stained tuxedo jacket and shorts looked at the kid, "What the hell do you want?"
"I want a birthday present! And a treat! Or a trick! And maybe some cash."
The man scratched his stubble and smirked, "Wait right here."
He pushed the door and stumbled down the pictureless hall, the second door to his right. The light in his bathroom was struggling to be bright or dim, but he ignored it. He grabbed a bucket from his bath and filled it with cold water.
"Stupid little brat," He slurred, "Baggy pants, what the hell?"
The man fought to keep his eyes open and fought harder to remember his name. It was Tom Sheldon, he realized. He also realized the water in the bucket was starting to overflow.
It didn''t matter; he could regret it when he was sober. If he could make it without damn trick-or-treaters getting him out of his funk. Old Tom conceded that this kid might''a been new around here, since he couldn''t place a name to that high voice, which was strange given his profession. Then again, he was drunk.
Ah, it didn''t matter. He''d forget it when he''s sober.
His hand slid on the bucket''s handle before he grasped it firmly in his left hand. He thought about puttin'' his beer hand down, but then he realized his beer hand was already free to support the heavy bucket.
With a start, Old Tom thought of something, "Did I close the damn door?" and thought of something worse:
"Did my power not work?"
With a movement resembling urgent waddling, he went back to his door and saw from the halls it was wide open. But couldn''t see the kid.
He dropped the bucket filled with cold water and took five uneven steps to his doorway. He held onto his doorway, and the cool air irritated his sweaty face. He looked left and right to the vacant area, with stupid pumpkins lining the street but no sign of the kid.
His drunken mind couldn''t be bothered to deal with an analytical dive into possibilities because, again, that was a job for his sober self in the morning. He pushed the door with his body, a satisfying click, and slid down his door laughing.
"Trick-or-Treat, hah!" He rubbed his face and prepared himself to stand back up and count his haul for the night. His job wasn''t easy, especially wit'' all the capes makin'' it hard, but it was all worth counting all the moola in his sliver safe. Oh, he wanted to get back to that silver safe filled with, what''s his name, Ben Franklin''s face! Hey, he''s got Ben Franklin''s face lining his silver case once he opens it! His silver case is in his room! He''s gotta open that silver case!
His silver case across his hall! His silver case in the hands of that kid from out¡
Old Tom''s green eyes slowly, comically widened when he saw a white rabbit holding his silver face.
"When I play a trick, you can really treat!" said the White Rabbit, "Sorry about the mess, Mr. Sawyer! Good thing you got a bucket of water!"
Then he ran into his living room, the first door on Tom''s left, and Tom''s brain went into overdrive as he pushed himself up, then fell and crawled back up after the boy.
A high-pitched whistle resounded in Tom''s ears, and he stopped to see the sound coming from a long string of orange light bursting in the center of his hall.
Now, Tom screamed and threw himself into a wall, thinking it was a vacant doorway. The fireworks crackled alive, and three flew into three separate rooms.
The White Rabbit watched as the window he jumped out of sparked to life, and loud pops could be heard. The neighborhood heard as well, and several people opened their doors and windows to see the commotion.
The White Rabbit tilted his head, deciding to play one more trick. The White Rabbit got closer as the smoke began to rise from the window, and Old Tom burst out of his door, tripping down the stairs on his bucket. Carefully hiding in the growing crowd of people, the White Rabbit gestured with his hand.
Suddenly, the smoke stopped, and what little ashes came from Old Tom''s curtains, furniture, and walls flew through the window. Swirling in the air were the ashes, swaying in the air, taking an inhuman shape. Standing before them was a tall, gangly monster with black eyes and a huge mouth.
It crept its way toward Sawyer, and the old man scrambled away, pushing any screaming onlooker out of his path. Old Tom tripped once again, and just as he curled into a ball, praying it would end soon, he felt every part of his body covered in a blanket of soft sand. He sat back up and coughed when he realized they were the ashes.
By the time he was ever close to revealing his musty white skin, the White Rabbit would be long gone. By then, he''d have to deal with another animal¡ª a larger, darker, more vengeful creature.
"I''m warning you, Sawyer. Tonight is not a good night," growled the mass of shadows in pointed ears.
"And I just lost all my earnings, so I guess we''re both disappointed, Bats." Old Tom sniped, shivering atop the five-story building, "But hey, it''s not too late to let me go and work this out¡"
Said ''Bats'' only glared, "That won''t work on me."
Old Tom sighed, "Look, as far as I can see, you have no reason to keep me up here. I''ve got nothing on me that proves I''m a thief; you''re a long way from Gotham, and you''ve got a little white bunny to chase. So, why don''t you make like your namesake, Batman, flap your big black wings and look for his rabbit hole."
Batman glared once again and considered adding more than a few bruises on Sawyer''s face. Old Tom himself tensed at the silence and pretended a beat of sweat wasn''t trickling the side of his forehead. A groan and shiver was enough to hide that fact, though, now Tom worried he might get sick.
Finally, Batman said, "Don''t make me come after you again," and the night, given physical form, turned.
Old Tom exhaled softly before hacking on the freezing air from gasping in shock, "Hey, wait, wait a minute! You can''t leave me up here!"
But Batman had bounded off the building, gliding into the night. Old Tom cursed at his luck and would have raged further on an onslaught of colorful language for a few more minutes if voices behind him hadn''t caught his attention.
"Hey, man! We''re trying to watch TV! Keep it down!"
Old Tom glanced over his shoulder, knowing the three kids were having second thoughts. Old Tom''s glowing green eyes had that effect on people, but he knew of something with a grander effect. The man stood to his full height and walked purposefully, hungrily, toward these teens.
"Oh, what? Huh, old man! You wanna fight!" said the tallest, skinniest of the trio. Old Tom didn''t bother with anything else; he concentrated, his mind now a well-oiled trap ready to snap its jaws.
He opened his mouth, "You''re going to let me use your phone."
The teen''s jaws hung for a second before their uncertain postures relaxed.
"Yeah, sure, man. Of course. Come on down."
"And after that, we''re going to kill the Teen Titans and anyone else who gets in my way."
"Really?" asked the lean black kid, "Okay, that sounds like a plan."
"Is there anyone else with you?"
The stocky blond kid spoke, "Nah, just us and my dad and my uncles."
Old Tom smiled, "They''re coming too." But first, Tom thought, I really should call the others.
"Trick-or-Treat!" says the White Rabbit with a group of kids. The woman dressed like Frankenstein''s Bride chuckled behind her large vendor''s stand. It was a carnival that looked cute at first glance. But as you travel through the streets, you''ll see more extravagant decorations: people''s car trunks filled with goodies, the Monster Mash blaring throughout, and even 8-foot-tall statues of Dracula, The Wolfman, and Godzilla, of all things. They probably didn''t have anything, so they slapped on a witch''s hat on the G-King''s head, thought the White Rabbit.
The White Rabbit, whose only source of color was his white mask and red markings on it, threw his candy apple in the air, somersaulted, and caught it again as he munched ravenously after scaring a few little kids away. He picked up a few of the chocolate bars they abandoned and dropped them in his burlap sack.
As he flowed through the easygoing crowd, he took a lighter out of some guy''s pocket. He wouldn''t know what to do with it, but the White Rabbit would. Just as the White Rabbit would learn what to do with the case strapped to his back. This is how the White Rabbit spent his night: tricking the unobservant, treating himself to sweets, and always taking every breath as if popcorn, caramel, and unadulterated sweetness sustained his life.
It was only at a corner, turning to the next section of the carnival, that he paused. On a medium stand, Halloween balloons were handed out by a woman and man dressed as Things 1 and 2. But the White Rabbit''s eyes weren''t on them. Instead, it was whenever one moved further back to fetch a balloon. Even better, it was when both left his sight, and his eyes caught a girl.
She was a slender thing, close to his age, and bored out of her mind. Draped over her was a brown jacket with stickers on her shoulders. As he got closer, idling by with the ignorance of another face in the crowd, he saw her deep, crimson-dyed hair covering her left eye.
Oh, but the White Rabbit was ashamed that no one could have fun today.
Discreetly, the White Rabbit pulled some earbuds and plugged them into his music player, stored within a compartment close to his chest. He needed this baby securely snug and out of anyone''s sight, human, reptile, or otherwise. He skimmed through the songs that could put him in the mood, knowing he should probably broaden his mind, but he couldn''t help it. The White Rabbit played his favorite song.
Those first five notes blared in his ears, the drums and tambourine picked up, the bass smooth as ever, and the big-mouthed lunatic sang the first words. The White Rabbit sang with him as he danced through the crowd.
"I¡ªcan''t¡ªget¡ªno-o," he took a woman''s wallet, "Sah¡ªTis¡ªFak¡ªShun." The White Rabbit repeated these words as his hands pulled things to him like magnets, more bills, and coins falling in his sack, "But I try, and I try, and I try, and I trah-high."
He cartwheeled, "I can''t get no," someone clapped, "I can''t get no," he threw his new collection of coins into the season-themed fountain. It was a grand display of three men looking over the festivities.
"When I''m driving in my car," The White Rabbit sang, exuberant and wildly uncaring, as he imitated some of Mick Jagger''s dance moves while adding a few of his own. Jagger jumped up and kicked both legs in opposite directions, and when he landed, he hopped again to hop on the sides of his legs and flipped over again.
He tapped his feet in random directions, and his coiling arms may as well have had their own minds. With another hop, the White Rabbit''s legs hit the floor, and he threw his body to balance himself on a handstand. He heard a few people cheering him, clapping as he expressed his spirit to the night of spirits and monsters. This was his night!
Yet now that the song was culminating in one of his fine-tasting tastes of pleasure and life, he could filter out the putrid stains of bitterness, zeroing him out of his funk. In other words, someone unpleasant was watching him.
The White Rabbit halted his movements, slowly turned off David Bowie shouting ''South America,'' and pulled his earbuds out. He searched through the pond of masks and makeup. As far as he knew, he couldn''t find anything amiss. So, he looked up.
Most of these buildings were 4 or 5 stories high and had some light source, either from windows or Jack-O-Lanterns. But even they couldn''t disperse shadows, which were the first places the White Rabbit looked.
And, on a building to his right, between one building and the next, he saw what saw him. It retreated further into its hiding spot, but the White Rabbit knew where this next part would go. He was probably already descending or leaped off the building to escape his eyes and meet the White Rabbit in the crowd.
The White Rabbit sighed and hung his head. Tonight was going so well.
Logan didn''t really want to be out anywhere tonight. She couldn''t help it.
Most people looked at her and assumed she was bleak and dismal. Well, tonight she was, but not by choice. Now, she was trying out an emo phase recently, what with Halloween coming around the corner. Her curiosity didn''t seem to phase her parents; Logan''s parents were more or less absent from her lifestyle.
Logan didn''t even know why she was texting on her phone. She had no one to text, but it gave her an excuse to separate herself from things¡ª like her ex.
Her parents didn''t know, but Logan had tried her hand at dating. He seemed nice enough, and he didn''t say no to her. It was only when she started expressing an interest in things like horror movies and My Chemical Romance that he began to wus out. She wasn''t a Hell-spawn, she told him. She was just interested.
I know, he told her. I''m just thinking maybe you should stay away from that stuff. There was so much back and forth between them, and Logan could see displeasure in his eyes when she dyed her Auburn hair. Somewhere down the line, Logan couldn''t remember where or when, he said ''freak.''
That''s where it was torn. He had said to her that he didn''t call her a freak, but Logan could tell that he was waiting for an excuse to use that word. It was literally on the tip of his forked tongue. So, then it ended.
All Logan wanted was to try this style out. Now, it was all she had left. That and My Chemical Romance. She was used to listening to her favorite songs over and over, and she would listen to her favorite had she not forgotten her earbuds.
The night of freaks and geeks and ghouls, and she couldn''t bring herself to enjoy it. She sighed as she pretended to have something better to do on her phone. Her mom had left their stand to help with someone else''s things while her dad went to the bathroom.
Logan wanted to go home, wait for next Halloween, and hope that she''ll be better for¡ª
A hard thump above her left, and she jumped out of her foldable chair. Laying down on the table was a large sack and a rabbit''s face with red Japanese-looking markings starting at her. Behind the rabbit were two feet propped up, and one fingerless glove kept the rabbit''s face upright.
"If I call you Alice, will you follow me down the rabbit hole?" said the rabbit in a high, animated voice that creaked a bit¡ª like a high-pitched, wooing wind that made doors squeak.
Logan stood there for a second before her posture relaxed into a combination of exasperation and attitude.
"Woah," she said, "You really went there."
"I''m not hearing a no," the bunny said, tilting his head so that she could see his sharp smile beneath the mask.
Logan rolled her eyes, "You''re not hearing a yes, either."
"So, were you forced to come out here?" he said as she sat down to text no one.
"Why do you care?" She asked, not unkindly but not agreeably.
The White Rabbit pushed his sack, "Today''s special to me, and I''d hate to see a pretty girl like you not reciting The Raven before I''m tucked in bed."
Logan paused from her brooding and stared for a few seconds, "There is¡so much I could say, but I''m going to ignore it." She remained silent for another second, "You mean by Poe, right?"
"Naturally." The White Rabbit applauded, "Unless you have a better Poe poem?"
Oh, right. There are more poems. "I''m only getting started on it,"
"Oh, I get it; you''re trying new things." He nodded, "Well, for the record, I only know about Poe through the movie."
"There''s a movie?"
"Yeah, wanna hear about it?" The White Rabbit asked, now sitting criss-cross.
Logan sighed, "To be honest, I want my space."
"That''s fair, but I gotta say something." He paused, "What''s got you down?"
Logan bristled a bit, "Who says I''m down?"
"I said you''re down, you said I''m down."
"Oh, so you''re down."
"I said I''m down?"
"No, you said I''m down!"
"You are?"
"Yes!" Logan blinked, "Wait¡ª"
The White Rabbit watched as the girl gave him the stink-eye. Then, he lifted his rabbit mask.
His grey eyes stared into her brown orb as irritation faded from her one-eyed glare. She lifted the hair so both eyes would take in his sharp cheekbones, rounded lips, and almond-shaped eyes. Strangely, his face looked like it was missing a long mustache and little devil horns and black hair instead of dark blonde, but he was cute.
He held out a hand, "Jagger."
She took it as he pulled her up, "Logan."
"So, wanna keep talking about Poe?" He asked as she sat with him on the vendor''s counter.
She smirked, "I''d rather talk about us."
The White Rabbit, Jagger, laughed, "Charismatic!"
They slid off the surface and strolled together into the crowd, the great sack with the silver case safely hidden from prying eyes.
"Don''t worry, sir!" said the young officer holding the leash of his German Shepard, "We''ll find that kid and get your stuff back."
Old Tom found the naive-looking cop''s reassurances having no effect. His new cell kept trilling in his ear, the line still not reaching. All his new companions waited patiently as the dog sniffed the alleyway where the thief might have been.
Old Tom cursed as an answering machine greeted him for the fifth time.
"Come on, you little twit! Where are you?"
"I''m right behind you, kalay kaloo."
Old Tom jumped as a figure walked forward from the shadows. The dog growled at the intruder before the cop held her back. The figure in green clothes and a top hat sauntered to Old Tom, the older man growling.
"Geez, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Old Tom griped.
"If that''s the case, it''s time to pack." said the soft voice of an introvert-turned-poet, "For tonight, you failed the job I gave. Perhaps it''s time to dig your grave."
"Don''t give me that, Tetch." Grumbled the older man, trying to push his unease away and change the subject, he asked, "When''d you get to Jump City?"
"Get to? I was always here!" smiled the Mad Hatter, "Your stupidity threatens to bring a tear."
"I''m not stupid; I was just drunk." Old Tom defended.
"And because of that, you''ve put us at significant risk." Mad Hatter''s face scowled, "For you drink away as the Batman draws near, tisk, tisk, tisk¡"
Old Tom pretended to be shocked, "The Batman? Here in Jump?!"
"That''s why I''m here, the plan has changed." His scowl deepened, "Now, let''s not meander, or she''ll have your body parts rearranged."
Old Tom blinked, "She?"
A sharp, cold tip pressed against his neck, causing Tom to widen his eyes and halt his breath.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"And don''t think about sticking your puppets on me, Sawyer." said a woman, her voice as cool as the tip of her blade, "I''m not really in a good mood, seeing as my imagination is running wild."
The Mad Hatter approached a petrified Tom, "You weren''t planning on running off, throwing out nine days of planning and acting for your own selfish ends."
The woman purred, and the blade drilled lightly, "See, that''s where my imagination''s taking me: you couldn''t have been doing that. You were just taking a short break that just happened to be miles away from our endgame."
Old Tom''s breathing steadied, somehow a tremendous task with these people. He felt what he now thought was a Japanese sai tip slowly sliding to the base of his throat as the woman''s voice continued to drip in poison.
"Yeah," Old Tom said at last, "that''s exactly what I did."
"Good." said the villains at once.
"I know you could listen to someone else once in a while." He could hear the smirk under her mask. Old Tom''s withering glare no doubt looked like sulking to their eyes.
"Old Tom is certainly not a man with guile." said the Mad Hatter, chuckling, "And our minds are too much for you to control."
The woman said, "Can we stop the rhymes now?"
"Oh, how droll!" laughed the Mad Hatter.
Old Tom was pulled to meet the green-wearing, Japanese mask in red markings and wild black-haired woman who shoved a finger into his chest. The hugely drawn smile at the bottom now resembled the tone of her voice and her namesake.
"The operation is now taking place in Huntington Park, under Carionne Bridge. You do know where that is, right?" Cheshire tilted her head, "Can I trust you to walk in a straight line?"
Old Tom bit the inside of his cheek and nodded.
"Good." She paused midstep, "And exactly who did steal your earnings?" she tilted her head, "After all, it would be a shame if I had to notify your benefactor of your clumsiness. And losing that essential piece of our puzzle doesn''t do you any favors."
Old Tom breathed, not believing his following words:
"A kid in a white rabbit mask."
A dumbfounded silence followed. Even Mad Hatter didn''t know what to say for a solid nine seconds before he laughed, and Cheshire indulged in a scoff.
"What are the odds?" She asked, then placed her hands on her hips, "Well, listen: if you can''t catch this rabbit, you may need more than these," she gestured to his victims, now standing blank like mannequins, "people."
Old Tom made to say something to this brat, but she began taking deliberate steps to his face.
"Because let''s just say that the case itself," she lowered her voice, "wasn''t cheap. So, you better accept all the help you can get."
"What''s that mean?" Old Tom asked, genuinely confused.
Cheshire stared for a moment and clicked her teeth.
"Oh, you must be going senile, Sawyer, if you''ve blotted out the most crucial part of the operation from your mind." She took out a device, "As I said, it wasn''t cheap, and now it''s the one thing that''ll decide your fate." and shoved it hard in his chest, "So, I suggest you find it soon."
Old Tom gulped down his pride in fear. Two sets of footsteps later, and Old Tom saw from the alleyway a set of twins. Blonde-haired, physically fit, and wearing eager expressions. The boy had one line shaved across his temple; the girl had two. He hated looking at their white clothes, the boys torn off off-sleeves, the girl''s unreasonable amount of makeup, and generally, the fact that he could already tell that they were super-powered.
"I''d say," said the boy with a heavy Southern accent, "we have experience huntin'' rabbits."
Logan was a cute girl.
After bobbing his head for an apple, he felt her hand on the back of his head. There was no force behind it, but Jagger pretended to flail about for air and even threw some water at her clothes.
She responded by throwing some back. Jagger pretended that the water didn''t bother him. He simply laughed and handed his prize to her.
He listened to her most recent bit of disappointment in life and even managed to get tears out of her.
He dried them away with a finger and told her that just for this night, while they were together, there would only be what he wanted. And what he wanted was a wild dance with her.
"Why is what you want so important?" she had asked.
"It''s my Once-a-Year day!" he told her, offering her an earbud. She warily took it and inspected it for wax; he took slight offense, and then they danced together to the wild noises of a David Bowie and Mick Jagger duet. He led her to the crowd, warily shifting her eyes from him to them.
"This is the perfect night to be a goof and raise roofs." He said in a sing-song voice. He smirked, "Do what makes you like me."
The earbuds'' length meant they had to stay close to one another. So, they hopped around and shook their hips; Jagger flailed his arms and made a move from Thriller, careful not to dislodge a bud; Logan twiddled her fingers and, surprising even herself for such boldness, threw off her jacket and swung her tail in a taunt. She would have hidden her face in embarrassment(what''s wrong with me?) before Jagger pulled her by the hand, bringing them together.
Her jacket fell, and her long, green sleeves clung to his shoulders as his arm snaked to her back. She threw her hair out of her eye and stared at him with hundreds of silent questions. She wondered if he was also clueless but was good at hiding it.
Or maybe you''ve got me pegged.
She sighed, stopped dancing, and laid her head on his shoulder. She felt her heartbeat running a mile a minute and a welling in her eyes.
"I don''t know you," she whispered, "Why am I doing this?"
"You do know me," He patted her head, "Everybody knows me. Because it''s my night."
She hummed, "Is that like some fancy way of saying it''s your birthday?"
He said nothing at first, then chuckled, "This night is the one night where everyone can be like me. Where no one is afraid to be someone else, howl like a wolf, and pretend to be dead." He shifted, "Every other day, it''s standards and disapproving looks and stiffs. But tonight, I never feel alone. And neither should you."
She laughed lightly, "So you''re like the spirit of Halloween?"
"I like to think I am." His soft, creaking voice was almost whimsical, devoid of any sarcasm. He believed what he said.
"Modest," she chuckled. Because that''s what he wasn''t.
"Word association now?" He pulled her head up to his smirking face, "Pretty."
"I''m not talking about you." She said softly, touch he wasn''t deformed, she silently admitted. But how can you keep satisfaction away from him?
"I''m talking about you," He whispered and pressed his lips on hers. She held them for a second before she opened her mouth again and pushed further. She felt her leg curling up as his arms lifted her from the ground. She tilted her head and he did the same, creating a dizzying, splendid sensation in her mind and she felt like her heart was jumping around her entire body.
Their faces separated, both beat red. She breathed a laugh, which he shared with her. Jagger lifted her back up and spun the shrieking girl around and around.
She stepped back, "That was¡" and laughed, "Oh, boy."
Jagger put his left hand on his right cheek.
"Yeah, wild." He said.
Something clicked in Logan''s mind, and as the earbud fell from her ear, she picked up her jacket. She shivered at the touch, hung her head, and took a breath.
"Look," she said, "thanks for¡all of that, but I think we''re taking things too fast." She tried to read his face; he looked curious, "I mean, it''s not that I don''t find you cute, but¡ª I mean¡ª"
Jagger held a hand, "No, I get it. I wanna start again."
She blinked, "Really?"
"Logan," He said her name, "I¡ I was rushing. I''m sorry. It''s just¡ª this night goes by so quickly." He turned away, "I get that if you don''t want to see me now, but from what I can tell, you seem like the kinda girl I''d want to hang with."
Logan blushed as he turned to face her. He held out his hands in a sort of surrender. She paused to think: could she do it? So soon? If there was anything that pushed him away from her, she didn''t know if she could handle the rejection. But then, Jagger didn''t seem like a ''rejecting'' kind of guy. But then again, maybe that was another trap.
Who knows what made this guy tick? Where did his standards lie? And what would happen in the future when she decided she might dye her hair back and change her hobbies?
"I¡" She started, "I need to think."
Logan looked up and saw that Jagger wasn''t looking at her. For a brief second, his eyes and mouth were wide with alarm before he blinked and looked at her with an expression of don''t-let-her-know-what-I-know.
She narrowed her eyes and spun to catch whatever caught his eye. So far, all she could see were a bunch of kids wearing Robin costumes a few feet away from them.
She looked at him, "You okay?"
He smiled, "Yeah, just¡ª you say you wanna think about it. I say take your time." He said reluctantly, "I''m gonna¡ª I need to catch up with an old friend."
Birds have something over rabbits, and that''s the distance between the earth and the sky.
That was something Jagger had said to his friend. He had built it up as a joke, but it ended up sounding philosophical, and Jagger passed it off as such.
Jagger remembers all of the friends and enemies he made on his trip across the world. But are you a friend or an enemy?
Big Robins and little Robins were mingling about taking pictures, comparing candy, and debating which hero would win in a fight. But Jagger learned it''s always the little bird you have to look out for.
Especially the one lodged next to the warning bells of his head that looked less like a cheap costume and more like an efficient suit designed by the Batman. And then there was one such Robin, sitting on a haystack next to a stand, casually not drawing attention to himself and his neatly combed hair.
Jagger sat next to that one¡ª the real Robin.
Slumping his shoulders on the haystack, Jagger waited patiently to see who would speak first. His foot tapped lightly on the ground, and he cracked his fingers as they watched all the costumed kids disperse into the crowd.
"Happy Birthday."
Jagger smiled, "Thanks, man."
"Now, where''d you put the case?"
Jagger sighed, "Nothing else?"
Robin looked at him, "You should at least keep your mask on."
"Why?"
Jagger knew what Robin wanted to say but couldn''t bring himself to say it. So, he spared the younger boy of the issue and asked him an important question.
"What''s got you in Jump? Business or the sights?"
Robin chuckled, "I guess this is the part where I give you the silent treatment, too."
Jagger eyed him, "Or you can pretend I''m dumb and explain."
"Oh, I have to pretend to do that!"
They laughed together, at the other''s expense, and bumped fists. They fell into a companionable silence for a few seconds until Robin stared uncomfortably.
"You know, I was kinda hoping you''d just tell me where the case was."
Jagger smirked, "Safe from prying eyes."
Robin snorted, "Eyes don''t pry. But hands do." He gave a pointed look, "And there are worse hands to pry."
Jagger gave Robin a look, then sighed, "I take it Batman''s in Jump."
"We''re looking for the Mad Hatter," Robin said, "He''s involved in a nano-technology scheme."
"Nano-technology?" Jagger asked, "That''s different."
"Yeah, and there are reports of a big, ash monster chasing an old man in Kensington."
Now, Robin was giving him that see-where-I''m-going-with-this look, but Jagger snorted.
"I''m not denying anything." Jagger raised a brow, "I''m not talking, also."
Robin''s face adopted an edge, "Back to your ten-word minimum. You know, I could have just grappled you onto a building and contacted Batman?"
Jagger raised a brow, "I know. What were you thinking?"
"Jagger!" Robin gripped his shoulder, "This is serious."
Jagger rolled his eyes, "I''ll drop it off with the police. Happy?"
"No."
Jagger blinked and looked at Robin''s hard stare. What''s so special about this cash?
"Jagger, it''s possible whatever is in that case might be essential to whatever they''re planning."
Jagger chuckled, "Money is the route of all evil today."
"Wait, you opened it?" Robin asked, looking alarmed and confused at once.
Jagger nodded, "Yeah, it''s just a line of cash."
Robin shook his head, "But¡ª no! That doesn''t¡ª"
The sound of a dog barking broke their conversation. A German Shepherd came racing towards them, baring teeth at them in a leap.
The boys separated and flipped away from the canine.
"Catch the rabbit, lose the rabbit!" said Jagger as he landed on top of a statue, his rabbit mask covering his countenance.
"There he is!" yelled a voice of garbage and phlegms. Jagger turned and saw two officers, five average Joes, and the old man from earlier.
"Get that kid and my money!" He yelled, and his motley crew grabbed their bats, pipes, and chains, all lifted over their heads and shouting.
Jagger tilted his head and would have mocked him had his arms not pulled him away from the top of Jason Vorhees'' head. People clamored and screamed of terror and confusion, but Jagger could do nothing as the sight became more distant, and he realized that what grasped each arm were two strong hands that launched him onto the top of a six-story building.
Jagger''s body bumped and trounced, and he flew one more time before his back hit a brick wall. His frame slipped off, a few bricks falling with him, and Jagger groaned and held his head. His hands automatically went to his chest, and Jagger would have sighed in relief for not losing his player, but suddenly, his neck was hauled by a steel grip.
Jagger grits his teeth at the crushing sensation and, through narrow eyes, sees his attacker.
"Well, howdy, Jagger," said a male, southern dripping in sarcasm and zeal.
"It has been such a long time!" said his sour-pretending-to-be-sweet sister.
Jagger would recognize those identical, square-jawed blondes anywhere. He''d been dreading those faces for a while, looking over his shoulder for them. But because he didn''t know better, he said something he shouldn''t have.
"Do I know you?" Jagger rasped.
The twins blinked, and the girl laughed derisively¡ª unstably.
"I guess you really wouldn''t remember," She walked up, and Jagger winced at the hard tug on his hair, "after you humiliated Tommy and me and cut our hair!"
Tommy''s grip shifted, "And if that wasn''t enough, Tup and me was the laughing stock for weeks on end!"
"Police found the suspects all with," He snickered, "with their, their," he guffawed, "their heads shaved off and at-attached and knitted onto their faces...like long mustaches..."
At this point, the newscaster lost all composure. His mouth was wide, his hand slamming onto the table, and his face absolutely red.
"I-I-I know that''s wr-ong, but¡" He continued to giggle, "He gave them super long m-mustaches!"
Jagger smiled brightly at his handiwork.
"Oh, yeah!" Jagger wheezed, "I remember now! I didn''t recognize you over the overwhelming strength you suddenly have." Jagger tried pinching Tommy''s arm feebly, "Speaking of which, what gives?"
Tuppence, or Tup, chuckled, "Just a very generous parting gift from some people you''ve done pissed, Bunny boy."
Tommy let go of Jagger, and before Jagger could take in greedy gulps of air, he used that air to scream as Tuppence yanked his hair and threw him to the edge of the building. Jagger rolled against the concrete, head throbbing and stinging from the horrible tugging of these terror twins.
That''s a good name, thought Jagger beneath the constant, ow, my hair! Oh, my hair! My hair!
Jagger looked up to see the two walking away from the side of the building connecting to the one they were standing on. Two identical smirks were present as they saw no need to rush their moment.
"But you see," Tommy continued, "they only said they might could''a give us powers, s''long as we make this moment last." He scoffed, "Lord help you for what we''re gonna do to you."
Jagger pushed himself up, spit out some blood, and reached over his back. The rabbit mask slipped over his face smoothly, and he pushed a hidden button that reconfigured it into what he affectionately calls ''battle mode.''
The once broad face, kiddish and mystical, was now narrower to fit his face and hardest, resembling a real rabbit. The ears, once rounded and casually crooked, had shifted into a streaked back, alert position. Two sticks popped out from the sides of the ears and fell into Jagger''s hands.
The White Rabbit cracked his neck, shifted the sticks in his hands, and put one foot back, one forward, held out one hand, and held back the other.
"Usagi, Usagi," the White Rabbit sang quickly and flipped his sticks in a come-here motion, perfectly synced to his tune, "Nani mite haneru, juugoya o-tsuki-sama, mite haneru."
The twins scoffed at the taunt, not understanding the words. The twins had been working on their teamwork for something like this and finally put it to good use. Tommy was the first to rush the boy, pulled back a fist, and found himself tripping over something.
Tuppence watched as the rabbit leaped over her brother and rushed in to help. A loud pop rewarded her, and a blast of ashes covered her face. Tuppence coughed and tried to shoo the ashes away, but something went pop and brought her down to one knee, smacked her face, and then felt a great wave propel her screaming into somebody else.
She heard a grunt, which sounded like her brother, and felt her and Tommy fall off the building. The ground cracked underneath them, and both tons shook their heads, Tuppence coughing profusely as she wiped the ashes from her face.
"Well, that there''s new," Tommy remarked before the twins nodded and launched themselves back up, ready to give chase.
To their surprise, there was no need. Jagger waited patiently, sitting on top of the bulkhead, its brick wall coming to pieces. The twins landed, and Jagger''s stick popped into an iron fan. He sat with one leg crossed over as he fanned himself most casually.
"Shoot, bunny boy, you a ninja now?" Tommy asked.
"Something like that." Jagger flipped over in front of the bulkhead''s crumbling wall, "Look on the bright side, plim and plum."
The twins scowled at the jab yet waited patiently as he heated a brick in his right hand.
"Yeah?" Tuppence said when he didn''t continue.
Jagger turned, surprised, then shook his head, "Oh, I don''t know, but when you find it, look at it."
The twins rushed him again. Jagger jumped up and lobbed two bricks.
Old Tom did not have time for bats, birds, or bunnies. So, as the valuable pawns tried plucking the feathers off the bird, and the bird tried not to hurt them in turn, he went over for his case.
But first, "You! You! And you! And all of you!"
Old Tom''s bark reached the ears of at least ten random strangers; their panicked faces morphed into hypnotized curiosity.
"Get him!"
Charging towards Robin in droves, Old Tom chuckled and slipped away through the crowd.
He took out a tracking device supplied to him by Cheshire so he could search for the case. He couldn''t figure out what the hell was so special about a damn case, no matter how expensive it was!
But whatever! Villains these days have changed. Back then, it was so simple to tell a bank teller to hand him all his money and not set off the alarm. In those days, Tom could get heroes and villains to do things for him with no problem. And if they somehow broke through the control, he had enough scraps to get him through and run away.
Now, more and more people are resisting, and technology is changing. Tom couldn''t move at the same speed that he could, and worse, people with more powerful gimmicks were popping out like gophers¡ª and hunting the best jobs like wolves.
Old Tom tried not to think too hard about that, though. Instead, he used the circular device in his hand and followed the beeping blue dot, leading him to a small vendor stand.
Old Tom maneuvered his way behind it, stepped over the tall helium tank lying on the ground, and looked down to see a little girl with red hair.
"Outta my way!"
"What the hell? Stay away!"
"Gimme that!" Old Tom caught the girl in a death grip, a reminder that he once had the strength to punch a man unconscious or hold onto something like his life or livelihood depended on it.
"Help! Someone!" the red-haired girl squirmed and tried hitting him.
"Hey, man!" shouted a new voice, "Get your hands off that girl!"
Old Tom''s green eyes landed on a tall man in a grey hoodie coming his way with an aggressive stride.
The girl got her hand loose and punched Old Tom. The old man grunted and slugged her out of reflex, knocking her out.
The figure''s stance became hunched, and his fists clenched.
"Oh, now you''ve done it, man!" He said and turned his walk into a run.
Old Tom jumped, "Obey me!"
The figure took his fist and knocked a piece of the roof off. Old Tom stumbled back but jabbed a finger.
"I said obey me!"
The man paused and seemed to jerk his upper body robotically.
Tom sucked in a breath, "Obey me now!"
The man shook his fist, slowly lowering it to his hip. Finally, this interloper dropped his stance and settled into a casual tone.
"Alright, sorry, man." The man said.
Old Tom released a breath he hadn''t realized he had been holding. His heart pounded in his chest, and he clawed at that part of his body as if forcing it to stop.
"Anything I can do for you?" asked the new man.
"What?" Old Tom mumbled something, "Oh, yeah. The case! I got this." He moved toward it, hauling the sack from on top of it, "Why don''t you pick up the girl?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"I''ve got a few reasons!" said another new voice.
Old Tom whirled to see the Boy Wonder darting towards them, breaking into acrobatics, before launching his shuriken things at him.
Old Tom pushed himself out of the shuriken''s path; they punctured the wooden space he was in.
Robin jumped over the space between the table and the roof, launched his grapple at the case''s handle, and as Robin caught it, he threw it over the other side and leaped again.
"Get him!" growled Old Tom. The man in the hoodie turned at the boy, who landed in a roll and bulled his way toward him, uncaring of the vendor stand''s pillar he demolished.
Robin, in such a rush from trying to detain Old Tom''s unwitting victims carefully and desperate to know and find out what was happening, hadn''t observed the destroyed roof or what caused it. So, when he heard the sound of wood and aluminum getting trashed, he hadn''t thought that Old Tom''s newest victim would be much of an issue.
Robin turned and gasped as the newcomer barreled towards him.
The plan was to overwhelm Jagger. That was Tommy and Tuppence''s chosen tactic: take all his fancy fighting moves and slam them like a wrecking ball.
"C''mon now, Pilm and Plum! You can do better than that!"
"Why do ya keep calling us that?" Tommy snapped as Jagger weaved through a punch and slid beneath him to deliver a kick to his head.
"It''s one of those things that sounds right, you know?" Jagger chuckled, "Like say, ''Why you no-good, bushwackin'', son of a kangaroo! You plim plum done gone did them, there, and it now and pushed the bull too far, son!"
Tommy regrouped with his sister, her face covered in ash, to share an equally bewildered and bedraggled face of incredulity.
"Wh¡ª you¡ª that there sounds nothin'' like us!" Tuppence shrieked, eyes wide and ponytail undone with hairs popping out.
Jagger shook his head, "All I''m learning about you two is that you don''t watch enough Looney Tunes."
Instead of answering, the Terror Twins charged him.
"Just you wait, you lil'' twit!" Tommy said, pulling his fist back, "One day, Tup and me are going toe to toe with Superman!"
Jagger fanned himself, the ashes from his satchel sprinkling around him. He spun around to shift the ashes toward his feet and rushed them. Tommy threw his fist forward while Tuppence launched a kick, but Jagger closed his fans and flipped toward them. He spun horizontally as the ashes under his feet grew at the heel, and they connected with Tommy''s forearm.
Jagger knocked the brother''s arm away, but his fist didn''t close. Resulting in Tuppence getting a thunderous pounding into her gut, sending her flying off the building, a great cloud of ash accelerating her flight.
"Sister Tup!" Tommy''s eyes narrowed, his rage breaking. He was ready to pluck the ears off that rabbit, snarling and bellowing to show him how he done messed up!
But Jagger was gone.
Tommy''s eyes widened, spinning his gaze around in a hectic desire to find him, only to vent a yell when he couldn''t find him.
He raced off the building to help his sister up. When his impact broke the cement, he found her in a crater, busily wiping the ashes off her face, which reminded him to do the same to his arms and forehead.
"You alright?" He held out a hand.
Tuppence took it, "Nothin'' but my dignity." and slammed her fist into Tommy, earning a loud grunt, "And my belly."
Tommy coughed out, clenching his stomach, "I''m sorry! C''mon, Tup! You know I didn''t mean to!"
Tuppence was about to speak when a loud whistling resounded across the sky. A thin, white light streaked the night''s mass, maybe from a building six or seven miles away from them, then exploded in a brilliant light that transformed into a pale face with green hair and a giant, red smile.
The stomachs of the twins sank, but they remembered their role and nodded to each other.
"That up there is our cue," said Brother Tom.
"I''m inclined to agree," said Sister Tuppence, "but just so you know, I''m not looking forward to this next part."
The Terror Twins leaped into the air and bounded from building to building, careful not to draw too much attention. To the trained eyes of one, however, they failed to deflect.
The pale moonlight created shadows on top of buildings and behind them and next to them and on their edges, and on one such edge, the brooding eyes of a predator had seen them escape. He had seen the super-powered duo leave and had seen fit to throw a tracker on the brother before they got too far.
The man in the shadows also saw a white rabbit emerge from a window on the very building they had fought. The man watched as the White Rabbit jumped from the window, landed on his feet, and rushed through alleys back to that festival.
The man in the shadows stood on his feet, deliberately imposing his will on the unwitting suspect. He knows he should be chasing the twins, but instead, he glides in the air, his grand cloak now wings as a bat stalks a rabbit.
He was a bat. And he was also very disappointed.
Thankfully, the disaster had yet to reach the ears of a Dairy Queen. And Jagger had more than enough money to buy a cake and three large cups of ice cream. And some fries, because why not?
The taxi driver had raised an eyebrow at the large bag and various sweets crowding his backseat but otherwise said nothing to a hefty pile of twenty''s. The driver took Jagger as far as he wanted, down an old warehouse fated to be demolished in four days. It was close to 10 o''clock, so he still had some time before returning to the land of the living.
The White Rabbit kicked the door in and winced at the sound of his hinges breaking. Then, he realized battle mode was still on and threw his back to press a button and let the mask shift back into its casual self and threw it away to the far side of what he called his bed. It was five sets of covers stacked on top of each other, but it was comfortable.
Jagger breathed in, taking in this night''s events, and stretched his whole body, letting every joint realign itself. The boy winced at the scratch on his shoulder and his sore back and his pounding head and that''s when Jagger began to lament his special night. He still had at least two hours left to be himself.
"Well," Jagger shrugged, then grunted, "at least that girl was cute. I should visit her at some point."
Jagger kneeled on the creaky floorboards, opened up his prize, and made preparations. Jagger''s little cake was ready. Now, he took the lighters he stole and lit all 16 candles. Delicately, in both hands, he felt satisfaction from the two tiny flames in both hands, in some ways feeling like a mad scientist.
He tossed them away and rubbed his hands. Some part of him hesitated. He couldn''t understand why, so he shook his head.
He opened his mouth but closed it. Now, he was hesitating again. Either something was very amiss, or Jagger was feeling wrong about something. Those feelings were easy to mix up these days, but Jagger couldn''t be bothered. He was tired, and his time among the freaks and spirits was almost up.
He cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
"This is my," he sang softly, "Once-a-Year Day. Once-a-Year Day, felt the evening moon and knew that this," he breathed, "is my Once-a-Year Day. Once-a-Year Day, that makes me entitled to be wild, be a child, be a goof, raise the roof," and held the last notes, "Once-a-Year!"
He blew out the candles. Nobody was here to cheer, so he clapped his hands to fill the gaps. He made sure to do it fast and loud, resembling a crowd''s pleasure. He thought he was doing a good job, making it sound like more than one person was here with him.
Come to think of it, he was doing too good a job. That''s when he heard it: someone else was clapping!
Jumping across the room, he retrieved his usagi mask and took out the tessen fans from the ears. When he saw the tall figure obscured in shadows, he didn''t know if he should relax or jump out the window.
For reasons he definitely didn''t understand, he said:
"Oh, hey."
"Happy Birthday." said the deep voice of the Batman. Jagger stood straighter, cautiously observing the black and grey figure in the doorway. His cape draped over his body, giving him a domineering appearance over the shadows and towering over Jagger. The sliver of light from the window did no favors: Jagger imagined there was no way for the Bat to appear casual.
Even so, he smiled at his words.
"Thanks, just in¡ª"
"Do you know what that case contained?"
Jagger wilted, "Straight to the point, you''re more brutal than Robin, as usual."
Batman ignored him, "It contained a chip. Stolen from S.T.A.R. Labs, carefully embedded into the case''s body."
Jagger pursed his lips, "Well, it''s good that I was giving it to the police."
Batman''s head moved barely a fraction, so minutely, it could have been missed with a blink. And Jagger knew his detective''s eyes noted his loot.
"So I see." Batman said, "Didn''t we discuss this?"
That wasn''t really a question. "I was going to give their wallets back tomorrow!"
"And their cash."
Jagger threw his hands up, "As much as camping out with bears sounds fun, I can''t buy food without making a big scene." Jagger scoffed, kicking his foot, "They put anything in their mouths."
Batman only glared.
"If you had called at least one of us, you wouldn''t be in this situation. Unless you want to be arrested for theft and destruction of property." his voice hit a note that pushed Jagger back a few feet, "And child endangerment."
Jagger''s face twitched, "Okay, I''ll give them their stuff back! And what do you mean by ''child endangerment'' Bats? I didn''t even hurt Robin!"
"Not Robin." Batman only took two steps, "The red-haired girl you were dancing with."
"Logan?!" Jagger had realized he''d backed into the wall before stepping forward, "Wait, what happened?"
"She''s been kidnapped by Old Tom Sawyer. Robin''s been taken as well." Batman slouched down, closing in on the boy''s alarmed face, his intense voice ramping up, "It''s not only our history that''s keeping me restrained. It''s also the fact that I know that this," He pointed to his loot and cake, making Jagger flinch, " is beneath you. If you''re not a malicious criminal who delights in chaos and destruction, you''ll follow me and clean up your mess."
Jagger dropped his usagi mask. He looked down at it, and the rabbit looked back at him. Two vacant slots where his eyes would be stared up at him, the rabbit itself seemingly smirking. Jagger wanted to look at his haul and his hands and his cake but couldn''t. Instead, he met the Batman''s glare with a fierce look, nothing at all like the conflicting emotions whirling in his being.
Jagger wanted to wither away on his bed, sleep the rest of tomorrow, and pretend that yesterday would never catch him.
But instead, he said to Batman:
"Everybody catches the White Rabbit at some point." Jagger reached down and grabbed his mask, "But they all forget," and slipped it on, "rabbits have claws."
Something in the Way
The night is nearing its zenith. The new day will arrive, and the creatures that play will soon be gone. Or at least the spooks, the dead, the freaks, and otherworldly figures born from shadows will have no purpose on the first day of November.
Halloween is a freeing, uplifting night for Jagger. Orange is his color, sugar is his playground, pranks are his lifestyle, and darkness is how he''s baptized.
The Batman towers over him with an expectant grimace. Jagger becomes the White Rabbit and chooses to become his good luck charm.
He holds up a piece of clasped cake and offers it to the dark knight. The knight only stares.
The Rabbit shrugs. Then stuffs it in his mouth. He feels he''ll need it since he hears a storm coming.
"Fow guh wuow." said the White Rabbit. He sucks his fingers to get the icing off, "So, are we taking the BaAAAAHHHHHH!"
From outside, the boarded-up window bursts apart as a great mass of billowing black holds a screaming White Rabbit in one arm and swings through the air with his grappler in the other. Lightning flashed with his leap, and for a split second, they resembled a predator carrying in talons its prey with the wind singing their descent.
Batman has impressive strength. Not enough to hold up a building, but enough to break bones, punch through weak walls, and hold people in his arms to safety. It''s part of what makes him a threat to low-lives thieves and organized criminals. Had Jagger been older, his interactions with Batman would have been very different. But that''s not the only thing holding Batman back, and Jagger knows it. Batman scares criminals, not children. They lost the air current, so Batman dipped, eliciting another piercing scream that only dogs could hear.
Batman landed near where an alleyway and a sidewalk met. He set Jagger down gently, or as gently as the momentum would let him, and walked straight down the darkness. Jagger took a few calming breaths before he followed the Bat down without hesitation. Two individuals baptized by rain and darkness, too different from each other. The White Rabbit looked at the back of the Batman, curious and timid behind his mask. He couldn''t see the man''s face and didn''t have to imagine what thoughts raced through his mind.
Robin was a tough kid and funny, too. He was like the little brother Jagger never knew he wanted. The White Rabbit knew he was well on his way to becoming a fiercer creature than his namesake and could handle whatever the wind would throw at him. But Jagger didn''t say any of this. He didn''t know how. And somewhere down, he felt something close to shame.
I don''t know why, though. The White Rabbit shook his head and saw Batman jump over something. The White Rabbit felt his heart and bones jolt and vibrate when a deep, mighty rumble echoed through the alleyway.
Its engine was like a bear, tiger, and lion growling simultaneously. Its chassis was elongated and sleek but armored. Black as night yet gleamed with the stars. The sharp fins behind it added to the grill, its face with twin, glowing dots for eyes and a downward glare. The entire front of the car resembled a battering ram with a bat''s face. An automotive bat ready to go to war.
I kinda miss the muscle car, Jagger thought. That thing was a hellhound.
The White Rabbit wasted no time hopping in, and the top slid back, sealing them inside. The inside felt warm, almost cozy. The seat vibrated with more intensity than a massage chair. And not even Jagger, with his reluctance, could fight a grin from the glorious sense of right bubbling within him. The turbine engine from behind flared alive, and the White Rabbit was thrust back in his seat, the power behind its speed exhilarating.
They passed through empty streets, turned corners, and at one point, Batman jumped a gap between a folding bridge, bouncing them around. The White Rabbit laughed, albeit uncertainly, at having stuck the landing. Batman never slowed down, only accelerated and pushed the car to its limits.
Robin was on his mind. But he wanted Robin by his side, away from danger.
"How is everybody else?"
Batman hadn''t expected the casual remark from the White Rabbit. Currently, he was seated as nonchalantly as he could be, only his seat showing any strain under his hand.
"...They''re fine. They''re each handling emergencies across the world." Batman replied curtly.
"Cool," said the White Rabbit. They continued the drive in silence, taking in every building they passed by.
Jump City had variety, something that made it tempting to stay. There was a 50s-themed restaurant he liked, but he lamented how vehement the staff was at music from the time period. They even went as far as to glare at him for playing as innocent a song as She''s a Rainbow.
Oh, well, Jagger thought, maybe Oregon will be nicer.
"The Joker and the Mad Hatter?" asked the White Rabbit.
Batman nodded, "The Mad Hatter has Cheshire under his control. As a result, she''s been using her connections to collect members of the League of Shadows to do his dirty work."
"Damn." Jagger snickered, "I never pegged Tetch to be this bold."
"Not normally." Batman sideyed him, "For all intents and purposes, Cheshire is carrying out what the Shadows want her to. But there''s a convenient part of her mind that can''t remember where or how the Hatter fits into it."
"And the Joker?"
"Joker is playing a game." He scowled, "He''s likely working with Tetch to get to me." His brow furrowed, "What''s shocked me is Old Tom Sawyer. His powers haven''t been much use to him these last years."
"Tom Sawyer?" asked the White Rabbit, trying to remember where he''d heard that name.
"Thomas Sheldon, age 72, calls himself Sawyer due to his power." Batman explained, almost mechanically, "His voice can emit a specific pitch that, when in contact with more susceptible minds, can be bent to his control. When in deep concentration, he could control the minds of a few heroes."
"Like?"
"Like the original Flash, the Sandman, and even Green Lantern."
The White Rabbit remembered from old footage of such heroes, the red uniformed Green Lantern, the Flash with the dumb hat, and that guy who put people to sleep. So this Tom Sawyer wasn''t something to sneeze at.
"Okay, that''s not bad." the White Rabbit admitted, "So, what happened? All those cigarettes clogged up his tenor?"
"He smoked cigars, and he was a baritone." Which wasn''t a no, "Old age caught up with him. He kept reaching for taller jobs, all while he got slower and weaker. Sawyer tried making a comeback with Gorilla Grodd two years ago, but his inability to adapt and his treachery cost Grodd everything."
"Since then, he''s taken smaller jobs, purses, pockets but couldn''t keep up. He hasn''t been heard from since."
Jagger frowned at the name Gorilla Grodd. Stupid gorilla, he thought.
Then, he asked, "Don''t you keep tabs on everybody?"
Batman ignored his tone, "So when Jervis Tetch was caught on camera helping an old man out of a bank, it raised many eyebrows." he broke right when a semi got between him and a Jaguar, shaking Jagger out of his leisure, "I would have followed up on this, but I''m sure you''ve heard of Joker''s State Tour?"
"Who hasn''t?" Jagger said in between breaths.
"In the end, I prioritized lives over money." The knight said, full of conviction, "But when I saw signs of a highly efficient stealth operation above Tetch''s M.O., only two of them taking place in the same spots as Joker''s tour, I knew something was up."
Jagger settled into his seat, "Cheese and crackers."
Batman raised an eyebrow.
Jagger sighed, "I met someone who told me to cut down on swearing."
"What do you get in return?"
The White Rabbit ignored that, "How much further?"
Batman looked at the little screen below, "The tracker shows they''ve stopped," he checked his map. He now saw the building and grimaced.
"Something in the way," Batman turned to see Jagger staring intently while humming, "Something in the way, yeah." The action, though he would never admit it, eased Batman''s nerves. If only a little.
Tall, dark, and filled with a painful history. That''s why I picked this place; it reminds me of you.
The night went on. Old Tom hobbled into the spacious freight elevator, the tall figure walking diligently behind him with an unconscious Robin on his shoulder. Old Tom wished he could trade loads, but then he remembered who trained Robin and felt he could put up with the girl''s weight. The elevator pushed up, buckling slightly from many years of no one using it, and Old Tom remembered why he hated elevators.
There were so many things he hated¡ªmisspent youth, arrogant supers, a world that changes without him. Things were more straightforward back then, fun even. But now, there were twists and turns and curves and more jostling than his old bones could take.
Tom Shelton closed his eyes, replaying those days as a kid¡ª manipulating stupid bullies to dance, the women he scored, the bucks he would burn since there were millions.
Old Tom sighed, releasing the faded, murky images from his mind. They were getting more challenging to keep catching, like he was sinking deeper and deeper underwater and losing the strength to move. Sometimes, he couldn''t even breathe.
The door slid with a slight scrape, breaking his thoughts. Old Tom sucked in some air and went down the catwalk.
The closer he came, the more they revealed themselves. Old Tom couldn''t remember this gigantic place, but there were conveyor belts below him and a few enormous boilers scattered around, either standing upright or laid down and rusted with years of decay. There was a chilled feeling all around, with grass growing in a few places and the sizable hexagon-shaped window with faded colors.
Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, Old Tom could remember something odd. Something that reached for a childish glee that he hadn''t felt in decades¡ª Old Tom had been here before.
His green eyes landed on Cheshire, standing on a platform where a flight of stairs lay behind her. Old Tom puffed up his chest, made what passed for a proud march, and tossed the case at her feet.
"Well, there! Your damn case is back in your hands, but could you at least let me get the money out of there?"
Cheshire lifted the chase, weighed it, tapped its body, and glanced at the rickety stairway behind her. It appeared to Old Tom as a podium, something a CEO would use to address his many workers. All Tom could see was darkness. Underneath was a grand berth of space with tables lined in disorder or ruin.
"A few questions:" Cheshire said, "Firstly, don''t¡ª"
Abruptly, Cheshire''s head began to twitch. Tom watched on awkwardly as Cheshire reached slowly for her head before it came down just as quickly as it came.
"Firstly," She said, as if not the episode didn''t happen, "don''t you remember the code?"
Old Tom paused, "Forgot."
"6-4-9-9." She responded, took something from its body, and tossed it back to Tom, landing roughly at his feet. "Second, I get the Boy Wonder, but what is that?"
Old Tom paused from bending down for his case, "Well, I was pretty surprised by this guy poppin'' out, but then, I peeked behind the curtains, and voila!"
The tall, hooded man didn''t move. Old Tom withheld a growl.
"Take off your hood."
"Alright," said the stranger. Broad hands reached up to push his hoodie back.
Cheshire had been taught to expect the unexpected. She wouldn''t get anywhere with a dense mindset. Of course, her mask never revealed her widened eyes at the sight before her. The most striking thing about this African teen was the left side of his face¡ªthe silver side with a bright red eye.
Old Tom held his hands out, "Part metal, part machine. A cyborg if I ever saw one. Boy Wonder and a Tin Woodsmen, now give Old Tom credit; that''s an impressive haul."
Cheshire nodded, "True. But now, my last question: Robin and his friend, I understand, but the girl?"
Tom glanced at the girl''s form, laying down, "Oh, yeah! Well, she was in my way as I was collecting my belongings."
Cheshire nodded slowly, "And the reason you brought her here is¡?"
"...Well, I¡" Old Tom thought or tried searching for a reason why he took this girl. He ended up with nothing. "Oh."
"Uh-huh," said Cheshire, shaking her head lightly.
"Geesh, grampa!" said a young voice from behind Cheshire, "No wonder you went into retirement."
Tommy and Tuppence sauntered down the stairs behind Cheshire, looking no worse for wear, save for some soot in a few places.
"Old, beat up, and ugly." Tommy smirked, "May as well be a leper."
Old Tom growled and took a threatening step forward, then took it back when a new voice pierced the air. A dangerous sound that secreted the air of hilarious havoc.
"Now, come on kiddies! That''s no way to talk to your elders." said this voice, "I mean, you''re right! Old Tommy bounces around like an old turtle hurtling down a mountain, isn''t intimidating in the slightest, and has a superpower that works about as well as "no smoking" signs in a college dorm room, but¡" they paused, "No, wait, I think you were right on the money! Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Tom turned his head up and found the owner of that voice, a tall, lean, pale man walking down the rusted stairs behind Cheshire. His shoes were dapper, his pants and coat were a shade of purple that fit with a fun house, and the yellow dress coat and green bow tie fit neatly on top. But even Old Tom knew that despite this bovine apparel, this pale-faced man with demonic green hair, sunken eyes, extended jaw, and an enormous blood-red smile with yellow teeth was right at home.
"Joker?!" Old Tom backed up, "You''re involved?"
"What can I say? I get invited to all the best parties!" Joker leaped a remarkable height, landed on his feet, and inspected Tom''s haul with animated voracity, "And looky here!"
He suddenly held a small knife, "You actually caught the birdy! A plus, Old Tom!" Joker grabbed Robin''s head and gave his jaw a few test pokes before addressing the ''cyborg.'' "Although, you lose a few points for sneaking in your calculator! And you say technology doesn''t help! Ha! Ha!"
Old Tom took the Joker''s verbal jabs silently. Tom wondered if his power, even in his younger days, would hold any power against a man so genuinely insane.
But Tom''s scowl masked his fear, "Alright, alright! Get it all out! I''m old! I don''t have the rep I had once, and I got lucky!" He retched, "You people are so goddamn bizarre! All this fuss for a case."
Joker laughed and slung an arm on Tom''s shoulder, "Oh, Old Tommy, the walking pile of sludge." He smacked his lips, "That rusty brain of yours won''t let you see the smaller picture! It''s not the case we need; it''s¡ª" Joker turned to the twins, "Kids, do your Uncle J a solid? Put that bird in a cage, and put that walking, talking cell phone on vibrate."
The twins nodded and diligently pulled Robin away. A spotlight appeared from above, revealing the Mad Hatter sitting atop a cage small enough for a dog, with gleaming bars barely separated to let it poke its nose out. Mad Hatter clapped.
"Madness is the gateway to greatness." He removed Robin''s belt before they tossed him in, saying, "And keys are never known for straightness. They hardly fit the shape! Takes the fun from an escape. Don''t you agree, Cheshire Cat?"
Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch, the new master in mind control, sees Cheshire''s head twitching and her hand slowly, painfully reaching for the back of her head, and shakes his head in faux sympathy.
"You''re trying to resist," He chuckles, "We can''t have that."
He pulls out a small, square object with a knob on it. He twists it slowly, activating a ringing in the assassin''s ears that sends a soothing yet unbearable warbling feeling into her brain. Robotically putting her hands down, Cheshire turned to Tetch, the Mad Hatter. The character from the book she''s from.
"Guess I''ll desist," she said. Mad Hatter smiled.
Old Tom watched. Briefly, he was fascinated by the possibilities this technology could do for him. If he understood it, that is.
"Anyway, smaller picture, Tommy." Joker continued, "Not the case, but what''s inside the case."
"My money?"
"Smaller," said Joker encouragingly.
"Wait, I remember now. It was¡ª"
"Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Put it together."
"¡ªthe chip! The, uh, important one!"
Joker smiled again, took the case, slid the circular design off its smooth surface, and revealed a tiny silver piece that barely separated his finger and thumb. Tom briefly saw an almost invisible light blinking.
"Hidden in plain sight." Joker said, "Most people look inside a briefcase. They never look at the case itself."
"And here I thought¡ª" Tom''s hand went for his pocket.
"What?"
But he changed his mind, "No, never mind."
Joker, never one to let things well enough alone without a punchline, walked over to Tom and forcibly pulled something from the shabbily stitched sock of a pocket. Joker crushed the yellow bag in his hands to hear a crinkling sound.
"Tom," Joker said after a moment, "Is this a bag of potato chips in your pocket?"
Old Tom shivered at the Joker''s tone.
"It''s just, I, I couldn''t be sure. You know how my memory is."
The Joker stared at him for a minute before devolving into yet another symphony of laughter. This time, it hit notes of unrestrained glee and absolute malice.
The Joker brushes a tear out of his eye, "Oh, Tommy! It really has been something working with you. I''m almost sad you have to go. You almost passed with flying colors, too."
"I''m leaving? Passed?"
Joker bounces over to Tom and puts an arm on his shoulder, "Part of this operation has been to see if you can be relied on in an organized movement." His grin became lopsided, "You didn''t fail."
Old Tom didn''t hear him say he succeeded either. But Old Tom could only feel the overwhelming relief warming his unsteady heart.
Joker continued, "On the slim chance we ever call you back, I''d bring my A-game if I were you."
"So¡"
"Take the case!" Joker pushes it into Tom''s chest, "Spend it on hearing aids if you want, but we''re not calling you back!" Joker pauses, "And maybe Alzheimer''s pills. That''s 6-4-9-9, by the way."
"You mean¡ª"
"Oh, open it, man! We''re generous tonight! Who knows how we''ll act in a few more hours?"
With the implication being obvious, Old Tom opened the case. Tom saw his money and smiled. Franklin''s green face had lined every inch of the case''s insides.
"It''s genuine! Thank you! I don''t know what to say!"
Old Tom couldn''t tear his eyes away. Especially when the dollar in the center caught his eye.
Joker cracked a knuckle, "How about, ''I''m going with a smile!''"
Old Tom picked it up and saw the Joker''s face grinning at him. Before Old Tom could say anything else, a high-pitched whistle wheezed out, and a green gas erupted from the bill. Tom gasped, then coughed and dropped the case. He tried to get words out of his mouth, but all he could do was giggle. That giggle turned into a chuckle, then a laugh, and the Old Tom Sawyer was stuck in a cacophony of hysterical insanity. Tom tries to will himself back to reality, but he has no strength to stop.
This isn''t funny! None of this is funny!
Those are his only thoughts, as his chemically induced laughter doesn''t even last a full minute. Much to the Joker''s displeasure, he scoffs as the Old Tom Sawyer was too weak to laugh for more than 43 seconds.
"No!" came a voice, and Tommy was shoved by the brown-skinned teen, but Tuppence acted quicker. She pulled back her fist and punched him, crashing through the metal railing and down below the platform.
Joker shook his head despairingly, "Oh, Tom, Tom, Tom! Not even this? Kids, take this toy apart."
Tommy and Tuppence launched themselves up with flair, and at that moment, Robin awoke from his trance.
"Joker?" He said, looking at the golden bars, "A bird cage? Really?"
Joker, being used to identifying analytical eyes through black masks and white lenses, pulled out a gun, "No funny tricks, Robin, unless you want the electric bars to change your name to fried chicken!"
Down below, a wall burst apart, and Robin''s spirits lifted. The familiar turbine of the Batmobile, a name he was proud to take credit for, shook off the rubble from its body as it sped to the center of the factory and did donuts around its space.
Geez, dramatic much, Bruce, thought Robin exasperatedly. But maybe that flair was all it took to add the "asper" to these "ex" masterminds! Hope was on their side today.
"Happy day, happy day, the Batman''s come to play!" See, even Hatter was feeling it!
Batman and Jagger watched the Batmobile crash through the wall. The original intent had been to use the car to distract the meta twins to get to Robin and deal with Joker. But they had arrived at the moment when Tom Sawyer''s life had been condemned by the Clown Prince of Crime, and that cyborg tried to intervene. Still, nothing had changed.
"Guess I can call them back for now," says the White Rabbit as his ashes had coated the support beam they were crouched on back to him. The White Rabbit peers down at his enemies. Or the enemies chosen for him. Above them on the platform, he''ll come in contact with the Mad Hatter, his lips quivering soft mutterings of every verse from Lewis Carrol''s novel relating to the elusive animal that brings Alice to him. He sees the Joker, the fiery red eyes alight and in tandem with his unnatural smile, and his purple-gloved finger twitching at the trigger, uncaring whether this trick is at all appropriate for the holiday. Murder is always a treat. Of course, the White Rabbit knows how much Batman disagrees.
"I''ll take the Joker." Batman orders, "You collect the hostages."
"Right," the White Rabbit answers and Batman springs into action. Batman''s cape stretches out and lets him glide toward the Joker, ready to snatch him away. Unfortunately, the Mad Hatter turns his head at the wrong moment and lets out a high-pitched shriek. The Joker follows his line of sight and immediately fires his gun. Two loud pops echo throughout the factory, and two bullets exit through Batman''s cape. A third shot would have hit Batman''s ribs, but a grappler soon pulled the Joker''s gun away from him. Batman lands hunched over and stands up slowly, letting the criminals take in their nemesis.
He only needs to lead Joker and Cheshire away from Robin, and the railing to this platform had been smashed courtesy of the Terror Twins.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Batsy!" exclaimed the Joker, arms wide, "It''s so wonderful of you to join us!"
Batman scowled, "Your ''State Tour'' has reached its final destination."
Joker scoffs, "Leave the jokes to me, Guano man! Don''t them blowing up in your face!" and he throws two smoking, chattering teeth at the Batman. Batman leaps off the platform and grapples underneath it to avoid the eight-foot explosion where he once was.
Joker clicks his teeth and pulls out a large knife, "Really, Bats. I can''t play around all night; otherwise, we''ll miss the roast chicken! Oh, all these food puns, I really should have eaten something earlier."
The Joker chases Batman, leaping over the large gap his bombs ''jaw-breakers'' created. Meanwhile, the Hatter inches closer to Robin''s cage. From his prison, Robin can see the girl Jagger was dancing with. Her eyes were slowly fluttering, so she couldn''t wait long to return to the land of the living. Robin didn''t have his belt, so the best he could do was make sure the Hatter didn''t up and make himself a new Alice.
"Hatter," Robin said as casually as he could, "what''s the word in Wonderland?"
Jervis Tetch stops fiddling with his remote and glances at him.
"You''ll stay silent, Boy Wonder," He says venomously, "Or I''ll have your hands."
Then, the Mad Hatter feels an arm on his shoulder.
"Heya Hatter!" said the White Rabbit, picking at his teeth with a pick, "I have a break in my busy schedule, so we can finally sit down for some tea!"
At first, Jervis Tetch was inclined to refuse this sore excuse of Wonderland''s hurried and hassled inhabitant. But whether it was the friendly demeanor or the green glow of his eyes, the Mad Hatter hesitated. And since the White Rabbit was for once actively joining the Hatter for a party, this hesitation was simply unbecoming of the Mad Hatter.
"Well," Hatter musters a smile, "I''m pleased you can make it, Mr. Rabbit!" To which the White Rabbit inclines his head and tosses the pick away.
Somewhere further in the factory, an explosion, and maniacal laughter could be heard in a chorus of loud pops and cracks of metal and machinery. Jagger looks further down the narrow platform: he sees Logan lying down, and slowly shifting from her spot and the cold surface. Further down, there''s Cheshire, the assassin who has yet to utter any sass the White Rabbit could play off of. The White Rabbit''s green, glowing mask eyes always have a vibrant hue, vaguely resembling the vigorous and vigilant vision they hold.
And the Hatter snaps to his senses, feeling as though he''s back in his proverbial driver''s chair.
"Oh, goodness!" Tetch pulls away from Jagger and activates his remote, "Cheshire, if you please!"
Cheshire finally broke away from her motionless state and advanced on the White Rabbit. She brings out her Sais, and Jagger backflips from her. Cheshire slashes and stabs her weapons, and the White Rabbit moves through her attacks, untangling the flurry of confusion. As Cheshire continues, Jagger analyzes her passionless movements. Maybe every two seconds, he''d catch a glimpse of a familiar prowl and zeal in fighting, but as he keeps putting her on the defensive and she barely moves him two feet away from the Hatter, he knows this is a waste of time.
She leaps in the air, sais held to stab him. Jagger twists his ashes under his feet and torpedoes toward her, hands grasping her wrists. They plummet, and Jagger flips over Cheshire as she hits the platform with a heavy thump. Jagger ignores her and rushes towards the Hatter, who''s fumbling with his controller.
"Now, now, now!" He says, backing toward the bird cage, "This won''t do at all! It can''t end like this, I won''t take the¡ª"
That was as far as he got when the birdcage slammed into his face.
"Fall." Robin said as he kicked the Hatter''s face for good measure. The White Rabbit slowed down, and Robin looked up at him with a smile as the older teen inspected his face. Aside from a little cut above his right brow, a bruise on his left cheek, and a few pieces of wood in his hair, the Boy Wonder was fine.
"Thanks for the lockpick," Robin says, and Jagger nods.
"Okay," Jagger says to him, ruffling through his jacket, "Birdarangs," He handed Robin four, "explosives," He handed him two, "and a grappler." He gave him one.
"Joker''s got your belt. Go help Batman."
"Thanks," Robin said, "But¡ª"
"I''ll get Cheshire."
"Okay¡ª"
"And the Hatter and the girl, and if I have time, I''ll help that new kid down there."
"New kid?" Robin asked.
"Tall hooded cyborg guy."
"Wait, but he attacked me!"
Jagger says, "Old Tom''s mind control. Now go!" and before he turns around, Robin grabs his arm.
"Marlo," Robin said, and Jagger stiffened, "I trust you."
The look on Robin''s face wasn''t as intense as Batman''s, which somehow made it worse. That a kid, only two or three years younger than him, could even come close to replicating that urging face judging his actions was cumbersome. It wasn''t fair, not on his birthday. Jagger couldn''t tell what he wanted to say. What could he say?
Perhaps even more unfairly, Robin turned and sprinted to where Batman and the Joker took off. Jagger watched him go, the green glowing eyes of his mask hiding the storm brewing behind them. And then he scoffs and mutters to himself:
"Pretty to think so."
The White Rabbit spins around and begins to prioritize. He rushes over to the girl, Logan, a few feet away from the cage but dangerously close to the gaping space that would send her careening to the ground as she''s coming to her senses. She''s groaning, and her brow scrunches up constantly, but the White Rabbit picks her up and brings her to the cage. It dangles above on a reinforced cable used for ziplining, so it takes his weight.
He mutters, "Stay here," into her ear and hops out for the Hatter. The White Rabbit grabs him, does the same, and then repeats this action again with Cheshire. Whatever this cage was meant to hold was clearly too spacious to house Robin, but the bars were just thick and close enough to hold him inside.
Jagger takes a moment to take off his mask. He looks into Old Tom Sawyer''s dead green eyes one last time. Now that the threats of Cheshire and Hatter are dealt with, Jagger can properly hold his Usagi mask to his chest as he tips his head down. Jagger had once read that by staring into a man''s eyes before they die, they don''t travel to the afterlife alone. Even before he tricked the Hatter, that''s exactly what Jagger told himself to do.
"Everyone who rides a high life falls a hard fall." Jagger said softly, "But sometimes, we''re pushed. Especially in this life." Now, Jagger puts on his mask.
The White Rabbit hops inside as the three figures slump against the bars and shuts the door, the action causing the cage to hobble. The White Rabbit brings out his fans, snaps them open, and ash swirls around him. The White Rabbit bends his left knee and then slides his foot to the side. He slowly brings his right arm with it, and the White Rabbit pulls it back while kicking his left foot in the same direction. He''s crouching now, left leg draped over his right, cranes his hands like wings and raises himself back to his feet. The White Rabbit thrusts his left hand to the right, then he hops in a spin.
Instead of landing, he spun around as his ashes encompassed the cage. The moonlight faded from the gaps in the bars, and the White Rabbit felt like he was floating in mid-air. But he didn''t stop spinning; his speed only increased as his ashes now followed him inside the cage. The ashes swirling around the other inhabitants, now floating as well, were coated with extra ash layers. The White Rabbit kept spinning and spinning and never landed on the cage floor, which had become the wall on his left. Finally, with a loud and forceful thunk, the cage landed on the ground.
The White Rabbit pushes all his ashes away. All White Rabbit''s passengers are coming to life, and he doesn''t have time for theatrics. The White Rabbit steps off of the Mad Hatter''s chest and pushes the cage door open. He picks up Logan and sets her down on the door as she coughs. Cheshire is next, dropping her on her feet beside the cage, though she''s too unsteady to stand. Finally, the White Rabbit tosses the Hatter out, to which he''s smashed through a stack of crates that fall on him.
Hatter cringes and crawls from under one of the crates. His hat has been crushed, and his forehead has a small cut. He''s moaning and whimpering as he scrambles to get the crate off his body¡ª before something crushes his hand and he screams. Jervis Tetch looks up to see the green, mask-wearing assassin glaring down with a painted smile.
"You know," she purrs, reaching for her sai, "It''s one thing to ask the Cheshire cat to stay for tea." She bends down, getting closer to the Hatter, savoring the fear on his face.
"It''s another thing to force my grin, Hatter." And Hatter could hear the grin beneath her mask, "Even madness can go too far."
Hatter sputtered, "B-b-but too far is never a notion in my mind!"
"Clearly," she said, raising her sai in a stabbing position, "How else could you explain your last mistake?"
Before she brought it down, something pushed her away, and as she hit the ground, she felt the weight of someone else on her. She immediately kicked them away, to which she was pulled by something elongated and coarse that flipped her on her head. She rolled to her feet and saw a flowing stream of ashes leave her torso and back to its owner.
"Cheshire, get out of here!" said the White Rabbit.
Cheshire tilted her head, "You know, I couldn''t actually tell if the White Rabbit was a fever dream or if the adorable little thief really did come back in my life?"
Jagger''s following words stamped away any pleasant feelings from her:
"Batman''s here! Get out of here before his eyes land on you."
She said, feeling impish, "What''s wrong with his eyes landing on me?" She stood straighter, running her hands down to her thighs, "Would you say there''s something wrong with me?"
Jagger paused, knowing she was not going down this road. But Jagger decided unimpressed silence wasn''t enough.
"Is that a trick question?"
She glared, "Little smartass."
"Feline hussy."
Cheshire walked closer, "Cats eat rabbits."
Jagger glared up at her, "My claws are bigger than yours."
"You say that often, don''t you?" she laughed, as his posture resembled a little brother picking a fight with his more experienced older sister.
"Don''t make me hurt you. Since I am trying to rescue you."
There was a silence between the older woman and the teenager. Now that Cheshire thought clearer, this was like a little brother bailing her out of trouble. She wondered if other girls felt this way with younger siblings. She wouldn''t know, since¡
But then, she needed retribution. She couldn''t let this latest incident blemish her record with the League of Shadows.
"I need to kill him, you know," She said, trying to sound conversational instead of sounding bitter and low.
"Cheshire," Jagger said, removing his mask, "Tetch is crazy. Who''s gonna believe he caught a professional off-guard and forced her to maybe drink out of a bowl of milk?"
Another silence.
"H-he didn''t¡ª"
"Are you sure?" Jagger said. Cheshire seemed to consider a moment longer before she seemed to shake with rage. Jagger interrupted this episode, "Besides, given enough time, maybe the Demon himself will fall victim to a random bit of stupidity so that they might forget your thing."
Cheshire now looked torn between easing her form and smacking the boy for insinuating the Demon''s head would be so clumsy. Instead, she sighed.
"Fine," She put away her sai, "I''ll leave."
Cheshire began running past Jagger to a stack of crates leading to a large window. Jagger''s voice gave her pause.
"You know you owe me now, right?"
Cheshire turned to look at him with one eye. The gesture unnerved Jagger, but he waited for her response. In the end, she leaped through the window, disappearing into the night. The White Rabbit bent his head down but rushed back to carry Logan bridal style. He also pushed the crates away, kicked Tetch in the face, and dragged him with a long string of ashes.
The White Rabbit heard someone scream through the air, turned around, saw a large shape getting closer, and ducked as it crashed through the wall ahead of him. The White Rabbit got back up and checked to see if Logan had been hurt, the loud noise seemingly giving her a headache. So, the White Rabbit jogged away to the new exit, carefully supporting the girl''s head, and feeling only slightly sorry for Tetch as his head bumped every brick on the floor.
The White Rabbit looks ahead of him: the long road leading to this old factory and the once lavish gate with a mangled metal sign that no one could read. This was an open field where a rich man would look out to view his animal-shaped bushes, although, with the complete lack of anything except wild grass and a cracked road, Jagger wondered what was here before the ruination. And leading up to the middle of this road was the cyborg, deep in a brand new crater. The White Rabbit hurries to the cyborg''s side to get a good look at him: his once grey hoody is in tatters, as are his jeans. To Jagger, he appeared as a tall, African, and futuristic or cyberpunk interpretation of Hercules, with robotic parts lined with blue light circuits where muscular arms, legs, and a chest should be. His left side was metallic with a solid red eye, possibly for infrared, while his right side was unchanged, handsome, and very disoriented. He couldn''t have been older than 18. The White Rabbit nudges him with his foot, and the cyborg opens his eyes.
"You look like you''re having the worst day of your life," He said with a light tone. The cyborg grunted and pushed himself to his feet.
"What gave it away?" He asked, "The fact that my clothes are ruined, that I look like a freak," He took in some air, "OR THAT I WAS THROWN THROUGH A WALL!"
The White Rabbit shook away the ringing and said, "I was gonna say cause you were frowning, but yeah. All of those things."
The taller teen huffs, growls, and then walks away, muttering to himself. The White Rabbit stops him, first with a call, and then when that doesn''t work, he gets in front of him.
"Hey, now! What''s the matter witcha?" Jagger intoned with humor, letting his ashes dissipate a bit to seem less of a threat, "Listen, I can tell you don''t wanna be here. So, Imma trade you: you take these two to the police, and I''ll take care of the troublesome twins. What d''ya say, Mr. Cyborg?
"DON''T CALL ME THAT!" the tattered metal man exploded, causing the masked teen to flinch, "I have a name!"
When the taller teen turned to storm off, the White Rabbit followed, "Hey, now! I''m not kidding around. Now, hurry before they get here!" The cyborg began to walk faster, "Hey if you don''t want me to call you a cyborg, what do I call you?"
"Doesn''t matter," And Jagger could feel the gloom and despair and bitterness from those two words.
"Look, man," Jagger decided to try a different approach, "we just met, but you don''t seem like an uncaring guy who would let a cute girl like this one die to two cinder block-toothed morons, a clown, and a hat man. So, you take these two off my hands, and I''ll make sure they don''t bother you."
The cyborg snickered, only a few paces away from the gate, "No, you''re crazy. I just hit that guy maybe five times, not a scratch on him! And I got the strength to throw a car."
Jagger said, "Well, I am crazy, and I''ll still take these guys off your hand."
Finally, he turned around with a raised brow, "What? You supposed to be a superhero?"
Now it was Jagger''s turn to snicker, "Hell no!" before sobering, "But I help a hobo when I can. Mechanical or otherwise."
The cyborg rounded on him, "Listen, you little snot! I''m not a damn¡ª"
Before Jagger shoved Logan into his arms, "Great! The police are coming. Take them to the police. She''s a hostage, and he''s the hostage taker." As Jagger fished his pockets, Tetch stirred behind him. So Jagger used a tendril of ash to slam his face on the stone floor. "And here''s $30, now get yourself new clothes."
The metallic teen suddenly held three 10s in his left finger, a girl in his arms, and now, an escaped mental patient slid next to his feet as the blonde in a rabbit mask walked back to the destroyed wall. Reluctantly, he did not put the girl down, and gently maneuvered his way to pick up the unconscious Jervis Tetch.
"Well, but¡ª" The metallic teen called out as the rabbit mask had his back to him, "Dude, they''re gonna kill you!"
"You care? We just met." Jagger asked, cracking his knuckles and neck.
The other teen shrugged, "Alright, but that''s on you."
Jagger couldn''t see any indifference¡ª mainly because he wasn''t looking at him, so he couldn''t see him at all. But Jagger did hear at least a few more seconds of a goading silence. However, it was broken when they saw two figures emerging from the hole in the wall, and the other teen finally left him.
"It usually is." Jagger mumbled to no one. Tommy and Tuppence were encroaching on him, action in their minds and ready to bathe in blood. He snaps his fans open, catching their eye, "I wish you kept the mustaches I made you. Like Yosemite Sam and Samantha trying to catch this ratz''n fratz''n varmint."
Tuppence''s eye twitched, "Know what, Tommy? Forget taking our time. Let''s just kill him."
Before the White Rabbit could strike, a beeping sound was heard. The digital watch on his left hand was flashing midnight. The White Rabbit saw this chiming hour and closed his fans. Jagger puts his fans back on his ears and hangs his shoulders with a defeated sigh.
"Got someplace to be?" says Tommy. Jagger turns to them, and to their credit, they wait for him in anticipation. Jagger''s fists begin to clench, and he feels his breathing hitch. Jagger can feel his grip ready to crush his mask, so he throws it away. It lands somewhere in the grass.
Jagger cracks all his fingers. His fingers are then covered in a layer of ash, then another, and finally, the ash resembles articulative boxing gloves or robotic hands of ash. The fingers, however, turn sharper and more spindly. Jagger raises these new claws and displays them as a tiger might.
Tommy''s brows raised, and smirked, " Alright, now I see we''re serious."
Any new words died on his lips as Jagger rushed him and his sister. In the blink of an eye, Jagger was in the air, hurtling toward Tommy. With a yell, Jagger crashed his left hand into Tommy''s face, and a mini-explosion burst in his face, sending him flying off his feet. Tommy''s grunt was a mix of surprise, confusion, and pain. In his mind, the question he couldn''t force out was where did that come from?
Tommy skidded across the ground, almost destroying the cement underneath him, and before he could recover, Jagger struck again. Tommy moved his arm wildly to where he thought Jagger might be, but his fist suddenly felt the same mini-explosion collide with his fist before he was blinded in his face again. Tommy felt his head snap back from another strike that felt backhanded. The weight on his belly disappeared, and Tommy could finally jump up and clear his face of ashes.
"Hey," Tommy looked through the blur for the voice, "you try that again; I''ll fill you with so many lefts you''ll be beggin'' for a right."
Tuppence jumped in the air, her first pulled back, as she dropped like a bomb to where Jagger stood. Jagger turned to face her and flipped away from Tommy while he aimed a tendril of ash toward the girl''s fist. Jagger pulled with all his might, and Tuppence''s fist sped toward Tommy''s belly, knocking the wind out of him.
Tommy clutched his stomach in the most pain he''d felt all night. As Tommy groaned and wheezed her name out in confusion, Tuppence backed away in horror at what she''d done. She grits her teeth at Jagger but gasps when he rushes her with ash-covered fists.
Jagger slugs her with a right, causing her to spit. The teen spin-kicks an ash-protected heel at her right knee, bringing her down, and Jagger spins again in a flip as he aims his heel at her face. The ash explodes again in a brilliant flash as though he detonates grenades in her face. Tuppence is sent with a scream as he rolls away from him. She''s crouched now, rubbing the soot out of her eyes. She watches Jagger stride toward her, and his ash fists morph into daggers for claws. He flexed them, as if for her sake, and they bent and moved so naturally.
"Rabbits have claws," Jagger said, his voice quiet and reserved.
Logan heard many things that sounded like she was underwater. Which was strange since all she could feel was herself floating, cool air, and cooler metal. Slowly, however, she could hear police sirens breaking through the fog within her. She stirred, twisting and forcing her eyes open. She felt herself being laid down on coarse and hard cement. Something metallic supported her head before being replaced by what felt like a light post. Finally, her eyes were filled with flashes of red and blue, and she could hear the voices of men and women.
"This is the Mad Hatter!"
"Is he¡ª?"
"No, he''s breathing."
"Alright, cuff him."
"That girl, help her up; see what her story is in this."
"That''s the missing girl! Logan Whitelock!"
Logan felt a hand on her shoulder, and the red-haired girl was looking into the eyes of a young, Asian officer.
"Logan Whitelock?" He said gently, "Are you alright? Are you injured anywhere?"
Logan didn''t answer for a minute, leading the officers to scramble and help her stand up as all she could do was stare at the moon. Finally, she muttered something that the officer couldn''t hear. It caught his attention, so she repeated herself.
"I was just dreaming," She smiled, "That''s all it was."
Jagger was thrown back into the ground before he flipped back to his feet to have a forearm slam into him. Before his head hit the ground, he punched an ash hand to launch an exploding ash foot into Tommy''s face. Tommy staggered back, shook his head, and ran forward. Tommy threw his fist at Jagger''s head, to which Jagger slid on the floor, and, from under Tommy, kicked the meta with another explosive kick.
But this time, Tommy reacted faster and grabbed Jagger''s leg. He heard Tuppence running behind him, so he launched the boy to her. But two mini explosions, like firecrackers, disrupted this process, and Jagger was launched higher above his sister. Tuppence jumped in the air, caught the rabbit, and threw him to the ground like a wrestler. Jagger hit the grass, his form breaking the ground and blowing some tall grass away, but Jagger got back up. His nose bled, so he wiped away the blood; he was covered in ashes, and so were the twins, who were regrouping.
Every attack Jagger made on them would have reduced normal people to disfigured messes of meat and blood. But their high tolerance to Superman-type punches left them with the first bruises they received since they gained super strength. This did not sit well with them. As the twins looked at the tears in their clothing, they watched as Jagger, who wasn''t as tough as they were, strode through the grass, only looking pissed off.
"You ruined my night," He said in a low tone, the twins inadvertently shivering, "It''s over now. The sun''s coming."
Before the twins could recover, Jagger rushed across the small distance with outstretched claws. The twins nodded to each other and took the charge head-on. Instead of attacking one twin, Jagger spun around and slashed at both twins like a trained ballet dancer. After another burst, Tommy flew back with a scream, landing on the old brick wall connecting to the gate. Another explosion and Jagger flipped several feet over Tuppence as her head crashed deep into the ground.
Before Jagger landed, he coiled and twisted his body mid-air to dodge bricks being hurled at him. One met flesh, and Jagger was clutching his left shoulder. He snarled, inhaled harsh and rasping breaths, and from his mouth came an inhuman sound that stunned Tommy in place. Jagger began rushing towards Tommy, before a mass crashed into him, taking Jagger off his feet. Jagger grits his teeth and throws as many bursts of flame into the back of Tuppence, but she tanks all of them and slams him through the brick wall. Jagger''s body is aching, his head is ringing; as he hits the ground with the weight on top of him, he guards his face with his forearms and slithers quickly away from Tuppence''s punches.
Tuppence''s face is as wild as his and covered in tiny chunks of stone, one jabbed in her left nostril. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, and she kept launching her first into spots where Jagger had disappeared. Her left hand grabbed his throat, her right hand wanted to gauge his eyes, but Jagger''s adjacent hand caught hers, and his leg wrapped around the one trying to choke him.
"Kill you, kill you, KILL YOU!" Was all Tuppence could think to say, and Jagger believed her. Her grip was too strong, and suddenly, all of his injuries were working to his downfall. Jagger couldn''t concentrate; he was losing air, his legs lacked strength, and he could feel Tuppence crushing his other hand. But Jagger''s face didn''t change. It remained the same furious, dead look that Tuppence didn''t care about. So, Jagger would resist the pressure, the fear, and the odds.
Story of my life, he thought, almost serenely.
Tommy was walking through the factory gate. No point since there was a gaping hole in both walls now. He watched as his twin sister went wild on Jagger. It was like sicking a pit bull on a coyote. Tommy breathed easily when he saw her hand reach his throat; the Terror twin brother couldn''t understand what was about that scream from earlier what froze his blood. All he knew was that after this little bunny boy, always thinking the sun came up to hear him crow, was dead and gone, he would be more worn slap out than he thought. Not that he''d tell anyone this guy gave him and his sister more trouble than he imagined.
Tommy thought to go over and stomp on Jagger''s face after watching Tup struggle for a minute or two when something caught Tommy''s eye¡ªsomething grey and glowing blue marching over to him with a look of determination. Tommy smirked.
"Back for more, huh?" Tommy cracked his knuckles, eager to redeem himself for that brief instance of fear. He crossed the wide gap between the factory and the building in front of it, pulled back his fist, and launched it. The cyborg caught it. Tommy threw his other first; his opponent dodged and grasped his elbow. Before he could struggle, Tommy came face to face with the taller figure.
"Here''s the thing," The metal man began, "the last two days have been the worst days of my entire life." And smirked, "I''m taking it out on you."
Tuppence heard his brother scream in pain, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the metal man from earlier, raining a barrage of punches into her brother''s face. This second of distraction was all Jagger needed; one last desperate ash-covered heel bursting in a face later, Tuppence released Jagger from her hold, and the boy sprang up. Ashes entwined around Jagger''s feet, and launching himself back to his feet sent the other twin flying backward. She crashed next to the hole she had created, and Jagger had only five seconds.
One second: gulp as many breaths of air he lost while on the ground.
Two: reach into his pocket for a leather pouch. And cringed when his left hand throbbed with pain. That girl has a crushing grip; he pitied whoever made it past first base.
Three: look up to see her racing back to finish what she started. The mad look was gone, but she still looked eager and arrogant for Jagger''s death.
Four: ignore whatever she says and open the pouch. The pouch released a stream of golden sand into his right palm. Jagger clutched this sand like he was clutching his own heart. Tuppence was three steps away from grabbing him now.
Five: open his hand and blow this sand into her face. The effect was instantaneous: Tuppence''s face relaxed and dropped all its energy into smiling maliciously. The energy in her body seemed to be sapped away, like a jug of water with a hole in it, and Tuppence crashed into the ground. A second later, she was snoring loudly. Jagger sighed and felt his frame relax, but he caught himself and stood straighter. He watched to where the cyborg had backed Tommy into the wall.
"Come on, big man!" He heard him say, "Show me whatcha got! SHOW ME WHATCHA GOT!"
A second later, Tommy caught a punch and threw his own into the cyborg''s face. Jagger walked over, stiffly and rigidly holding himself together, flexing every muscle in his body as the bones reconnected themselves. Jagger watched as Tommy forced his opponent to his knees, but before Jagger could pick up his pace, the cyborg''s right first transformed into what looked like a cannon and blasted a bright blue beam into Tommy''s gut, sending him flying away to make yet another hole through the wall connected to the gate. The cyborg''s eyes widened, clearly not believing he did that. He stared at the cannon on his arm as if he were staring at¡.well, a cannon on his arm.
Jagger finally caught up to him, and patted him on his back, "Nice work."
Jagger saw Tommy stagger through the new hole, groaning and drunkenly regaining his bearings. He held a hand as if trying to bat away whoever was near, but his arm failed him, and he sagged like a deflated balloon. Jagger took another pile of sand into his hand, kneeled before Tommy, and blew. Before Tommy could properly glare at him, just like Tuppence, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep right between the factory and the outside.
Jagger closed the pouch, put it in his pocket, and stepped over Tommy''s snoring frame. He walked a few more paces, remembering exactly where his mask landed. A few feet away from the spot where he made a crater, Jagger picked up his usagi mask. Any closer and it would have been smashed. To Jagger''s eyes, the mask had a mocking glint to it, one that seemed to say ''Got that out of your system?''
Jagger rolled his eyes and walked back out of the factory. Stepping over Tommy again, Jagger saw the cyborg turning his cannon back into a hand. Jagger stood in front of him with his right hand out.
"Marlo Keith," He said, "My friends call me Jagger."
The cyborg seemed reluctant to share anything resembling a social interaction, but eventually, he nodded and took the hand in a firm grip.
"Victor Stone."
"Nice to meet you, Victor Stone," Jagger said and began walking away. "Well, good night¡ªer, morning."
Victor Stone stared, "Aren''t you hurt?"
Jagger took out his small, round music player, "Nothing my mixtape won''t fix." He puts the headphones in his ears, and hums lightly, "Something in the way, hmm. Something in the way, yeah."
Victor Stone says something, so Jagger takes out an earbud to listen, and the taller teen repeats himself.
"What about these two? Aren''t you gonna haul ''em off to jail?"
"The other guys will take care of it," was all he said, before disappearing into an alleyway, "Something in the way, yeah."
Now, Victor Stone threw his hands in the air, "WHAT OTHER GUYS?"
As if in answer, a loud, heart-pounding growl filled the streets, and an advanced black car pulled up in front of him. Victor took a step back, shocked before being amazed.
"Nice job, kid," said a voice behind him. Victor turned to see a dark, lurching mass of shadows on top of Tommy Tuppence. It stood up, and Victor watched as it cast a tall shadow with pointed ears.
"Yeah, seriously putting the awe in awesome," said a young voice behind him. Victor turned again to look down at a boy dressed in red, yellow, and the darkest shade of green he''d seen. Victor knew at once who these guys were.
"Hey, man," Robin held out a hand, "Robin. But I think you knew that."
Victor took it with a tired smile, "Yeah, I know." He laughed lightly, "Man, this is a long night. I didn''t think I''d be shakin'' hands with Boy Wonder."
Robin chuckled, "I hear that. And, uh, I''m kind of getting too old for the Boy Wonder bit. Just saying." Then he turned stern, "Anyways, don''t be scared but Batman wants some answers."
Victor blinked, then turned to see Batman approaching them, his cape lurking like a phantom.
"Not here," said Batman, and Robin followed him to the Batmobile.
Damn, that''s the Batmobile! Victor thought before he remembered a few details.
"Wait, what about¡ª"
Then, Victor saw that Tuppence, still snoring, had been cuffed behind her back as she lay on her side with a black collar around her neck. The collar had three glowing dots on the front. Victor looked to the side and saw Tommy slumped against the wall with an identical collar on his neck. Robin was dragging Tuppence to sit alongside her brother, after which, he raced to the Batmobile and jumped right in.
"You comin''?"
Cyborg, appearing indifferent, shrugged, "Yeah, why not?"
Inwardly, he was becoming ecstatic.
WHY NOT?! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND SAYS NO TO THE BATMOBILE?
Jump City
2009 November 1, 01:48 PCT
I can''t believe I said no to the Batmobile. I mean, Batman would have been more forgiving.
There was a familiar stench in this truck. One which already set Jagger on edge as he rolled the beer bottle under his boot. And the driver had kept eyeing him, knowingly and approvingly when he wasn''t focused on the road. But Jagger wanted to get the hell out of Jump as quickly as possible. He also kept replaying ''Something in the Way'' on his pod, probably nine times now, as it seemed to be easing his nerves.
There was no reason to stay. Jagger had fulfilled his new quota of doing one good thing on his birthday; apparently, that was a thing. So there was no reason to stay. Whatever that shooting star was, it could shoot to its heart''s desire. That''s why there was no reason to stay.
Shooting star?
Jagger peered through the windshield of this truck, the trajectory seeming to lead to the center of Jump, and sighed. Now, there''s no way he''s going to let curiosity hold him hostage to a new adventure, right?
"Change of plans: take me back there," Jagger found himself saying.
"Now," his driver said, "why would I do that?"
The man, a bulky and rough-looking man with a plaid shirt and mustache, used Jagger''s tone for nights of fun. This set him further on edge.
Jagger asked, "You''re gonna kidnap me, aren''t you?"
The man smiled, "Now, don''t you rush to conclusions; just sit back and¡ª"
The tessen fan at his throat changed his tune, and the truck stopped.
"Okay, but seriously," Jagger said, "are you planning on kidnapping me?"
"I¡ª" he feels the cold blade''s steel, "I-I was gonna sell you to this guy I''m meeting!"
"Good," says Jagger before he flicks something at the driver''s hands, and something explodes in front of the driver. Now, his hands are stuck on the wheel, thanks to a sticky substance.
"Now," Jagger ignores the man''s struggles, "drive. Break the limits. Dodge pedestrians. Make sure cops chase us. Disobey, and you''re dead."
The scum nods frantically and steps on it. The truck''s wheels burn rubber, and they''re driving toward danger.
Jagger sighs, then smiles, "No rest for the wicked."
Jump City, the strange, eventful part of California with a little bit of everything, is about to get much more. The green truck barrels through the guardrails, and the vehicle hustles down the slope. They bustled about and bounced around and tilted to their sides when they reached the bottom and sped toward the sight.
The bright, neon green shooting star crashed violently into the pavement in front of one of Jump City''s plazas. Everyone within the plaza, including the pizza joint closest to the crash, felt the shockwave blow their hair back. The crash thundered across the plaza, and pedestrians in cars and on the sidewalk gathered around the site, curiosity holding them in a death grip. From the thick green smoking cloud in the crater, a figure emerged.
It was a girl¡ª an orange-skinned girl, with voluminous, red hair, wearing an almost-M-shaped guard over her forehead. An orange-skinned girl with glowing green eyes and a form-fitting black suit with silver trims and purple pieces of body armor. She has her hands confined in thick, bulky, inflexible white cuffs, their purpose as plain as day. And she was angry. Her glowing green eyes burned with more intensity than when she was a shooting star. And that''s when she started screaming in words no one could understand.
Cyborg
¡°Victor Stone."
Looking back, Victor realized he shouldn¡¯t have been caught off guard by Batman''s familiarity with his name. Yet, the weight of that recognition pierced him. In that moment, all the recent events that had led him to this point faded, and he was left in a state of awe but also... vulnerability.
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Victor jolted back. The last person to apologize to him was his father, who hadn¡¯t spoken to him since¡ª Of course, Batman knew about this, too.
Victor''s response was a forced shrug, a feeble attempt to mask the surge of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. ¡°No, it''s fine," He managed to say, his voice betraying the turmoil. "Just when I think I can move past it all, it just...¡± The words trailed off, the unspoken pain hanging heavy in the air.
Batman''s eyes soften, and so do Robin¡¯s¡ªboth understanding and intimately familiar with this silence all too well. And both knew that despite all logic arguing against it, Victor needed the silence. And now they also knew he would try to leave after bringing up the source of turmoil.
Victor Stone looked up, his face steeled, ¡°Well, thanks. But I¡¯m gonna head off now.¡±
¡°Vic¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Victor cut Robin off, turned around, and hunched. ¡°The last thing I need is someone lying to me, saying they can relate.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Robin looked at Batman, who nodded, ¡°I can¡¯t say I know exactly what you¡¯re going through, but I know a thing or two about having your old life destroyed by outside forces.¡±
Victor turned around and saw the kid''s solemn expression. The teen¡¯s normal eye softened by a fraction. Batman could see a whole other world within both of his eyes, almost a parallel to his own, yet alien all the same. Then, Victor¡¯s eyes hardened again.
¡°Fine,¡± he said, ¡°but you can take off that suit and have a normal life. You¡¯re not a goddamn freak like me!¡± He looked at Batman, his emotions bubbling like magma, ¡°Now, unless you got the answer to giving me my college scholarship,¡± his voice raised, ¡°my football career, and my skin back, I don¡¯t want to hear it!!!¡±
As Victor turned out of the alley, a part of him felt he had gone overkill but didn¡¯t care. Just saying what could be his life felt like pouring salt in his wound. Except he would welcome salt; at least he could feel that. The only feeling he got was from his face, and he did all he could to hide what lay beneath.
¡°Linda J. Reed,¡± said Batman. Victor stopped walking. ¡°Resident of Gotham; won the Gotham National Bank¡¯s special $100,000 prize when she was down to her last $11. Sound familiar?¡±
Victor turned around. Batman took in the minuscule and subtle facial twitches of his human-sided face. Once long ago, Batman would struggle to see incredulity, fear, and pleading within a wall of impasse. But now, as the World¡¯s Greatest Detective, they are as clear as day. Batman approaches him, Robin following closely behind. Victor straightened his stance.
¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°that was me.¡± he shrugged, ¡°So what? You gonna try and recruit me, make me fight crime?¡±
¡°Do you want to?¡± Batman asked.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Victor blinked, ¡°So why¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯re a good man, Victor Stone.¡±
Victor felt his human eye drawing something moist, and he was thankful that the shadows of the alleyway hid how his natural eye didn¡¯t gleam as his red eye did. Batman put a hand on his shoulder, and the man¡¯s eyes, once grim and stern, seemed to fill only with understanding. No trace of disgust or fear or hate¡ªonly understanding.
¡°Don¡¯t shut everyone out, Victor,¡± he said softly, ¡°I know. If you want to be alone, then that¡¯s your decision, but please¡let me help you.¡±
Victor swallowed, and Batman could see how his eye glistened. Victor Stone had a war within his mind, and perhaps he was the only one who knew how it would end. But Batman was the unknown element in his environment. He was black-clad and a creature of darkness, and yet, he seemed to be the first ray of light that Victor¡¯s war needed¡ªclarity in a haze of wires and red. Victor had always been a fan of Batman, and he remembered telling his friends on the football team how he was more than he appeared. Now, though, reminded of his past words, he believed. There was something about them, though, that struck Victor with familiarity. The teen knew this was their first meeting, yet it didn¡¯t feel that way, especially with Robin.
But he had spoken to few people since the accident, so for any familiarity to be possible, Victor Stone would have to have been a tall, athletically built African-American teen with broad shoulders, a cheeky grin, and not covered in metal.
He shouldn¡¯t be grinning too much since he¡¯s in trouble for hacking the school¡¯s records, but he was. Despite how disgruntled the principal was, he sat patiently like a model student and quietly waited for his mother to serve up some justice. He replays this moment in his head.
¡°Victor Stone.¡± said his principal, ¡°Wait outside.¡±
Victor glanced at his mother, her eye holding a quirk that didn¡¯t worry him. These are some of the scenes he replays in his mind of his mother.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Mrs. Stone¡ª¡± He heard the man say; big mistake.
¡°Doctor Stone,¡± His mother corrected. Victor smiled, already seeing the outcome play out in his mind.
¡°Hey, Vic,¡± said a voice, and Victor¡¯s smile grew when he saw a younger boy, caucasian, black hair, walking towards him.
Victor said, ¡°Hey, Rick. I mean, Nick. Oh, I mean, Dick.¡±
¡°Up yours!¡± Dick Grayson laughed and clasped hands with the older teen regardless, ¡°What¡¯d you do this time?¡±
¡°I saved Cera¡¯s curricular opportunities,¡± Victor said, rolling his eyes.
¡°Oh, the horror!¡± Dick said, waving his arms and sitting next to his friends.
Victor waved at him, ¡°Shh! I wanna hear this.¡±
The principal¡¯s voice was muffled but said, ¡°Your son may be captain of our football team, a certified genius, Miss¡ª excuse me, Doctor Stone.¡± A beat, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t give him the right to hack into our systems to change his friend''s grades.¡±
Victor and Dick pushed closer to the door, avoiding the transparent glass when Dr. Stone replied after another beat.
¡°Cera¡¯s family lost their house this week¡¡± Her voice was empathetic, ¡°How was that child supposed to pass her class? Victor helped her because he¡¯s got a heart¡.What did you do to help her?¡±
Victor and Dick stepped back, the older teen smiling genuinely and touched. Dick began to walk away.
¡°See you at the game?¡± Victor whispered.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it for anything!¡±
Victor doesn¡¯t feel the cold. All he gets is high-octane overdrive, his heart jackhammering as he sprints. Against all odds, through snow and sweat, Victor won the game. Victor couldn¡¯t feel the cold that day; his absolute joy and cheer warmed his body as his teammates and best friend surrounded him, lifting him into the air. From that height, he could see everyone was just as happy as him. He saw his friends, the cheerleaders, and his girlfriend. He could see his mother cheering, screaming how much she loved him until she passed words and left in tears of joy.
Then, Victor¡¯s eyes drift to the empty seat beside her. The seat that shouldn¡¯t be empty. Now, Victor feels the cold. He could still feel it even as his mother drove them back home. Victor stared at the passing lights and cars like a ghost. The one man who knew how to make him feel dead inside¡ªwho told him to stop wasting his time out here, surrounded by friends. At this point, he¡¯s tired of thinking about how unfair, stupid, and cruel it was. So he just stared outside his window.
¡°Your father,¡± his mom begins.
¡°No, mom. Don¡¯t¡¡±
The lack of conviction in his voice caused her to finish the sentence.
¡°He got held up at the lab.¡±
Victor scoffed, leaning his head to see her driving, ¡°What else is new?¡±
¡°He wanted to be here.¡± She keeps insisting.
¡°Mom, please! I don¡¯t wanna hear excuses for him. You¡¯re both busy scientists, but he¡¯s there, and you¡¯re here. What does that say about him?¡± That he still hates what I love.
Of course, she doesn''t say that, ¡°I know he struggles to show it, but Victor, he¡¯s so proud of you. We both are.¡± She notices tears threatening Victor¡¯s eyes, ¡°Hey, hey! It¡¯s okay.¡±
¡°No, it¡¡± But his voice dies out. All of the frustration turned to resentment and anger, risk cracking open, and he didn¡¯t want his mom to coddle him. But he doesn¡¯t shirk from her hand, cupping his cheek. He leans into it, trying to smile at her. She smiles back.
¡°Victor, with everything I see you do today, I can¡¯t wait to see what you do tomorrow.¡±
There¡¯s a flash of light, the sound of metal colliding with metal, glass shattering, and that¡¯s all Victor sees before it all goes dark. He doesn¡¯t even have time to think this is how my life ends.
When he wakes up again, it seems so distant. He thinks he sees the big, bland white and red splotches above him, and they pass as a ceiling. Or at least, if he had the power to decide what is and isn¡¯t a ceiling and wondered why one side looks red, and the other doesn¡¯t, he would. He hears words or sentences floating all around him. He thinks he hears a voice that sounds like his father. Victor wants his mother. He can feel himself wanting to know what happened to her. Victor tries to move when he hears a woman¡¯s voice, but it sounds too light to be hers. He hears the voice say words like ¡°Stone,¡± ¡°Wife didn¡¯t make,¡± and ¡°Neither will your son.¡±
It¡¯s becoming too difficult to keep up with all the lights and the noises. Victor thinks it would be better just to lie still and rest. He was comfortable, he won the game, he couldn¡¯t feel his arms or legs, and his mother was happy. His father wasn¡¯t there. He should have been there. Where was he?
¡°I won¡¯t let you die.¡± said his Father. He sounds like he¡¯s crying. But that can''t be. My dad doesn¡¯t love me.
Victor opened his mouth. A loud screech drowned his words out, and all three of the alleyway¡¯s inhabitants looked up to see a green streak in the sky. The sound faded, replacing it with the sound of a heavy object breaking the sound barrier.
There''s a beat.
The Duo looks at each other, then Robin says to Victor:
¡°Listen, man, if you don''t want any part in whatever that was, then you better clear out. But," he pushes a bat-shaped communicator into the tall teen''s hand, ¡°let''s stay in touch."
Robin hesitates to move from his spot, and Victor¡¯s red eye detects stiffness. His left foot, rooted in the ground, points toward Victor, while his right foot points toward Batman. Robin looks as though he wants to give much, much more than a simple apologetic glance, before he races down the dark alleyway with Batman to the Batmobile without a moment to lose.
Victor watches the car speed away. He stands there for a minute, then turns in the opposite direction, the device not yet crushed. He pulls up directions in his red eye, blue strings that point him to the closest shop with the quickest route. He¡¯s maybe 13 minutes away(his red eye reads 0: 13: 45- - 46) from the shop and 10 minutes away (0: 10: 01¨C 0: 9: 59) from the crash site. But he shakes his head, thinking, I can¡¯t help. I¡¯m just a freak.
Victor looks at the communicator, scans it, and sees the tracking device inside. He scowls but continues to scan. In Victor¡¯s mind, he''s traveling down a brand new path made of 1s and 0s, 1s and 0s; the patterns of off and on¡¯s sometimes rise and fall, and Victor finds himself stabilizing the path, and he thinks he hears the sound of bats in his way. He drowns out the sea of voices, pushes away the maze of encryptions, and hones in on two voices he probably shouldn''t be hearing. Before he can reach it, he sees the bats, miles ahead of him, ready to chase Victor away and bar him any entry.
One bat is already racing to sound an alarm. Victor pulls it back, the bat writhing in the air, even though there isn¡¯t actually air; Victor grunts, noticing how strong it is compared to a bank, and the teen doesn¡¯t think he can hold it back forever. But he plants himself within, pulls with more strength, and pushes them and all the other security protocols away. The writhing bat, the largest one, still tries to call out in warning, so Victor rolls his eyes and creates a gilded cage around the bat with a mute sign above. Now, the owner of these protocols has no clue he¡¯s here, and Victor can ¡®sigh¡¯ in relief. And now, he hears the conversation.
However, he wants to watch. He taps into a camera, which displays itself in front of him like a floating screen, and observes Batman and Robin. They appear impassive; Robin, however, barely restraining himself in his seat. A part of Victor feels like scowling or growling. They cover their faces with masks and hold back their emotions, all while they¡¯re not broken or mangled like Victor. Victor knows how expressive he was with his face, and the thought of these two, or anyone, denying their emotions built something in Victor he didn¡¯t know was there.
¡°All we can do is wait,¡± Batman says, breaking the silence.
Robin shouts, ¡°NO!¡± then calms himself, ¡°No, that¡¯s not all we can do! I can¡¯t leave him alone¡¡±
¡°...I know. You¡¯re right; we can do more but can¡¯t force our help on him. We need to take our time and let his anger ebb.¡±
¡°...Is that what you thought when you took me in?¡± Robin looks at him while he drives, ¡°Is this how you felt after you took me in?¡±
¡°You¡¯re different. He has no one to take his anger out on. You did.¡± Batman pauses, ¡°...And yes. I did feel guilty and responsible, and I wish I had been there. But I knew what I could give you and how to help you. In the end, I chose to give you Justice.¡±
Robin digests this, and the Boy Wonder seems to tightrope between brooding and wistfulness. Victor almost forgets he¡¯s not there with him because he reaches out to comfort the kid. The action is so¡familiar, as if he¡¯s stepped in to defend this kid from bullies at his old school. Bullies who had fun¡bringing up his dead parents¡
¡°We won¡¯t leave him behind. We never leave the lost behind, Robin; we guide them.¡±
Victor leaves the path, exiting the private world where he observes and controls. He¡¯s alone on the street, his red eye showing he¡¯s ten (0: 10: 01) minutes away from Batman and Robin¡¯s intended location. Victor drowns out the technology, covering his red eye. He thinks about old memories, the painful but nostalgic ones he can¡¯t make anymore¨C and then, he thinks logically. Why does the cybernetic teen keep feeling so familiar with Robin? As he does so, he thinks, it can¡¯t be that obvious, can it? Victor, uncovering his red eye, still standing alone on the street, refuses the urge to perform facial and vocal recognition on Robin. He decides to go with his gut. Victor Stone clenches his fists. He turns in the direction the Dynamic Duo went.
¡°Hang on, man,¡± He says out loud, ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡±
And he runs like he did on the field, a new goal straight ahead.
Land of Confusion
From the wreckage, Koriand''r pulls herself to her feet. She sees creatures like her, with two legs, two arms, and a single head of hair; only some are pale or brown. The beings have the same number of limbs as her, but they all appear to lack her orange skin tone. And they all look at her with fear.
They must be weak.
Still, she tests them. She shouts words to the crowd, daring them to step forth and free her. Will now one break my bonds, she would bellow. Show me strength, she would cry out. One stepped forward. He raised his hands and blinded her with a bright flash of light.
Koriand''r flinched but quickly corrected this and charged forward. She would use her bonds like a club, swinging them with all her might. The man, he resembled a man, not nearly as handsome as those from her world, shrieked and fell back before Koriand''r reached him. However, Koriand''r''s bonds found a new target, and the pavement was now at risk of potholes. A taxi was made fit for the junkyard with one strike, and a streetlight was rendered useless. The onlookers from the second-story balcony of a pizza joint looked on in relative safety despite how the ground trembled. Until the girl noticed the pillar supporting the balcony, narrowed her eyes, and struck it with her bulking cuffs against it, causing it to buckle and break and the spectators to lose their footing. Something here¨Canything here had to break her bonds!
Koriand''r did not hear their cries, however. She was confused and furious and wanted freedom and to know what was happening to her home.
So perhaps the last thing she needed was something to strike her squarely on the side of her crown. Nearly thrown off balance, Koriand''r snapped her head towards the perpetrator, snarling.
Batman and Robin stood on top of a car, arms tucked in their capes, a few feet away from the girl. Koriand''r gritted her teeth as Batman stood to his full height. "Who are you?" Batman demands to know. At this, Koriand''r growls, a more primal sound than before, and lunges towards the Dynamic Duo with a battle cry. Batman and Robin watch as she flies into the air before gravity forces her on them like a swinging hammer, and had they not separated, it would have shattered them just as easily.
"Holy earthquake," Robin muttered, then yelped when she advanced on him.
Stronger than she looks, Batman thought as he skidded on the asphalt and as the girl advanced on Robin ¨C as if the damage all around wasn''t enough of an indicator. He needed to observe this girl and devise a strategy, already running his hand on his utility belt. But he couldn''t allow Robin to risk any direct hits from her.
"Keep your distance, Robin!" Batman called out.
"No kidding!" Robin says, leaping away from her, "She''s singled me out! Must be my good looks!"
As Robin used his acrobatic skills to dodge the girl''s sledgehammer swings, Batman raced towards them. He reached for two smoke bombs and called out for Robin, and as the girl snapped her head toward him, smoke exploded around her, obscuring her vision. Batman heard her cough as he slipped his breather on. Robin landed beside him, his breather on as they watched the smoke''s density increase.
Her coughs became hacks and wheezing. Then, from within the smoke, two glowing green orbs became slightly larger. Then, the girl with glowing green eyes streaked through the air, and Batman and Robin lunged out of the way. The girl had, evidently, decided Batman was the bigger threat as she focused on him. A lame man could believe that this dance could go on forever, but Koriand''r wanted everything to leave her alone, so she stomped the ground, brought a piece of the ground, and kicked it toward him. Her reflexes were sublime, and she was beyond a simple bruiser. Batman dodged the debris, but then the girl brought cuffs down and sent a shockwave where Batman had landed. Batman hit a lamppost, reopening some of the wounds from his fight with the Joker.
Batman struggles to his feet, but leaning on the lamp post causes it to fall. Batman hears the lamp post hit the road, looks up, and his eyes widen when he sees her raising an entire bus overhead, grunting with effort as she did before she launched it at Batman. The crusader made to stand, but a flash of silver crossed his side. Batman''s eyes widened when Victor hurdled himself toward the bus, meeting the vehicle head-on. The impact sent him back on the road, but instead of being crushed, the teen planted his metallic boots on the ground and carried the bus for a few minutes before swinging it slowly to his left. The bus fell to the ground with a clunk but damaged nothing and no one.
Koriand''r took a few steps forward, watching these enemies regroup. She watched this gleaming, silver man glare at her for a moment. He turned his back and held a hand for the shadowy man to stand. The shadowy man took it, and Koriand''r was too far away to hear the words they exchanged, not that she could understand or cared to understand. She only sees the difference between them and her captors, the Gordanians, and how they helped each other, how they reminded her of¨C what weakness was!
Robin moves to the pair and catches Batman as he staggers to his feet. They watch as the girl raises her arms again, crashes them into the road, and something softer hits afterward. Something falls off her cuffs, and now, her orange-skinned hands are free. Her forearms are still linked, making the duo and Victor think it was only to make her more comfortable. Then, her hands glow in the same green light as her eyes. The light shines brighter and brighter, and they all recognize when something is charging up, and Batman shouts:
"MOVE!"
The three run closer to the girl as a hailstorm of blasts fires at them. She fires these like a machine gun, a rapid burst of green fireballs hitting everything she aims at except her targets. Batman and Robin were used to crooks busting out machine guns, trying to kill them, so they knew how and when to jump or duck and how much distance to keep. Fortunately for Victor, she was madder at them than she was at him.
That changed, however, when she lost sight of them and now aimed her blasts at him. Victor ran again, fast and weaving like a string in the wind. A blast hit his shoulder, a spark flashed out, and Victor did grunt. But as soon as it flashed, Victor twisted his body on the momentum and kept running. He was juking when blasts would explode the ground, and instead of tripping, Victor''s route went unhindered. Victor scanned the area, searching for Robin and Batman around the wrecked cars. He spotted Robin waving him next to a bus, sitting horizontally on the road, and raced toward them.
When Victor reached them, he noticed how much worse everything had become. The road behind now looked like a tornado or a small warzone had blown over, with lamp posts on the ground and debris everywhere. Victor saw cars with their entire chassis on display or cut in half and briefly hoped the Batmobile was okay. Victor looked at his shoulder and noticed the black burn mark left, but his shoulder wasn''t pierced or melted.
"Girl''s gonna wreck the whole city," Victor stated.
"If she doesn''t wreck us first," Robin said, noting Victor''s arm, then turned to his grim mentor, "Kryptonian?"
Batman grunted, "She hits like one."
"What do we do? Get the Kryptonite?"
"I''m not sure she is a Kryptonian, and anyway, I think it''s time to rethink our strategy." Batman looked down at him. "I''m sure I''ve made a wrong impression on her, and I don''t need you taking that abuse." He took in a breath. "Try talking to her."
Robin blinked, "Uh, Batman, a smoke bomb to the face is still a smoke bomb to the face."
"It''s not a Batarang, either." Batman grimaced, "And the anesthetic gas hasn''t taken effect, and we need to keep collateral to a minimum."
"Yeah, and besides," Victor said, glancing at her through the bus'' window, "I''m pretty sure those blasts took a lot outta her. Her stress levels ain''t past the rough anymore." Then paused, "Um, yeah, I''ve been scanning her."
Robin sighed and said before Batman could press Victor for more information:
"Alright, I''ll handle this."
"I''m right behind you," Batman assured his ward. Robin nodded. The girl advanced towards them until Robin held out his hands. The girl stopped, still gritting her teeth and on guard. To Robin, she looked tired¨Cas if firing all those bolts drained her, but she growled like an animal too angry to know he was helping.
Or maybe too scared, Robin thought, and as he got closer, he looked at the face beneath the M-shaped crown and thought, she''s beautiful.
Then, a car horn pierced through the tense silence, and Dynamic Duo and the girl looked away to see flashing headlights barrelling toward them. At once, Robin tried to push the girl out of harm''s way, but she merely ran towards the oncoming vehicle, heaved her imprisoned hands, and fired at the runaway truck. It slid like butter away from her blasts and kept getting closer. Batman brought a batarang and flung it to the left tires, trying to veer it off course, but it was too late. Suddenly, the girl launches herself toward the truck and slams the hood like an anvil, tossing it overhead. The truck was only above her five seconds, spinning midair before crashing back down. Before it did, however, a cloud of ash burst through the windshield and twisted itself like a corkscrew or a drill.
Koriand''r''s eyes widen, and she jumps away before it touches her. The tip pierces the spot where she was, drilling a hole into the road. Then, the White Rabbit, standing precariously atop his ashes like an umbrella. Jagger held a man on his other arm by the neck of his shirt, unconscious and dangling, and as the ashes dissipated, Jagger dropped him with his arms bound in a dull, light green substance. Jagger flipped forward, then immediately flipped backward to dodge the emerald blast. The ashes parted like a curtain and flowed back around him.
"Woah, a literal hotty!" Jagger exclaims.
Robin runs in and yells, "Jagger, stop!"
Batman groans, and Victor says, "Want me to get the bunny before he gets hurt?"
Victor and Batman follow Robin, hurriedly with the taller teen breaking off from Batman; the girl gaining on her opponent, and Jagger extends a fan and holds one arm behind him, his usagi mask in battle mode. The girl growls and yells something that sounds like a horrible insult toward the Rabbit. So, the White Rabbit smacks his lip and repeats what she said. The girl growls even more feral than before, any signs of fatigue suddenly unapparent, and charges him. The White Rabbit smirks and pushes the button on the object behind him.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
A sleek sheen of silver rushes the White Rabbit, saying, "Come on, you blockhead!" and the White Rabbit is thrown on the sidewalk. The White Rabbit grunts, picks up his fan, and then his eyes widen beneath the green of his mask.
"Oh no," is all the White Rabbit can say before something explodes behind him, and the White Rabbit''s lower body is suffused with the dull, light green substance the man he carried was restrained in. Victor backs away from the now encased and thoroughly incapacitated White Rabbit, his eye scanning the substance. He perceives a monomeric resin with some hardening properties, water, and a polymerized block designed to restrain muscle movement with an estimated time of an hour at best. In other words, the kid was stuck in glue.
Victor watched the kid struggle for a moment, shrugged, and said:
"You know what? Sit there and listen to your tunes."
"Hey, wait! You can''t leave me here!" Jagger continues to struggle pitifully.
"Brought this on yourself, honestly." So, Victor left him there and rushed back to join the Dynamic Duo.
Jagger fumed within his new prison. His arms were stuck in the cold and brittle but also slightly sticky substance that ground his movements to a halt. From his position, he could see Robin approaching the alien girl. Her figure hunched over, all ravenous and ready to pounce. Robin held up his hands and said a few words to her. Then, he pointed in my direction while his other hand appeased her. Jagger rolled his eyes when they looked at him.
Batman and Victor stood closely behind Robin, trying to appear relaxed while remaining on guard. Robin pulls out something from his utility belt, and her eyes and hands glow that same emerald fire. Robin''s telling her to calm down, Jagger can see. They want him out of the way, so he might as well watch. He sees the girl finally trust Robin as the boy takes the bar to restrain her. Robin brings his tool, and a lengthy pause gives Jagger time to try and scratch his nose, then give up.
There''s the dull clank and thud on the road and a gasp and shout from Robin. Then, Jagger''s eyes widen with the cybernetic teen and Batman as the girl kisses Robin straight on the lips. Robin''s shorter than her, so from Jagger''s perspective, he was dragged by his neck. The kiss causes Robin to drop his pick, and after a few more seconds, she shoves him before Robin can properly melt into the kiss. Then, she spoke, not in her alien language, but in English:
"If you wish not to die, you will leave. Me. ALONE!"
With this declaration, she took off into the air like a speeding bullet. With only the sounds of car alarms and a few small fires, Jagger mutters:
"Did she suck the English out of him?"
Jagger chuckled at the stupid question, and the little bird boy stared at the sky, gaping at what had just happened. Even Batman looked like he needed to collect himself before shaking his head and walking to his protegee. Batman lifted Robin by his shoulders, shook him, and snapped his fingers, scaring the confusion away. Jagger watched idly as Robin visibly blushed a beet red and fought to regain his composure. Victor Stone, Jagger remembered his name, walked up to them, putting his hands on his waist, smirking down at Robin, to which the latter recoiled in embarrassment.
The three exchanged a few words; Jagger caught a few of them and was experienced enough to know when people decided they were going to chase down answers. Batman didn''t appear to hesitate and pulled out a device. Batman moved Victor Stone to the side, and a few seconds later, the Batmobile sped towards them. Batman and Robin entered the car, and Victor Stone stood there as the hatch had yet to close. Then, the teen shrugged his arms in an ''I''ve got nothing better to do'' way and hopped in with them. Jagger saw Victor Stone maneuvering his body to the backseat of the Batmobile, and their heads all disappeared as the top slid shut, and they raced away.
"They completely forgot about me," Jagger said. He groaned and heaved his right arm up, trying to free it. Jagger huffed, then saw all his ashes still on the ground, some having been blown away with the Batmobile, but still enough.
"Okay," Jagger huffs, then concentrates on the ashes. He hones in on their properties, gets the feel of their soft and coarse and fleeting presence, imagines the rough feeling they leave on his hands, and they ripple for a moment. Jagger relaxes for another moment; then his eyes dart upward. The ashes follow his directions, and an intangible wall or platform of ashes hangs limply in the air. Then, Jagger tenses again, and the ashes ripple like water on a beating drum. A small stream breaks away from the collective, trying to flow toward Jagger''s position like a feather or a worm testing its surroundings. Jagger sweats under his mask, and he feels the headache coming.
Then, Jagger exhales roughly, and the ashes fall and scatter.
Jagger growls, "Be nice, Jagger. Do the right thing, Jagger. This is what I get."
What Jagger doesn''t notice, however, is that a car, having been forcefully lodged into a window, had decided on where it wanted to go. And so, it tipped back, slowly creaked, and groaned as it began to fall on where Jagger lay encased. Jagger looked up to see the car coming down on him. The blonde boy''s face fell, and he prepared for the impact.
Then, a hand caught the car by the trunk.
A gust of wind blew at Jagger''s hair, and when it settled, he looked up at the man in a blue and red suit and red cape who balanced the heavy vehicle in his palm as effortlessly as an apple. Jagger sighed in relief.
"Oh," he said, "Morning Superman!"
Superman smiles brightly at the boy, then tosses the vehicle to land in his other hand. He takes the car in both hands and gently sets it down. He pats his hands like a job well done, stands tall and muscular, and turns around to face Jagger. His eyes glow blue, then switch to red, and the glue around Jagger bubbles profusely. The boy can feel his arms loosening up.
"I''m a little late. I had to deal with a fire in Brazil." Superman reaches into the glue and pulls Jagger out of these confines, "Speaking of which, happy late birthday!"
Jagger tries not to smile with the Man of Steel. The wind picks up, and Superman''s cape moves with it so that all Jagger wants to do is stare. Suddenly, everything around him, from the pebbles on the ground to the sky and the moon, seems so much more important now that he''s here. And Jagger feels his birthday is more important than ever, even though it''s over.
"What''s going on?" he asks.
Jagger scrounges for an answer, "Crazy alien girl. Smashing the city. But she''s good now. She kissed Robin."
He pauses and raises an eyebrow, "Really?" Then, a keyword sinks in, "An alien¡?"
"Yeah," Jagger answers, "Orange skin, red hair, green lasers, hostile to humans."
"Did she attack first or you?"
Jagger looks ruffled, "Why do you assume I did anything?"
Superman remains silent.
Jagger huffs, "I might have tried to run her over with a truck."
"Marlo!"
"She was fine! She flipped it over!"
"That''s not the point." Superman says sternly.
Jagger shrugged and took off his usagi mask. He rubbed his forehead, scratching it. He subsequently snaps his fingers, and the rippling ash flows steadily and freely to him. Jagger opens his satchel, and the ashes flow efficiently into it.
"Well," He says, "Anyways, I hijacked the truck I hitchhiked. The guy was gonna kidnap me before you get mad." Jagger holds his hands up, "I thought Robin was in danger. I wanted to save him. So, I forced the guy to crash into her."
Superman scans the chaotic road for the man Jagger is talking about. He finds a guy with glue wrapped around his arms hanging under a light pole. Superman sighs and crosses his arms, but he doesn''t get angry.
"Alright," He says, "I''m going to find that alien girl, and I''ll assess the situation for myself. Can you put out these stray fires?"
Jagger recoils, stutters, and then says, "Yeah, I guess."
Superman nods and takes to the skies. He uses his super-hearing to find Batman''s car, his voice, Robin''s, or the girl, like filtering through different radio stations and static for his favorite song. But the sounds fade in and out like ghosts, and, as luck would have it, he picks out one of his favorite songs(Land of Confusion by Phil Collins), which is playing on a car radio. Superman smiles for a moment, but then he hears Jagger muttering. It''s soft, but he distinctly makes out the meaning.
Superman turns back to observe the boy: his feet take him from one place to the other, stop, and then repeat all over. So, the Man of Steel decides to end this loop, but he hears the sound of Batman''s voice. Superman looks back and forth from Jagger to the source until he hones in on Batman''s location, using his heightened sight and X-ray vision to find Batman. After that, Superman taps his earpiece.
"Superman to Supergirl," he says.
Jagger snaps his fingers at the fires. They die out, ever so slowly, like a delayed effect. Jagger sways his hands to kill it faster. When the flames die down, the Rabbit-masked teen opens his satchel and shifts the ashes in to replenish his reserve. Jagger sighs, scratching his blonde head and stifling a yawn. The boy moves onto another part of the street, moving ahead of a trail of burning curtains hanging out of their window, then shuffles back to the small fire. He lazily holds up a hand, kills the fire as fast as possible, and then collects the curtains'' ashes for himself.
He steps away, only to find Superman in front of him. They stare at each other momentarily, awkwardly, then walk down the street together.
"I always forget your super hearing," Jagger says, breaking the silence, " Any chance you could let me brood?"
"I get enough of that from Batman."
Jagger scoffs and almost laughs.
"I was gonna do what you told me. I''m not running."
Superman says, "I didn''t say you were."
"Don''t you have to help?" Jagger says.
"Yes, I do," the man answers with a strange emphasis, "but I trust them."
Jagger says ''mmm'', and keeps walking. He feels something in his hair, maybe dust or tiny pieces of brick, but ignores it.
"Have you been staying out of trouble?" He asks. Jagger doesn''t hesitate to shake his head with an ''uh-uh,'' "Marlo¡" He says, somehow sterner than before.
"I didn''t cause it!" Jagger defends, "I just happened to show up at bad places with fires. So, I thought I''d¡you know," He shifts, almost bashfully, "put them out."
This satisfies Superman, as he nods after a moment of studying the boy. He is doing what I told him.
"Well, let''s make this right. Help me put out these fires, and then, let''s find that girl." Superman gestures to the small fires on the trashed vehicles and buildings. He walks over to one taxi with a fire spreading over its engine, inhales sharply, and blows the fire out like a candle. Superman points to a brick wall lying on top of a door to an apartment building; Jagger nods, cracks his fingers, then lifts his hands like a maestro toward the brick wall, and his ashes slither underneath and push it up. Immediately, the door falls off its hinges, and a couple helps an old lady down the steps, hurriedly rushing out of the building with more following. Jagger watches them all leave, and he mulls whether or not to keep his mask on.
Superman nods at him, "And then, maybe you''ll apologize to the girl."
Jagger watches him fly above another apartment building and gently pull a Ferrari from the ceiling like a carrot. It looks so effortless, the way he kind of shines in the moonlight, Jagger thinks; who''s luckier here? Then, Jagger remembers to reply:
"C''mon! If anything, she did more damage to that truck. I don''t know if I can even hurt her."
But even as he said it, Jagger chewed his cheek. Superman descends, patting the head of a little girl who holds onto her corgi pup, her ear-to-ear grin contagious.
"Nevertheless, if she took off and told you to leave her alone, that tells me a lot," Superman said almost wistfully, "Trust me when I say that the first thing you need to step into a new world is a friend."
Two ships appear above planet Earth, coming closer and closer from depths beyond the Milky Way and at less speed than that of a twinkling star. One is orange with a vast hole that resembles a flashlight or the barrel of a gun. The second ship has two green holes on the front, a small one on the bottom and a larger one on top, and they advance slowly towards the small Earth.
Within the larger of the two ships, Lord Trogar of the Gordanians sits on a throne in the command center, overlooking his crew hard at work. One of their ships had insisted they would be on time, but that was instantly preceded by the sound of their Tamaranian prize screaming bloody murder. When last Trogar heard of this ship, they were crossing these planets, and after his crew detected no matches for Tamaranian life signs on this gray dwarf of a moon, they followed the green planet.
"We have tracked the prize to this planet!"
Trogar''s anger lingered even as he learned the prize wouldn''t force them to search too far. He glared at the world, deeming it unimportant, not worth conquering. Not today, at any rate.
"Should we destroy it?"
Trogar responded, "No, we risk ending her life!" Trogar eased back into his throne, "She is strong, but even she must submit. The first thing we need to find our prize is weaponry!"
Trogar''s underlings cheered and called out to his scouts to prepare for a search party and to send a message to the creatures of Earth. The Gordanians would have their prize back, and no one and nothing could stand in their way without losing their life.
Starfire
Koriand¡¯r took to the skies, her long, fiery red hair billowing behind her like clouds pushed by the wind. The cowl had kept most of her hair contained, though she would release it the first chance she had. Right now, Koriand¡¯r wanted peace, darkness, food. She flew to escape the noise and the flashing lights and the fires. She soared to the night embrace, welcoming the sight, letting it fill her eyes.
But she had no idea where to find food, and her stomach growled like a gor¡¯entak from the jungles of Tamaran.
Tamaran, Tamaran.
The world, her family, her home. It would be one thing if Tamaran were but one thing, but it was not. And thus, her lament was only too heavy, despite her strength and her power. Her stomach growled again, and this caused her to descend. She was free of her bonds and would find something to sate her appetite. So, the joyful memories she feels fizzle away, and she slowly descends to the ground.
She landed at the end of a street. Or perhaps it was the beginning of one. Koriand''r did not really know what place was best for food. Despite her acquiring the language through a kiss, reading the languages the cute one knew would take time. Koriand¡¯r briefly thought of the boy, the one who freed her. She would eat first, then think of him. Then, perhaps think of Tamaran, if it did not hurt.
Koriand¡¯r lifts a finger, bouncing it around between one building and the next, landing on the one with letters curving in a frown, brightly colored and glaring. Koriand¡¯r shrugs, not terribly picky about what this place is, as long as she can eat something. She couldn¡¯t have known this yet, but the building letters read ARCADE in those neon letters. What she also couldn¡¯t have known, or perhaps not cared at the time, was that she was not alone.
She enters the building, quickly blasting a hole through the door. Koriand¡¯r thinks back to how easy she¡¯s had it and how quickly everything turned so horrid. The room is dark; colorful, though, Koriand¡¯r suspects that it would be vibrant if she saw this room with lights. But it is darkly lit, all the same, just as the Q¡¯st¡¯r had been. She remembered one of her escape attempts, navigating through those Gordannian chambers.
¡°Out of my way, slaver!¡± Princess Koriand¡¯r exclaimed, blasting away enemies with her hands.
¡°I will not have interference now¨C¡± She soared through the chambers, ¡°Not when I am so close to escaping!¡±
The Princess had blasted away any Gordannian who crossed her path. One had yelled out her name in shock, fumbling with his weapon. The Princess blasted the slaver, the green blasts making a loud, high-pitched skreek sound.
¡°Princess Koriand¡¯r!¡± She corrects, ¡°Or have you forgotten? It was the warlords of Okaara who trained me?!¡±
Her hair continued sweeping behind her like a red cloud. She reached the hangar bay, dark or course with their grimy-colored ships. The bay was oddly absent of guard drones. Koriand¡¯r imagined that Trogaar must be slipping in his old age, which was only slightly a shame. She had hoped to use her starbolts against the arrogant lord and more slavers under him but decided that she didn¡¯t have time for it anyhow.
Koriand¡¯r, golden-skinned and lithe despite her attire, fits easily enough into the star-slider, her slim hands darting across the console like second nature. At first, Koriand¡¯r¡¯s heart sinks when there¡¯s no response. Then, the lower pod doors open, the ship shudders, quivering as though in anticipation, and then it descends and lurches forward!
Koriand¡¯r breathes in relief as stars, suns, and moons make up her field of vision. Then, the console sounds an alarm, indicating that the Gordannian slavers have locked onto her coordinates. But Koriand¡¯r steels herself, closes her eyes for a second, and nods. Now, only X¡¯hal¡¯s best wishes and the most luck she could ever hope for would put this madness behind her.
She attacks the controls, screaming in emphasis, as her preceptor¡¯s training takes hold of her. Each instance to capture her is met with a vacant place where her ship had been exploding in reds and blues. Trogaar¡¯s sharpshooters can only balk as this one girl manages to evade and insult the skills of those who have destroyed many Thanagarian ships.
The console¡¯s radar indicates the ships behind her closing in rapidly. Koriand¡¯r, however, maintains hope that a star-slider can out-maneuver any Gordannian warship. Ahead of her, she saw what she recognized in her studies, long since past, as Hynnx¡¯s moon. Koriand¡¯r jolts her ship, the star-slider living up to its name as it slides around the moon¡¯s belt, and she slips behind it. The girl begins to smile, imagining that she will be long gone by the time they can even begin to alter their course.
That smile died, however, when her star-slider experienced turbulence, and an over-powering, blinding light encompassed her for a few seconds. She blocks her eyes and then scans the radar. The image that represents the moon breaks apart, with a vast avalanche devolving into tiny flecks flying or drifting towards the blip that is her star-slider. At once, meteors surround her ship, and Koriand¡¯r uses all her skills to dodge the remains of the moon.
Now, as Koriand¡¯r steers and violently veers from the sudden asteroid shower, can she see nothing but red. Now, Koriand¡¯r sees how desperate Trogaar truly is and who and what he will destroy to get her back. Trogaar would rather destroy an entire moon to get to her than detour around it. He would instead order his slavers to burst through the remains of the moon to capture his prize!
¡°You,¡± Koriand¡¯r growled, ¡°will regret this, Trogaar.¡±
Koriand¡¯r wanted to crush something when the memory, fresh in her mind, offered her no comfort. Here is Koriand¡¯r: she is angry and homesick and starving, but happy memories only make her homesick stronger. She wishes to be rid of this crown the Gordanians forced on her, but her hunger overpowers her need for self-preservation.
A crackle.
Koriand¡¯r snaps her head at the sound. She prepares herself. Her arms rear back, her feet are squared, and Koriand¡¯r bears her teeth in a snarl like second nature. Her starbolts flare, and she¡¯s heading toward the source of unbroken silence. Typically, this is an unwise move, given her weariness and worse-for-wear fighting prowess, but her mind instructs her to defeat any threats before they can touch her.
She heads towards a new room. It is spacious, and there is a counter at the end. A light shines above for Koriand¡¯r to see what¡¯s on top. It¡¯s an assortment of items in a variety of colors and textures and smells. Some are brown, some are bright red; there¡¯s something pink and fluffy but also a pile of lumpy, golden pieces lying next to it. The smells are inviting Koriand¡¯r, and she knows that she has finally found food.
She licks her lips.
Koriand¡¯r turns off her starbolts and marches toward these items. She takes one of the brown bars and crunches down on it, letting its thick texture but sweet taste hit her tastebuds. She tosses it aside, eager for more. Some are salty, sweet, crunchy, soft, and gooey, and the pink fluff dissolves in her mouth instantaneously. Koriand¡¯r continues to scarf down all of these morsels, cautiously letting her spirits rise with every taste she hastens to enjoy when she realizes something.
The one who put this food here¡was probably right behind her.
She takes an arm to wipe off her mouth. Then, instead of dropping it, she spins around, pointing a glowing starbolt behind her. The boy was there, startled and obscured by shadows, but Koriand¡¯r was right.
¡°Woah,¡± He says, holding his hands up, ¡°it¡¯s alright! I¡¯m a friend!¡±
¡°A friend¡?¡± She repeats, stepping forward threateningly, ¡°Why? Why did you free me?¡±
The boy steps backward, smiling warily, ¡°Well, why is kind of a loaded question, considering you¨C¡± his face reddened slightly, then shook it off, ¡°I did it to be nice.¡±
¡°...Nice,¡± Koriand¡¯r says, her face unchanging.
¡°Yeah,¡± says the boy quickly, ¡°like how I opened the chocolates from their wrappers before you could eat them. I mean, no offense, but I just didn¡¯t want you to¨C¡±
¡°We do not have this word ¡®nice¡¯ on my planet.¡± She tells him, ¡°The closest is rutha! Weak!¡±
¡°Yeah, well,¡± a new voice announces. The boy has found the cybernetic teen standing behind him. Koriand¡¯r prepares both starbolts now, but the taller teen holds his arms up, mirroring his companion but with a stolid look.
¡°Around here, ¡®nice¡¯ means nice.¡± He continues, ¡°And all my friend did was give you food! So, th¡¯ least you could do is thank him.¡±
The standoff had become even more tense. Koriand¡¯r took a small step forward, but the taller teen did not attempt to back down. Koriand¡¯r inched a foot forward to test him. He inched his back. The boy was making whispering sounds, trying to get the taller teen¡¯s attention. Nothing broke his gaze. Koriand¡¯r¡¯s starbolts continued to glow green. The taller teen¡¯s red eye would glow, and the boy¡¯s jittery whispers finally rose to a shout.
With her eyes on him, he said, ¡°We¡¯re not here to fight.¡±
She studied him a moment longer. She stood straight and turned off her starbolts.
¡°Then you must leave me. Now.¡±
Koriand¡¯r turns quickly, trying to put distance between them and herself, and realizes she might have to blow a hole in the wall to leave.
The boy follows tentatively, ¡°Why? We¡¯re just trying to help! Like I did with your cuffs.¡±
¡°I did not need your help. I could have freed myself.¡± She responds, ready to bash the wall in the darkness.
¡°Oh, yeah,¡± the taller teen calls out, ¡°and smashed up the whole neighborhood to do that. How do you think all those people are doing right now?¡±
Now, she stops, ¡°I¡¡± And Koriand¡¯r realizes that, yes, she was not surrounded by enemies or monsters at her arrival. Yes, she did hear screams all around her. And yes, the attacks on her were only a response to her rampage. There were¡likely little girls nearby¨Cin fact, she did see one being picked up by her mother when she tried to destroy her binds. Koriand¡¯r had¡once been a little girl. Once.
Koriand¡¯r drops her arms and hangs her head. She¡¯s almost ashamed to go back, but she turns around, walks toward them, her eyes on her feet, and her hands clasped as though she were bound again. She struggles to find the right words, but perhaps there are none. Still, the boy was before her; he had helped her, and now she had to say something. So, she said:
¡°I did not mean to hurt them.¡±
The boys traded a look. The shorter teen shrugged and nodded. The taller, cybernetic one did the same and pulled something out from behind. Koriand¡¯r perks up, her instincts almost failing to react, but then she calms down when it¡¯s revealed to be a liquid in a glass bottle. The red label stands out from the black liquid.
¡°What is that?¡± Koriand¡¯r asks. The cap pops off, hisses, and the taller teen hands it to her.
¡°Only the best damn soda you¡¯re gonna taste around here.¡± He offers it to her, and she accepts it. Koriand¡¯r takes a sip, but then it quickly becomes chugging. The boy snickers for a moment while the taller one nods appreciatively. She finishes the drink, wiping her mouth with a satisfied sigh before belching loudly. She covers her mouth and blushes, the boy covering his snickers while his friend chuckles.
¡°Pepsi¡¯s better,¡± said the shorter boy.
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¡°No,¡± replies the other.
Koriand¡¯r didn¡¯t understand what they meant, but with hostilities dropped, an air of relieved relaxation took hold, and Koriand¡¯r was graciously led to an area with tables. The boy holds a chair for her so they can sit opposite each other. It was pretty pleasant, considering they were enemies, perhaps five or ten minutes ago. But then, were they really enemies? Koriand¡¯r was confused, which morphed into abrasiveness.
¡°You don¡¯t really seem like a bad person,¡± the red boy remarks.
¡°...What would make me bad?¡± Koriand¡¯r asks.
The boy thinks, ¡°I guess if you said you enjoyed all that destruction.¡±
¡°And¡you know bad people¡¡± Koriand¡¯r¡¯s face drops, trying to blot the Gordanians from her mind, even though¡
¡°I fight to stop bad people from hurting others.¡± The boy says proudly, ¡°It¡¯s what makes me a hero. I¡¯m Robin. The guy behind me is Vi¨C um,¡±
The taller teen, leaning on the round table behind them with his arms crossed, saw his hesitation. His eyes closed, then he opened them, the glowing red one and the organic one.
¡°Cyborg.¡± He stated.
Koriand¡¯r and the ¡®Robin¡¯ mirrored confusion. ¡®Cyborg¡¯ shook his head.
¡°You heard me, now take a good look at me:¡± He spoke in a soft, straightforward monotone that somehow resonated throughout the arcade, ¡°Three-quarters of my flesh is gone, patched up with a few pieces of aluminum. My bones ain¡¯t calcium anymore; now they¡¯re an unshatterable steel comparable to molybdenum.¡± He hit his metallic chest for emphasis, ¡°So we might as well call me for what I am: a Cyborg.¡±
This statement, however, clearly upset Robin.
¡°C¡¯mon, man, that¡¯s¨C¡±
¡°Anyways,¡± Cyborg¡¯s monotone softened, ¡°Why do you want us to leave you alone?¡±
Koriand¡¯r¡¯s breathed slowly and softly, her energy seemingly sapping, ¡°Because,¡± She said almost raspily, ¡°danger follows me.¡±
Robin turned his head to share a look with Cyborg. The cybernetic¡¯s face was nigh unreadable, but the ghost of deep concern engraved itself into his face''s organic and metallic side. Before they could say or ask anything else, however, a new voice asked a question.
¡°What kind of danger?¡±
Koriand¡¯r jumped in place, whirling around to see a dark shadow looming behind her. Koriand¡¯r¡¯s starbolts glowed, but Robin stepped out of his chair, flipping over her to land between her and the man in black. He held his gloved hands before her, but by then, her fear and rage hadn¡¯t possessed her as before, allowing her to remember seeing this man work with Robin.
¡°It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s my mentor. This is Batman; Batman, this is¨C¡± Robin paused, suddenly blushing and massaging his neck, ¡°Oh, I guess we never asked you for your name¡¡±
Koriand¡¯r analyses these people. They are strange, but they all show her kindness. How long has it been since anyone has given her kindness? Koriand¡¯r had lied previously about the word ¡®rutha.¡¯ It did mean weak, but she knew the connotations would have them think twice about engaging her in her moment of weakness. Their word for nice in her tongue was rupcha, which sounded similar enough that it could be written as nice or weak. Perhaps, she thought, I could be nice¡until I can call my strength.
¡°My name is Koriand¡¯r, but in your language, it would be¡Sta¨C¡±
Koriand¡¯r¡¯s words get drowned out by the portals opening around her. Batman, Robin, Cyborg, and Koriand¡¯r all prepare themselves, for the Gordanians have found her.
Superman never gets tired of flying; he soars through the sky while the White Rabbit holds onto the man¡¯s hand from below, swinging like the doors from Monsters Inc. The boy enjoys the light breeze flowing around his neck and body, swinging his legs back and forth high in the sky. Superman didn''t mind this arrangement; at first, Jagger proposed that Superman hold onto his black rags and that they should pretend he was dead. Superman promptly said, ¡°Stop,¡± and grasped the kid¡¯s arm.
¡°Men of steel, these men of power, I''m losing control by the hour,¡± Jagger murmured.
Superman smiled at the songs on Jagger¡¯s mind, his mind flashing back to his days in Kansas, how he received his first Genesis record along with Metallica¡¯s ¡°...And Justice for All.¡± It feels nice to hear the different music Jagger has been exposed to. But then, every song could be just as much a surprise as the next.
¡°Oooh, tenk¨± no rabbit,¡± He would sing for a few seconds, then for the next, ¡°Fly with me, Come fly with me,¡± and inter-spliced between the rest was, ¡°Wi-ise and na-ked in secret Ok-to-o-be-er¡¡± Superman has never been much of a TV guy, so a living radio suited him well.
¡°Question,¡± Jagger stops singing, ¡°did you time travel again?¡±
Superman blinks, ¡°Now, what prompted this?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Jagger says, ¡°how the hell did Phil get your name?¡±
¡°Actually, Jagger, Mike wrote the lyrics; Phil just sang them.¡±
Jagger shrugs, ¡°Everyone only remembers Phil. Who cares about the others?¡±
¡°Okay, that hurts.¡± Superman winces, ¡°And to my knowledge, no, there hasn¡¯t been any time travel lately.¡±
¡°Oh, good! Can¡¯t deal with that sh¨Cstuff.¡±
Superman raises a brow with a wry grin.
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Jagger says, ¡°I met someone who got me to cut down. Hope you¡¯re happy¡¡±
¡°Why would I be happy?¡±
But Superman¡¯s question doesn¡¯t sound like a question, and so he rolls his eyes for it. After years of issues, Superman felt no wariness when holding the kid¡¯s hand in the air. In his eyes, Marlo has finally worked past any discontent or compulsions that have plagued him. At first, he was skeptical of this loose-form reform Batman had proposed, but it seemed to be paying off. Of course, the White Rabbit can feel this illusion might be shattered if the man finds out how he spent his birthday, so he keeps singing. Then, he asks:
¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡±
Superman glances down, ¡°About Batman and Robin? Maybe a little, but I can hear them talking to her. They¡¯re calming her down.¡±
¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±
¡°She hasn¡¯t said it yet.¡±
¡°What¡¯s her sign?¡±
Superman sighs, ¡°Marlo, you know the chances of her stating her sign are slim.¡±
¡°You weren¡¯t there, man. I¡¯m pretty sure she sucked the English outta Robin.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll¡grant you that there are stranger things that have happened, but¨C¡±
¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure she and Robin will be good. I need to know if they¡¯re compatible.¡±
¡°Marlo, I wouldn¡¯t take those things seriously.¡±
The White Rabbit laughs, ¡°Spoken like a dumb Sagittarius!¡±
Superman¡¯s brow twitches, ¡°And what are you again?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Scorpio!¡± The White Rabbit clicks his free hand like a scorpion claw. ¡°But anyway, is she eating Robin? She¡¯s an alien, after all. Tricky things.¡±
Superman stops flying. The White Rabbit looks around confusedly, then looks up. Superman stares down at him with a deadpan expression.
¡°...Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±
Superman resumes his flight. After a moment, he asks, ¡°You¡¯re worried about Robin, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Nah, I just owe him one.¡±
¡°Uh-huh.¡±
The White Rabbit smacks his lips, ¡°I mean, Scorpios and Pisces are tight. We work well off each other. It¡¯s the moon compelling me to help him.¡±
Superman hums, ¡°Last I checked, scorpions can¡¯t swim. That¡¯s what Pisces are, right?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be so dang literal!¡±
Superman chuckles, thinking, Oh, yeah, he¡¯s getting better.
The thought does give him hope. Before the White Rabbit continues his karaoke session, the Man of Steel hears an explosion. Then, they see the green lasers and the warrior¡¯s screams. Since puberty is hitting Robin and Batman is a baritone, they immediately deduce it''s the girl.
¡°Hang on,¡± Superman commands, and the White Rabbit grips the man¡¯s hand as he nearly jolts from the sudden motion. The wind hits the White Rabbit¡¯s mask, and the air feels chilly, and the night sky seems darker than ever, with every burst of green piercing the sky. Superman flies straight ahead like a torpedo, careful not to fly too fast for the White Rabbit. Despite the boy¡¯s tenacity, he feels that he should at least be treated like the kid he¡¯s supposed to be, seeing as Marlo has made good strides in becoming a better person. Superman, however, does not yet realize what Marlo had done mere hours before these extraterrestrial events occurred.
They were fighting outside the arcade: the girl flew across the street against five winged aliens, alternating between flying, punching, and firing her green lasers. Victor Stone punched a stocky, green, lizard-like alien in the face, quickly grappling a lamppost and whacking his enemy and two approaching aliens away. Batman threw items that exploded into a brown, taffy substance that clung to the aliens'' faces and caused them to fall unconscious. Robin had a collapsible staff, slamming the weapon into their faces, knees, two-toed feet, and wings, each falling in subsequent fashion. One nearly snuck up on Robin before Batman threw an electric wire at the enemy. The alien grunted loudly but pushed through and raised his electro-staff.
That¡¯s when Superman fired his heat vision. The scaly alien¡¯s back exploded, and his body was flung away from the Dynamic Duo. They looked up, Robin¡¯s smiling face and Batman¡¯s impenetrable veneer, seeing the White Rabbit hanging straight as a board from Superman¡¯s hand. The White Rabbit waves at everyone; Victor, the girl, and the other aliens all direct their eyes to these new interlopers.
¡°That¡¯s right, everybody!¡± The White Rabbit roars, ¡°I¡¯m the wrong number that wakes you at 3 a.m. !¡±
The White Rabbit is released, allowing Superman to land upright and blast more aliens. The White Rabbit lands behind him, unzips his satchel, flips out his fans, and spins his arms like a lasso. His ashes follow his movements, the aliens rushing them. The White Rabbit drops his arms and throws himself, sliding on the ground; his ashes fall before him like a waterfall. Suddenly, every alien is halted, their two-toed feet submerged in ashes like quicksand. The aliens try flying out with their bat-like wings, but Superman blasts all three aliens the White Rabbit caught in flurries.
¡°Yeah!¡± the White Rabbit croons, flipping back to his feet, ¡°Rabbits can catch things too!¡±
Superman drifts toward Batman and Robin.
¡°Hey, Superman!¡± says Robin brightly.
¡°Hi, Robin!¡± Superman replies just as brightly.
¡°I don¡¯t remember asking for any help,¡± Batman said.
Superman chuckled, ¡°Well, since I¡¯m here anyway.¡±
Two alien rushes Superman. He blasts it with two red beams of heat from his eyes. Batman responds to the other by throwing another coil of wires at another, Robin tossing his own, and they wrap around and overwhelm the alien with electricity. The aliens fell unconscious.
The White Rabbit observes the orange-skinned girl: she tosses an alien to the ground, creating a small crater in the road. Her attention is drawn away as she watches another flail in the air, hitting a building; the newcomer defeats their enemies, seeing them nearly bring him to his knees with a lucky shot, staggers a few times, and the aliens try to dogpile him. Still, he immediately bursts through the mound of steroid-lizard-things and repays them in kind.
The White rabbit sees she is distracted by the strength of this stranger and not the cheap-shooting alien ready to bash her head in. The White Rabbit rushes to her and leaps toward them. She sees him pass over her, and the White Rabbit¡¯s pouch blows into the alien¡¯s face. The alien¡¯s face writhes and twists before softening and falling like a leave. The White Rabbit lands before he does and holds out his arms to catch the alien. A step back. His hands were behind him. Then, a new crater plasters the road.
The White Rabbit chuckles, ¡°Ain¡¯t I a sti¨C¡±
He hears a commotion behind him, turns to see Robin blinding an alien on his shoulder, and then a brightness with a whine rings out. Robin flips away, and the alien falls with a green flame following him. The girl lands beside him, smiling hesitantly. Robin joins them, nodding.
"Hi!¡± Jagger removes his mask, "My mistake! I thought you were going to eat him.¡±
"Marlo, don''t be rude.¡± Robin deadpanned, ¡°Cyborg, you alright?¡±
Victor joins them, ¡°I¡¯m a little scratched, but not too bad.¡±
¡°Cyborg?¡± Jagger asks, ¡°Why not Tin Woodsman? It¡¯s public domain.¡±
Cyborg arches his brow, ¡°Don¡¯t give me trouble.¡± An uncomfortable pause almost settles before he says, ¡°Thanks for not calling me Arnold, I guess. For what it¡¯s worth. But don¡¯t give me naming suggestions, Bunny Boy.¡±
Jagger jabs a finger, ¡°Hey! That¡¯s Mr. Bunny Boy to you!¡±
Cyborg goes hmph, his lips quirking upward. Robin eases into a smile. So does the girl.
¡°I am,¡± she begins, ¡°grateful. To all of you.¡±
Superman and Batman look over the unconscious extraterrestrial forms. They advance slowly toward the group of teens.
¡°Bruce,¡± Superman says quietly.
¡°Clark,¡± Batman says.
¡°Nice night.¡±
Superman takes slower steps with Batman to speak.
¡°What are we dealing with?¡± he asks the Batman.
¡°I was hoping you knew more,¡± Batman admitted, ¡°but she¡¯s a runaway; that much is obvious.¡±
Superman nods, ¡°We better hear her story. If she¡¯s comfortable.¡±
¡°This group,¡± Batman indicated to the beaten aliens, ¡°was a scouting party. And they appeared exactly within our proximity. They must be tracking her somehow.¡± His head dipped microscopically, ¡°We need answers before anything else happens.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s not antagonize her, though. The last thing I need is a repeat of Kara." Superman says pointedly, ¡°We should give her a shot.¡±
¡°Let''s make that our second shot," Batman replies cooly, ¡°Unlike Kara, this girl was restrained. For good reason, perhaps¡she nearly leveled the block."
Superman knows his friend has a right to be cautious, but he still shakes his head and says:
¡°Ever the optimist."
When the two joined the teens, Jagger was leaning on Cyborg¡¯s shoulder. The taller teen immediately shoved him off. Robin immediately stepped away from the girl, smiling brightly with a light blush. Her orange face mirrored his.
¡°I¡¯m glad I got here when I did,¡± Superman says, looking them over, then to the girl, ¡°I¡¯m Superman, Kal El of Krypton. Do you have a name?¡±
Krypton?¡± She parrots with recognition, then she says, ¡°I am Koriand¡¯r of Tamaran. But,¡± she glances at Robin, ¡°in your language, I am¡Starfire.¡±
Perhaps only Robin felt a rightness when she said that. Something that felt like it should have been enjoyed, appreciated like the scent of a marigold on a cool and dark night. Like it could warm him up despite everything. But then, it could also be that he and she have stared at each other for a few more seconds longer than they should have, and he clears his throat.
¡°Starfire,¡± he says, ¡°well, now we know who you are, and you know who we are.¡±
Jagger mutters something about Romeo, but he ignores it.
¡°Okay,¡± Cyborg says, ¡°so we don¡¯t have comfy chairs anymore, so this ain¡¯t exactly ideal, but things have been real confusing tonight.¡±
Batman nods, ¡°Victor, I need you to scan for anything that exceeds a signal strength of 100 megahertz moving at a rate of at least 30,000 seconds.¡±
¡°Funny you should say that,¡± Cyborg says, holding up the scanner that is his wrist, and he removes the hard cowl from her head. Beneath it is a silver tiara wrapped around her head with a green circle glowing in the middle. Starfire looks at the cowl as Cyborg crushes it, and he tells her, ¡°That¡¯s how they were tracking you.¡± But then he wobbles, suddenly groaning.
Robin supports him, ¡°You okay?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± he said, holding his head, ¡°just felt dizzy. That never happens.¡±
Batman noted this and stored this action for further investigation. ¡°Why were you imprisoned?¡± his deep baritone kept perfectly neutral, ¡°What did you do that made them imprison you?¡±
Starfire looks startled, then withers, almost resigned. Throughout the interactions, Batman has studied her body language and measures her character through the inflections her voice takes. Though English is a new language, he makes careful word choices in his questions. Throughout the years, he¡¯s seen innocent people accused of wrongdoing. Batman knows evil can take many forms, and she may be one of those forms, but if she isn¡¯t¡
¡°...Not a prisoner¡¡± She says, sounding exhausted and melancholy, ¡°...A prize¡¡±
She doesn¡¯t pause for them to digest the word.
¡°The Gordanians deliver me to the Citadel where I must live out my days as their servant.¡± She looks at Cyborg, ¡°Around here, you said you were ¡®nice.¡¯ But the Citadel is¡not. Nice.¡±
Superman crosses his arms, ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡±
Batman hears the tone in his friend¡¯s voice and doesn¡¯t need to face him to know what expression he¡¯s taken. He knows that Superman has the face of a man who will keep someone safe and won¡¯t stop moving mountains until everyone is safe. The tone in his voice told him he was barely keeping his emotions in check, silently praising him for his self-control.
Di¨CWonder Woman would be up in arms after hearing her story, though, Batman thought. And he understands all too well.
¡°You¡¯re not going to the Citadel,¡± Robin says, ¡°Not if we have anything to say about it.¡±
¡°Should we call in the League?¡± Superman asked.
Batman considered this, ¡°If we¡¯re looking at an invasion, then we¡¯ll need Lantern down here. Unless he¡¯s already dealing with¨C¡±
¡°¨CGreen Lantern to Justice League!¡± A voice blared on their comm, ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem!¡±
Supergirl
¡°Superman to Supergirl,¡± her earpiece intones.
She clicks it, ¡°What''s up, Kal?¡±
¡°I need you to scout ahead and assist Batman and Robin; I¡¯m caught up with something on my end.¡±
She nods, ¡°Need some help?¡±
¡°Hopefully,¡± he says, ¡°It¡¯s just a tiny mess, not too many injuries or anything.¡±
Her brow quirks, ¡°Then why¡¯d you say ¡®hopefully¡¯?¡± She passes by some powerlines and sees a raven watching her. Silence on her cousin¡¯s end. She¡¯s almost tempted to call it over to have someone for gossip at her cousin¡¯s reluctance. To her astonishment, the raven lifts off the powerlines, its wings a soft, iridescent shade of blue, and trails behind her.
¡°Okay,¡± a grin spreads, ¡°now, I¡¯m curious.¡±
¡°Kara,¡± he uses her name, hesitating, ¡°what I say next is not something you might want to hear.¡±
Her smile starts shaking like an old sign, and then it falls off entirely when he says:
¡°Marlo is here; I¡¯m going to talk to him.¡±
And like an old sign, she can visualize her cousin cringing as though the crashing caused an entire heel-turn. Kara stopped flying for a second; then, she changed her course. She¡¯s frowning now, looking down at the streets of Jump City below. Kara sees the raven still flying with her.
¡°Good luck to you,¡± she says.
The comm hadn¡¯t switched off yet.
¡°He¡¯s putting out fires, and he helped Batman earlier.¡± He says, too implicitly to be conversational.
¡°Good for him,¡± she says, her speed increasing.
¡°Kara¨C¡±
¡°Kal,¡± she cuts him off, ¡°I know what you want me to do; I know what you¡¯re going to say, but¨C¡±
¡°Before you say anything else,¡± he cuts off her cut-off, ¡°does what I have to say involve keeping an eye out for Joker¡¯s State Tour blimp?¡±
Her head tilts, ¡°...No¡?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± he says, ¡°It does.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± she says, her speed decreasing, ¡°I honestly, I mean, I thought¨C¡±
¡°I know how you feel, Kara,¡± he says firmly, ¡°believe me, I¡¯m not completely sold either.¡±
¡°But,¡± she continues, ¡°you¡¯re still going to give him a chance¡¡±
She can imagine her nodding in that resolute way, saying, ¡°Hardly anyone takes the chance to turn over a new leaf.¡± His tone softens, ¡°But I won¡¯t force anything from you.¡±
She smiles, ¡°Thanks, Kal.¡±
¡°No problem.¡±
¡°And Kal¡¡± She says before she can catch herself.
¡°Yes?¡±
Well, now what? she thinks, suddenly put on the spot. Now, she couldn¡¯t very well say ¡®Nothing¡¯. There had to be a follow-up.
¡°Could you¡¡± she began, ¡°Could you tell him¡¡±
A pause.
¡°No.¡± She states, ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll tell him myself.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± he asks.
¡°Yeah,¡± she smiles lopsidedly, ¡°why not?¡±
¡°Well, if you''re sure, then see you here! Superman out.¡±
¡°Supergirl out,¡± she says before smacking her face. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him myself? I don''t even know or¡¡±
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She grunts loudly and brings herself to land on a roof, deciding to lay on a gable roof over standing. Supergirl is unaware, however, that ambitious eyes have seen her as she contemplates this latest development.
Kara Zor-El, or Kara Danvers, the cousin of Kal El, the last daughter of Krypton and blonde heroine to wear the crest of hope on her chest, was frustrated. She puts her hands over her eyes, massaging her temples with her fingers, and breathes deeply. The raven lands on the ridge of the gabled roof.
Kara looks up, ¡°Oh, hey! Here to keep me company?¡± She shifts her body to touch the raven, which doesn¡¯t fly from her touch. ¡°Just to be sure: you¡¯re not some shapeshifter trying to hurt me or anything, right?¡±
The raven looks at her.
Kara rolls her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Do you know how many times the world almost ends?¡±
The raven looks at her.
¡°I have to be sure you¡¯re not a robot(I can see you¡¯re not, X-Ray vision, ya¡¯ know), and you¡¯re not an alien or a magician out to break my heart.¡±
Kara slaps her mouth, but the raven only tilts its head. She sighs.
¡°Well,¡± she says, ¡°I guess if you¡¯re just here to listen,¡± A pause, ¡°Okay, so¡¡± She resists hugging herself, ¡°A few years back, when I was still getting used to this planet and,¡± She points to her chest, ¡°being its protector, I met a guy. And,¡± she resists a smile, ¡°well, first, look at it from my point of view: I was stuck in dullsville¡± She whispers, ¡°That''s Kansas, but no one is supposed to know that,¡± to which, the raven bobs its head. Kara bobs her head.
¡°Anyways, I was cooped up with a new family, and they¡¯re sweet; I don¡¯t wanna give the wrong impression, but I could fly around like you! I mean, how would you like it if you knew you could outrun a falcon but got put in a cage every day.¡± The raven ruffles, ¡°There, exactly!¡± She huffs, laying her back on the gabled roof, ¡°Sometime after that, I met a guy. The one I started telling you about. And he,¡± This time, she did smile, ¡°was something. I mean, he was funny, witty, and¡persistent. Cause, you know, I was in a state where I knew my friends were right, and I had to obey, but he just wanted to cut loose¡and so did I.
¡°I can¡¯t say I got into his taste in music, but I really like a song called Waiting On The World to Change. You ever heard that song?¡± The raven was so still, it couldn¡¯t have possibly not been an unspoken ¡®seriously?¡¯, ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. He tried serenading me with a song called, what was it, Uptown Girl.¡± She chuckled, ¡°He told me I put Disney princesses to shame and that I was a¡¡± She quiets down after realizing she¡¯s veering off, ¡°Even though I wasn¡¯t using my powers for the first part, I felt alive. And it only got better after I...told him who I was.¡±
Kara closes her fist, pressing it against her forehead. ¡°That was the dumbest thing I ever did.¡± She sighs, "My cousin, Kal, tells me our mistakes teach us to pick ourselves up but don''t make us whole, and I know he''s right. But still...it''s not a good feeling to know I almost..."
The raven hops closer to her face.
¡°I mean, I know I¡¯m being dumb,¡± she says quietly, ¡°I can move past this. We''re all here, and we saved the day." Then, frowning, "They say he¡¯s changed and improving, so I should give him a chance.¡±
She inhales, listening to the sounds of Jump City. Jump seemed a tad more unexpected compared to Metropolis and not as dreary as Gotham. She could hear the lingering voices of people all around her: trick-or-treaters not realizing the night was over, pranksters that she might have to deal with before meeting up with her cousin, a police siren, the voices following it. The conversation she heard interested her:
¡°...told you, Mom, I''m fine! I¡¯m pretty sure the guy I was dancing with saved me, which is honestly so cool.¡±
¡°What guy?¡±
¡°Oh, well, uh, he was my age, blonde hair, green eyes, a wicked smile¨C¡±
¡°You danced with some ghetto kid??¡±
¡°Oh, come on, Mom! He wasn''t bad! I mean, yeah, all he had was torn-up clothes and a rabbit mask, but¨C¡±
Kara smacks her face, dragging it harshly. After that, she thinks about smacking her face again because she even did it in the first place or for reacting over nothing. Instead, Kara decides she doesn¡¯t need any abuse right now. She breathes in, feeling better for restraint. She looks at her side, the raven sits patiently.
¡°I know, I¡¯m getting a grip,¡± She says softly, wary for whoever could hear her, ¡°I have a boyfriend now.¡± She smirks, ¡°Way better than that jerk.¡± Then frowns, ¡°Everyone keeps talking about how he¡¯s changed¡¡± She shakes her head, ¡°Well, so have I. I¡¯m not going down there looking like a ragged beast wanting to squash his face like a grape; if he can do it, so have I.¡± Kara nods resolutely, then pets the raven, ¡°Thanks for listening.¡±
She looks out across the night city, where her cousin waits for her. She starts walking, ready to show how unaffected she is with such clenched fists. Kara sighs, and decides to take in the cool air and beautiful view from the edge of the building for a few more minutes. She realizes, however, that these fists are clenched, and she forces them to relax by shaking them. Then, she pauses, her super-powered hearing picking up the sound of an overgrown pair of wings propelling someone upward.
A second later, a shadow appears before her, and a flash of light follows. Kara crashes through the gabled roof and hurls out from the other side.
Before her body reaches the ground, she flips in the air, catching herself and levitating. She grunts, her hand rubbing the crest on her chest, the crest belonging to the House of El from the late Krypton, the symbol everyone on Earth mistakes for an S on her chest. Kara glares at her attacker through the hole her figure has caused. Levitating upward, she sees her attacker climbing onto the edge, now pluralized. They were stocky, reptilian, armored warriors with M-shaped head crests and red eyes. Most of their bodies were adorned in bronze armor, including their wings, with bits of their long green tails, heels, wrists, bellies, and ape-like faces uncovered. One floated down to where Kara had been standing, his silver staff smoking at the tip, informing Kara what had hit her.
Immediately, her attacker, the one whose name is Weezak, and his companions began speaking to each other in gruff, gritted growls that made their language.
¡°This is not the prize,¡± one pointed out.
Kara¡¯s attacker smirked, ¡°No, but Trogar will reward us when we bring something just as enticing.¡±
Kara¡¯s eyes widened when she saw that he held the weapon, the Photon Blaster, in one hand and the small squirming raven in the other.
¡°She did not fall to a blast,¡± said another.
¡°Indeed, so this will be a challenge worthy of¨C¡±
Weezak screams as a white hand adds pressure to his wrist, and the bird flies away. A fist slams into his face next, and Supergirl stands again where she had been contemplating how to work her aggression out of her system. Now, she knew how. She saw the raven flying above them now and smiled.
Another Gordannian swings his staff at her; she ducks and throws a fist into his chest, sending him flying into the road. The last Gordanian tries to stab her with the staff surging with light. She catches the staff before it meets her cheek, pushes it back, and then unleashes heat vision onto his chest. The Gordanian roars in pain, his hand touching his smoking chest before a fist slams into his face.
Supergirl looks down at the alien as he collides with his buddy, who is picking himself up. She smirks, crossing her hands over her chest. Then, Supergirl notices more of them flying over the buildings, heading towards her. Supergirl stretches her fingers, shaping them into fists.
The raven flies, its wings bruised, but otherwise, its flight instinct completely overrides any notion of a fight instinct. The sun would rise soon, and she had to go where she may roost with others of her flock. Now, she senses it. It almost breaks her flight path, and the raven understands that she must find her flock before they take off without her.
But just as abruptly, she senses something else. And the raven is beckoned toward the ground. The shadows conceal most when the sky goes dark, the nests of man concealing most, and most was more than enough for a predator to strike. But the raven did not sense a predator. Perhaps it would, once it was close enough, for it moved closer to the dark ground with any sense of caution cast aside. She felt warm, this stranger, unlike other humans or the others that fly with the raven or uproot trees with their bare hands.
The raven landed in the stranger''s hands, the spell broken. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the human looked like her. They shared the same colors. And the raven felt sadness off of her, almost surpassing those she felt when she found her nest had been ransacked. And like her flock, her sadness carried over, and they mourned together. Ravens experience what humans have dubbed as an emotional contagion.
¡°Tell me, little one,¡± the girl said, ¡°what did you see?¡±
The raven understood what this girl wanted, and perhaps it was relief that their days would be saved that compelled her to know that these tremors within the light and the silent, horrid screams calling out to the sun would not evoke its wrath. The emotional contagion that had once carried sadness and fear now carried relief and hope, which the girl could feel.
¡°You place too much faith in me, little one,¡± she said with an eerie rasp, ¡°I can¡¯t do this¡not alone.¡±
The raven looks up.
¡°I must bring them together,¡± the girl says, ¡°I must bring them to Supergirl, and together, we may be enough to head down to Carrione Bridge.¡±
Past the Midnight Dreary, but no Sun yet
Clearly, Trogaar¡¯s soldiers were at fault here; for the information they should have provided him on this unimportant planet would have been useful. This planet has a Green Lantern. Why had no one bothered to tell him this space sector has a Green Lantern? But yes, as they were approaching past this planet¡¯s moon, one of Oa¡¯s officers appeared before them, a dark-skinned, bipedal male preventing them from moving forward. Trogarr immediately halts their course.
¡°Attention,¡± the Lantern begins, transmitting his voice to their receivers, ¡°You have entered the boundaries of Earth space. Disengage now. This is your first and final warning.¡±
Trogaar stills at the declaration, his mind retreating to the last time they had encountered a Green Lantern. His soldiers had taken the welp¡¯s ring and would have claimed their prize, but only by the skin of their teeth, and furthermore, they hadn¡¯t prepared themselves for her reinforcements.
¡°Lord Trogaar,¡± says a soldier, ¡°what should we do?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s open a portal!¡± says another, ¡°Send our best onto the planet, and bring the prize to us!¡±
¡°But the portal is not stable!¡± Trogaar¡¯s first lieutenant, Weezak, points out, ¡°The prize nearly damaged it; who knows what that technology might do?¡±
Trogaar thinks carefully, staring at the Green Lantern, floating in space, tall and imposing against the might and bulk of his ship. His fists clench.
¡°Nearly damaged is better than obliteration,¡± He announces. ¡°Power up the portals and send our troops to that planet!¡±
¡°We must get closer to the planet,¡± Weezak says.
Trogaar growls, ¡°Then, we must fend off this interloper.¡± He turns to Weezak and says, ¡°Once we create your opening, reclaim the prize. It should be,¡± he brings out a holographic map on his console, ¡°somewhere on this western coast.¡±
Weezak grins, but Trogaar doesn¡¯t.
¡°Bring her back,¡± he growls, ¡°kill any to draw her out if you have to do, but bring her back. Or we will leave you to the mercy of the Green Lantern.¡±
Their ship rumbles, a hard thunk echoing before a newer, louder thunk follows it.
Trogaar scowls, ¡°He suspects something.¡± and turns to Weezak, ¡°Go, quickly!¡±
Weezak nods, and he is off.
¡°Bad news,¡± Superman announces.
Jagger starts to pull his Usagi mask off, only for Robin to slap it back down over the blonde''s face. They observe the two men, ready to drag this night out.
¡°It appears your captors are not letting you go without a fight.¡±
Starfire, who had been doing a phenomenal job standing upright and hiding her exhaustion, now looked close to shambling. She looks at her new friends, seeing as that was most likely what they would become. The series of disparaging months passing before returns to her mind, and she remembers this sacrifice was made on her parents'' broken hearts. Even so, Starfire was ready to suffer for her planet.
¡°Then,¡± she says with an edge, ¡°I must finish this.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Superman puts a hand on her shoulder, ¡°when I said that, I meant it¡¯s bad news for them.¡± He smiles, ¡°You¡¯re under our protection.¡±
She blinks, ¡°But¨C¡± she stammers, ¡°No.¡± and exclaims, ¡°No! Trogaar is here because of me! I told you¨CI commanded you all to leave me alone, but you had to be the ¡®nice¡¯!¡±
¡°You¡¯re getting mad because we helped you?!¡± Robin exclaimed, ¡°But¨C¡±
Batman silenced them both.
¡°And we would do it again. And if you want to be pragmatic, look at it pragmatically: you¡¯re tired.¡±
She shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±
¡°I can tell.¡± He looms over her, ¡°You haven¡¯t slept in days, haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I, I¡¯m,¡± She stutters, ¡°Resilient. All of Tamaran are. And I was trained by the Warlords of Okaara!¡±
¡°Days?¡± The White Rabbit scoffs, ¡°Rookie numbers. I haven¡¯t slept in nine weeks.¡±
No one speaks for a moment.
¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Victor says bitterly, ¡°Comes with the ¡®upgrade¡¯.¡±
¡°The point is,¡± Superman interjects, ¡°even the Warlords of¡Okaara?¡± She nods, and he continues, ¡°Even they had to sleep sometime, surely.¡±
¡°Well,¡± she looks down, ¡°yes, but¡¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you return to that arcade and enjoy the food?¡± He says kindly, ¡°You¡¯ve already shouldered so much; now let us relieve you of the weight. Besides,¡± he adds, ¡°I¡¯m sure the arcade will be okay since it¡¯s covered.¡±
Superman warily side-eyes Batman, not that she would understand. The White Rabbit does, however, and chuckles mockingly. Robin elbows him, earning him a whine.
Starfire sighs heavily, looks up to Superman, and says, ¡°Very well.¡± Inclining her head, ¡°Thank you.¡±
Superman looks sheepish, ¡°Just helping out.¡± He flinches at the voice in his ear, ¡°I¡¯m on my way, Lantern. Just hold out a little longer.¡± He shrugs apologetically, ¡°Sorry.¡± He¡¯s about to take off, but then he says, ¡°Oh, remind me to introduce you to Supergirl!¡± Then, he takes off like a missile, heading straight to Green Lantern.
The White Rabbit observes Batman pressing buttons on his gauntlet.
¡°Hey,¡± he says, ¡°is Batgirl going to fight the aliens on her boat?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Robin says, ¡°we didn¡¯t bring the Batboat.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± The White Rabbit laughs, ¡°I thought you would say she¡¯s at home.¡± Then walks back to the hole in the arcade.
Robin looks at his mentor, who gives him only the slightest nod, but the message is clear. Watch him.
Robin turns to Starfire and nods his head to the arcade. She hesitates and turns to see a black aerial vehicle approach them, the wind brushing around them, as Batman grapples up to the cockpit. The Batwing rises up and away from the street, then blasts into the sky. Starfire sighs and shrugs, and Cyborg trails behind them.
¡°Amazin¡¯ how some people can sleep through all that,¡± Cyborg remarks, referencing the quiet streets.
¡°So,¡± she says, walking alongside, ¡°there is a Superman and a Batman?¡±
Robin nods.
¡°And there is a Supergirl and a Batgirl?¡±
¡°Yep.¡± Robin says, ¡°No Batwoman or Superwoman, though.¡±
¡°Then,¡± she continues, ¡°is this Batgirl perhaps your sister? And are you his son? Should you not, then, be Batboy?¡±
Robin chuckles, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how many times I¡¯ve heard that.¡± He holds his hands up, ¡°I mean, yeah, I guess we are a family, but actually, Batgirl is just a really good friend of mine.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Starfire nods, and they keep walking to their table, seeing the White Rabbit fixing the chairs.
¡°How good?¡±
The question throws Robin off.
¡°I¨C wait, what?¡±
¡°How good of friends are you?¡± Starfire asks, looking upward, sounding too forceful to be noncommittal.
¡°Well¡¡± Robin scrambles for an answer, his face slowly becoming red. Cyborg snickers.
¡°Strangers!¡± Jagger announced, his mask off and his hand holding two chocolate bars. "What can I make you?¡±
Thank you, Marlo, Robin thinks, then says, ¡°How much popcorn do they have?¡±
¡°Trick question. You eat what I give you. It just happened to have popcorn.¡±
Jagger hops over the counter and heads into the kitchen. Robin then realizes that he has to do the talking between the pretty alien girl and his former school friend. As they sit down, with Cyborg sitting next to him and Starfire sitting opposite Robin, the Boy Wonder now has to generate a conversation that doesn¡¯t sound stilted. So, he brings out the classic charm of his.
¡°Space, huh?¡± He begins, ¡°Must have been harrowing.¡±
Thankfully, Starfire nods, ¡°Escaping the Gordanians was the most excitement I¡¯ve felt since escaping.¡± Then, sheepishly, ¡°I might have crashed my Space-Slider into your moon by accident.¡±
¡°Hey,¡± Cyborg says warmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry ¡®bout it. That¡¯s up there, and we¡¯re down here. Just like they¡¯re,¡± he pointed upward, ¡°fightin¡¯ those assholes up there, while we¡ sorry, but this is weird, right? It just feels wrong to be relaxin¡¯ while an alien invasion is happenin¡¯ above us!¡±
¡°That is what I said!¡± Starfire exclaims, then sniffs, ¡°What is that smell?¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Robin says, ¡°that smells like fresh popcorn!¡±
¡°Bro,¡± Cyborg says, tapping his shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re Batman and Robin. Aren¡¯t you bothered by him leaving you here?¡±
Robin wavers but shrugs, ¡°Yeah, of course! I¡¯m worried about them both! But, at the same time, I trust them.¡± He lays his head against the table, ¡°And besides, he and I have been chasing the Joker for nearly over a month now, almost catching him in three states. I need a break.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Cyborg says slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll bet even heroes gotta go to school.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Robin, realizing how the last word was emphasized, sits up slowly. Of all the people who could have said that, and the way Victor Stone, his old friend, emphasized that word. But Victor wasn¡¯t done.
¡°I dunno how you guys do it, though,¡± He says, ¡°I mean, stayin¡¯ up all night, beatin¡¯ up bad guys, then pretending you guys didn¡¯t do anything in the mornin¡¯. What about the guys you can¡¯t save?¡± He clenches his fist, ¡°I tried to save a guy tonight, and now, he¡¯s dead.¡±
Both Starfire and Robin gasped.
Oh, yeah, Robin realizes, in all the excitement, we forgot about Old Tom Sawyer.
¡°I was good, you know,¡± Victor continues, ¡°I was good at school, I was good with my girlfriend, my mom, and now!¡± He exclaims, appearing to hold himself down, his only eye watering, ¡°What did I do to deserve this? If I keep helpin¡¯ people, ain¡¯t some good supposed to come back to me?¡±
He looks at Robin. Robin can see the question for what it is: a plead. Though he wasn¡¯t expecting this, Robin knows what to answer.
¡°No,¡± he says softly, ¡°no, not always. Sometimes, bad things happen. Sometimes all you want to do is get by, and then¡¡±
Victor stares at him. Robin is almost certain he knows who he¡¯s staring at.
¡°Is that why you do it?¡± Victor asks.
¡°No more than why you helped Linda Reed,¡± Robin says smiling, ¡°or why she couldn¡¯t help but give her tips to a homeless man, even though she needs it: it¡¯s just who you are.¡±
Victor¡¯s eyes trail downward.
¡°If I may,¡± Starfire interjects, and they look at her, ¡°I know what pain and heartache feels like, Cyborg.¡±
Cyborg puts his forearm on the table, ¡°You do, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°The Gordanians took me away from my parents.¡±
Cyborg absorbs this notion. He nods somberly.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He says.
¡°As am I,¡± she replies. She smiles with them.
¡°SON OF A¨C¡±
The yell startles the occupants. They can hear clanging and glass breaking from beyond the counter.
¡°I WAS GONNA SAY GUN!!!¡± He shouts, ¡°ALSO, I¡¯M FINE!¡±
Cyborg turns to Robin, ¡°Okay, what¡¯s his story? Cause I¡¯ve been running his face through a facial recognition software, but I keep drawin¡¯ blank.¡±
Robin blinks, ¡°Er, maybe that¡¯s for the best.¡±
¡°I mean, I did see this news article about a bullet train disaster in Japan and found some footage of Bunny Boy walking away from that.¡± He pauses, ¡°Then he started dancing.¡±
¡°What is a ¡®bullet train¡¯?¡± Starfire asks, ¡°Is it a creature native to your world? Did the ¡®Bunny Boy¡¯ dance as a sign of victory?¡±
Cyborg and Robin blink in unison.
¡°Uh, well¨C¡±
¡°Kinda.¡± Robin says lopsidedly, then hesitantly, ¡°It¡¯s complicated. He¡¯s not really a hero, but he¡¯s not a villain either.¡±
¡°He attacked me.¡± Starfire says.
Robin winces, ¡°I guess he thought you were hurting everyone.¡±
Starfire frowns, looking down, ¡°Even so¡¡± A scent entered her nose, a warm scent that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
¡°Hey,¡± Robin says gently, ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, he¡¯s gonna have to apologize too.¡±
Starfire smiled brightly, then asked:
¡°What is that delicious aroma?¡±
¡°Who said Japan?¡±
The three look away to see Jagger walking toward them. The smell hit them all, but only Robin and Cyborg knew what it was: popcorn, but with a deepness they couldn¡¯t quite describe. Jagger struggles to hold the bags as if he was holding a grand bouquet of flowers. In an instant, he passes the big bags to each recipient, smoothly shuffling them in his arms like playing cards.
Cyborg looks at the popcorn in his bag, vaguely wondering if this guy was playing some sick prank on him by giving him all the burnt ones. But Cyborg realizes that he can¡¯t smell any burnt popcorn and sees that the other three have the same brownish, buttery pile. Cyborg scanned the popcorn: he detected vanilla, high amounts of sugar, cacao beans¨C
¡°Wait,¡± Cyborg says, fighting a grin, ¡°did you mix this with chocolate?¡±
Jagger starts eating, ¡°Yeah.¡± standing around, watching their reactions.
Starfire happily shoves the popcorn in her mouth, chews, then says:
¡°It tastes richer and smoother but just as good!¡±
¡°Jagger,¡± Robin says, ¡°you¡¯re going to give us so many cavities!¡±
Is that a problem?¡± Jagger asks.
¡°Hell no!¡±
With that, the teens happily munched on the overly abundant, sweetly salted snack. Jagger silently thanks fate that no one asks for more, as he hoped to keep the six other bags in the back for himself. This relief is tested when Robin asks if he made any more, to which Jagger lies almost smoothly. But Robin has been taught to be a detective and asks Jagger if it''s okay to check. Jagger groans and acquiesces, trudging to the kitchen to fetch the rest. Cyborg admonishes him for hiding the bags, and after Robin declares that one bag is enough for him, Cyborg and Starfire get the three each. Jagger retaliates by flinging a kernel at his face, to which Cyborg repeats the response. One by one, two by two, three by an entire bag hitting Jagger¡¯s face, Starfire catching kernels every so often, and Robin laughing at all of it. Despite their costumes, their masks, his cybernetic body, her orange skin and red star-colored hair, you would only suspect to see four adolescents enjoying the night, their laughter lingering.
She felt all of this, these raw emotions that healed them from their troubles and trials, and knew, truly, that it had to last.
When Jagger shields from a new bag, he¡¯s thrown off his chair, crawling on the floor for the bag, and sees a shoe instead. Goth, punk-style shoes with twin purple flaps hanging on the sides. They¡¯re suddenly obscured by an extremely dark blue or purple cape, like bat wings, and the movement snaps Jagger into action. He backflips into a crouch, reaching for his hands, then stops.
The others have noticed as well, and Robin is the first to respond:
¡°Where did you come from? Who¡¡±Robin¡¯s words died on his lips, not easing Jagger¡¯s nerves.
Standing before, smoke dissipating, a clocked figure that the lights struggle to define; whereas Jagger¡¯s clothes are graying and fading in their blackness and ash-covered, this girl seems the midnight dreary spoken and echoing long after midnight. She stands hooded, this silken, sad, and uncertain purple or dark blue figure, demure and lonely even in the room with the liveliest strangers. But perhaps she wasn¡¯t darkness peering into light, as more a lost bird, not seeking a fight. And a bird she resembles, with only her pale jaw and lidded eyes peeking below the thick and angular hood shaped like a beak.
¡°Forgive me,¡± she speaks, ambling, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle any of you.¡±
¡°Hello,¡± says Starfire smiling, ¡°Robin, is this perhaps a friend you know?¡±
But Robin doesn¡¯t answer.
¡°Drawing a blank, I see,¡± Cyborg says, turning left to see Jagger backing up and placing a metallic hand on his shoulder, ¡°Hey, man, you okay?¡±
Jagger freezes on contact and looks at Cyborg in seeming surprise. Cyborg raises a brow, but then the newcomer speaks again:
¡°My name is Raven.¡±
The teens look at each other.
¡°Hi, Raven,¡± they all say.
Raven blinks, ¡°Um¡hi.¡±
They all stand awkwardly, though Cyborg breaks the silence before it can become too awkward and confusing:
¡°Want some popcorn? It¡¯s chocolate flavor.¡±
Raven looks at the bags of popcorn. Then, she walks closer to them and takes the offered bag.
¡°I don¡¯t mean to impose,¡± she says.
¡°Too late,¡± Jagger says automatically.
¡°Hey!¡± Cyborg says, brows raised. Raven looks down, and Cyborg waves, ¡°No, no, ignore him.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she says, ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡± Before another uncomfortable silence takes hold of them, she continues, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate you have all met and recuperated. But you must hear my words! There is a new danger approaching, and we may be the only ones who can defeat it.¡±
Her audience looks at each other.
¡°New danger?¡± Starfire parrots, ¡°Do you mean the Gordanians?¡±
Raven shakes her head, ¡°Not even they, for all their destructive might, can hold a candle to this nightmare.¡±
¡°Oh, come on,¡± Cyborg says, laughing a little, ¡°whatever it is can¡¯t possibly be worse than an alien invasion.¡±
¡°It¡¯s going to submerge the world in poison gas.¡±
Everybody¡¯s heart stopped, and a slight breeze nudged the occupants, its whistle the only sound.
¡°I stand corrected,¡± Cyborg frowned.
¡°If the threat is so big,¡± Jagger says, drawing their attention, ¡°why come to us? Why not the League?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Robin crosses his arms, ¡°and how do you know any of this?¡±
Raven bends her head, ¡°Because the League will soon be too focused on keeping the alien threat at bay, and I know because I have foreseen it.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve foreseen it?¡± Robin says with a row raised, ¡°So, does that mean you¡¯re¨C¡±
¡°Psychic?¡± Cyborg asks.
¡°A soothsayer?¡± Starfire asks.
¡°A soothing psycho saying we should fight a worm?¡± Jagger asks.
¡°Rabbit!¡± Robin bites. Jagger held up his fingerless gloved hands.
Raven is still for a moment, then says, ¡°I¡¯m hardly a soothsayer. I have caught glimpses of the future, echoes of premonitions.¡±
¡°Kind of confusing,¡± said a new voice, ¡°but then, I¡¯m not a mystic.¡±
Unseen by all, Jagger stiffens and shifts behind Cyborg¡¯s robust form as everyone¡¯s attention has been gleaned by the newcomer¡¯s companion. She has bright, blonde hair fringing to the right side of her pretty face, a vibrant red cape connecting to her shoulders, and a familiar symbol on her chest. Her collar is deep blue, just like her sleeves, and beneath her blue abdomen is the golden V-shaped belt connected to a red skirt with strips that shape an M. Walking on red boots and bare thighs, she greets the others warmly, most recognizing her instantly. Still, only two people in the room know her personally.
¡°Hey, Supergirl!¡± Robin says, walking up to give her a fist bump, which she gladly accepts. ¡°Good to see another familiar face here.¡±
¡°Same here,¡± Supergirl smiles.
Cyborg raises a brow, ¡°I guess this place really did become a party. Looks like we¡¯re gonna be meetin¡¯ new people all night long.¡±
Robin directs her to the others, ¡°Supergirl, these are our new friends.¡±
¡°Yeah, how you doin¡¯?¡± Cyborg waves, his frown withering away by flecks.
Starfire outdoes this approach by zipping to Supergirl: ¡°Hello! I am Starfire! Are you the Supergirl I was told about?¡±
Supergirl shrugs, ¡°As long as the Supergirl you were told about is a good one. You may have met my cousin?¡±
Starfire beams, ¡°Oh, the Superman is your cousin! I hope we can be great friends!¡±
Supergirl laughs as the orange-skinned girl hugs her, ¡°Okay, yeah, I get the feeling we just might. Aliens have to stick together, right?¡±
Starfire recoils, ¡°How did you know I am not of the¡¡± Then, she peers at her pale skin compared to her own orange, ¡°Oh, right.¡±
Supergirl giggles, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡±
As they continue to speak, Supergirl notices a single heartbeat that rushes faster than the rest. She hones in on the source, glancing behind the tall Cyborg and catching the sight of two feet behind him disappearing. Frowning, she excuses herself from Starfire:
¡°Excuse me,¡± she says to Cyborg, ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name.¡±
¡°Mainly cause I didn¡¯t give it,¡± He states, ¡°but I¡¯m calling myself Cyborg.¡±
Supergirl pauses, then shrugs, ¡°Fair enough. Sorry, Cyborg, but can you do me a solid and turn around?¡±
¡°Hey,¡± Robin says suddenly, ¡°You guys said we have an emergency?¡±
¡°In a minute.¡± Supergirl states, ¡°I just need to talk to one more¡person.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Cyborg says, ¡°I was wondering where he went.¡± Cyborg¡¯s back faced Supergirl, and at that moment, he raises his voice, ¡°Hey, how are you doin''¨C? Get offa me! I said GET!!! OFF!!!¡±
Cyborg whirls around, this time throwing something onto the ground at Supergirl¡¯s feet. The White Rabbit picks himself up and, though taller than her, looks very small.
¡°Supergirl,¡± He says.
¡°White Rabbit,¡± she says in return.
All the room occupants are surprised by the contrast in their voices: one is devoid of emotion, and the other is tinged with demureness or perhaps fear. Supergirl¡¯s posture appears straighter, and her hands grip her elbows, while any confident swagger disappears under Jagger¡¯s now skittish legs, shifting feet, and bent posture. Behind the group, Raven raises her head, nearly peeking out of the hood. Supergirl appears to have more to say, while the White Rabbit remains motionless and slack in his body language, but they back away from each other. Supergirl sighs as she turns away, while Jagger releases a breath he was withholding.
Robin clears his throat, ¡°So, Supergirl, how¡¯d you meet Raven?¡±
Supergirl rubs the back of her head, smiling, the tension seemingly forgotten, ¡°Funny story.¡±
¡°Thank you, Amazonian training!¡± Supergirl yelled. Currently, she spun through the air like a throwing knife, gripping the alien¡¯s wings and riding him into the ground. The gordanian explodes into the road, face first. Supergirl flips him over; the gordanian tries to kick her off, prompting a blast of heat-vision into his chest. The gordanian is then grabbed by the ankles and slammed into the ground like a hammer.
Supergirl watches him groan and twitch, then decides the effort is too much. Supergirl brushes some pieces of bricks out of her blonde hair, making a noise. Then, she places her hands on her hips, grinning.
¡°What¡¯s the matter, guys?¡± She says, ¡°All bark and no bite? A pillow hits harder than you!¡± As if daring her to revise her statement, her shoulder throbbed, and her smile shook; she grasped her shoulder, ¡°Really hoping you guys don¡¯t understand English.¡±
The Gordanians pick themselves out from the road and the alleyway; one finally dislodges his head from a hole that held a fire hydrant, the water blasting upward and the gordanian spitting and sputtering out water. Weezak wipes his face off the water with throbbing claws, cracking them as they turn into fists. Supergirl scowled, rushing toward him in a burst of speed. Weezak flipped out a blaster, and an electrical blast wrapped Supergirl¡¯s form. Supergirl screamed before she could genuinely gasp. Weezak grinned as the female wailed and writhed as her hands flailed and receded, falling onto the ground as if debating in those painful moments whether to crawl away or curl into a ball. Until finally, the debate ended when her screams subsided.
Weezak and the others dragged themselves, limping or trudging towards Supergirl, who lay unmoving with strings of steam rising from her body, ¡°They¡¯re always so arrogant.¡± He flashed the blaster, ¡°We must thank our suppliers for the ¡®agony matrix¡¯ blasters.¡±
¡°If only we had used it on our first prize,¡± a soldier said, ¡°It would have saved us so much trouble.¡±
Weezak snickered. ¡°Well, now Trogaar knows not to leave Phusgra in charge of negotiations with Apokolips.¡± Then he crouched and said, ¡°Now, help me with this.¡±
¡°You think he¡¯ll survive his injuries?¡±
Weezak turned, ¡°Do you know, I really don¡¯t care. Phusgra has always been more trouble than he¡¯s w¡wait, what is happening?¡±
Mist had begun to rise all around them before it became denser and colder. Weezak turned sharply when something rang in his ears, but his weapon pointed at an empty street. The chill persisted, and Weezak¡¯s cold reptilian blood suddenly felt colder. His own shadow seemed longer and darker and growing by the second. Weezak froze. He looked up.
A pitch-black mass loomed over him. Weezak fired into it. When nothing happened, the mass attacked, locking its talons under Weezak¡¯s shoulders and dragging him around with his feet scraping on the road. Weezak thrashed beneath it, cursing at it, but the mass turned, and Weezak crashed into one of his soldiers, the force blasting them past the water spraying from the busted hydrant.
Weezak growls, picking himself off the soldier and clutching his head. He stumbles, falling to his knees, his vision now unfocused. He can hear his soldiers screaming and cursing. Weezak scrambles for his weapon, but he finds a rock instead. He clutches it, barely estimating where the battle occurred, and then throws it, hoping it hits the creature. One of his soldiers yelps, then gets silenced by a louder thud. Weezak breathes heavily, trying to peer past the water blasting upward.
Supergirl walks around it; steam still stuck to her shoulders, her red cape sagging over her, and with a stern glare. She clutches her shoulder, then releases it and makes a fist.
¡°Sun¡¯s almost up,¡± she says, ¡°You can still take a NAP!!!¡± Her fist connects with Weezak¡¯s chin with a heavy crack like twenty jackhammers, and Weezak falls back onto the soldier he had crashed into. Supergirl watches him for a moment, then sighs. She turned around, stepping over the two unconscious bodies that she hadn¡¯t dealt with, pitied the one with a rock stuck in his mouth, and then met with her savior.
¡°Let me continue healing you,¡± Raven had said.
Supergirl flexed her hand, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine with the sun in another few hours.¡± Then thinks, ¡°Even though the sun¡¯s light is reflecting with the moon.¡±
¡°Even so,¡± Raven said, almost wobbling.
Supergirl noticed this, ¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°You did the most,¡± Raven replied, ¡°I can take the rest of it.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I can take your pain and make it my own,¡± Raven said, ¡°those are part of my powers, as I am an empath, and I know I can help you.¡±
Superman reeled back slightly, then smiled, ¡°Hey, come on. Don¡¯t do that to yourself. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Raven looked through her hood, her pale hands poking through, then receding them back below her cloak. The two are quiet for a moment. Supergirl holds out her hand.
¡°I¡¯m Supergirl,¡± she says, ¡°In case it wasn¡¯t obvious.¡±
¡°I know,¡± the other girl said, taking her hand with a nonexistent grip. ¡°My name is Raven.¡±
¡°So,¡± Supergirl says, ¡°pardon me if I¡¯m judging by the cover, but you out here often?¡±
¡°I am here because I need to be here,¡± Raven answers in a grave and heavy tone. ¡°There are others, like us, who have the abilities needed to combat an encroaching parasite that will shake the Earth.¡±
Supergirl was silent, blinking twice.
¡°Man, I wish I could start a sentence like that.¡±
Raven¡¯s head lowered, ¡°You make fun of me.¡±
¡°No, no!¡± Supergirl¡¯s hands flew up, ¡°You¡¯re okay! It¡¯s just, I mean, an alien invasion is bad, but I think we¡¯ll handle it.¡±
¡°Not these aliens,¡± Raven said slowly, ¡°Something worse.¡±
¡°After you and I beat these guys, the bar¡¯s pretty low,¡± Yet, even after saying that, something in Raven¡¯s tone inspired Supergirl to listen.
¡°This threat,¡± Raven said, ¡°will make them look like gnats by comparison¡unless we stop them.¡±
Supergirl stares at Raven, crosses her arms, and says, ¡°Okay, I get you. What do we do?¡±
¡°And now we¡¯re here,¡± Supergirl states, smiling lopsidedly.
The other teens share looks with each other, with Robin tilting his head towards the messengers and Starfire nodding emphatically. Cyborg is still for a moment, but then he nods his head and cracks the joints in his mechanical knuckles. Robin smiles, then watches Jagger shift in place. He bends his head downward, sighs deeply, and lifts his mask to rub his face. To Robin, the action was so relatable, a far cry from the bouncing menace from a few hours ago.
Jagger lowers his Usagi mask and says, ¡°Sure.¡±