Disclaimer: I don't own JLU, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, or Disney's Gargoyles (of which I've borrowed many ideas, especially from the episode 'The Mirror.)
Original Prankster
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Old adage
Thou speak'st aright;
I am that merry wanderer of the night.
I jest to Oberon and make him smile
When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal:
And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl,
In very likeness of a roasted crab,
And when she drinks, against her lips I bob
And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale.
The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,
And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough;
And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,
And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear
A merrier hour was never wasted there. (Act ii., Scene i.)
Puck/Robin Goodfellow speaking about himself, A Midsummer Night's Dream
…………..x………….
Chapter 1: Enter Puck
"Watch it, he's getting away!"
Green Arrow fitted an arrow to his bow, drew back the bow string and released it. The arrow skimmed through the air as a large net opened out of where the arrowhead should have been. It enclosed about its target with a 'thud' as it hit the ground. Beneath the net, Copperhead struggled to free himself.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been the quarry that the Green Arrow was really after.
Oliver Queen watched in dismay as Lex Luthor, the Key, and Tala the sorceress disappeared in a blinding magical light. Not only had the sorceress pulled them to safety, but also the large flat item that they had stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
They had taken an ancient, man-sized mirror. The Green Arrow as of yet did not understand the significance of this mirror. Nor did he yet realize that the day to come would be one of the most memorable in his life.
Green Arrow heard a deep sigh and turned to see that Dr. Fate had appeared next to him. The man did not appear happy.
"What did they steal?" Ollie asked carefully. To this, the wizard sighed again.
"They took the mirror of Titania, Queen of the Third Race."
Oh yes, it was going to be a bad day.
…………….x…………….
"Titania's Mirror," Wonder Woman mused. "I've heard of it. I believe Mother mentioned it once."
The seven original members of the Justice League sat around the table in the boardroom. Green Arrow, Black Canary, Zatanna, and Dr. Fate had also joined them.
"Wait…you mean faeries actually exist?" John Stewart asked. To this, Zatanna and Dr. Fate nodded, as did Diana.
"They've gone by different names," Zatanna answered. "Some cultures have called them faeries, others dark elves."
"They are changelings…shape shifters," Dr. Fate continued. "They are creatures of pure magic. Not only that, but their magic is of a different sort than that used by human magi. It is wilder and more powerful."
There was a pause as the others digested this. Batman crossed his fingers as he narrowed his eyes. The Amazon princess appeared deep in thought as she tapped a finger to her lips.
"So…" the Flash finally said. "What does Baldy want with Tinkerbell's mirror?"
"I don't know," Dr. Fate admitted. "It is an ancient artifact of immense power. It was forged for Queen Titania by Hephaestus, on order of King Oberon. Princess," he said, turning to the Amazon. "You said you've heard of this mirror?"
"I have," Diana answered, "But Mother didn't say much about it. She met Titania and her court once." There was a pause as she continued dryly. "A faerie named Puck had the gall kiss her on the cheek, right before he pinched her nose." She glared suddenly when she noticed smirks on several faces.
"What?" she asked icily. No one dared to answer.
"I've read A Midsummer Night's Dream," Clark Kent finally said. The others gave him a disbelieving look, to which the farmer's son defensively replied that he'd read it in high school.
"Anyway," the Kryptonian continued with some embarrassment, "It's just a story, isn't it? Fiction?"
"The story itself is," Diana answered. "Shakespeare used my mother as a character." There was a pause, followed by a derogatory sniff. "She was supposed to marry a man named Theseus in it." Wally West began to snicker, but stopped at another glare from the powerful woman.
"Titania and Oberon rule the fae folk, also called Oberon's Children or the Third Race," Zatanna finally said. "However, about a thousand years ago, Titania and Oberon had a disagreement, to which Titania and several hundred of the fae were temporarily banished from Avalon. I'm afraid I don't know the true number. It may be higher."
"That's some disagreement," Shayera muttered.
"So what happened to Titania and her…er…minions?" Wally West asked.
"Wally!" Diana chastised.
"What?"
"They are not 'minions'."
"Okay, okay…" the Speedster amended. "So where are her cronies….?"
"Wally!"
"I'd keep your mouth shut if I were you Kid," the Green Lantern advised. The Flash flinched as Batman too turned to glare at him. The younger man shrugged to himself and crossed his arms. Geez, doesn't anyone have a sense of humor?
"I imagine they are hiding," Dr. Fate answered. "They keep out of sight, even from humans of the magical community. However, I do know that occasionally they take on a human body and live in the mortal realm."
"This is all nice and interesting," Green Arrow finally interrupted. "But what about the mirror?"
…………..x……………
Lex Luthor smiled to himself as he examined the ancient mirror. A dark gold frame adorned the clear mirror. Engraved into the gold were delicate images of leafy vines and silver studded stars.
"So with this mirror, I can control a fae?" he asked. Lex resisted the urge to touch the strange object. He had learned from long experience that one did not randomly touch mysterious magical objects.
Not unless you were prepared to face the consequences at any rate.
"Yes," Tala answered. Her long hair swayed as she glided gracefully up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. It lingered there for a moment before she used it to point at the mirror.
"A fae can be summoned if the human knows its true name, but only if it is nearby," she continued. "This mirror acts as an amplifier for fae magic. It not only increases a fae's power, but one that has been summoned through the mirror can be controlled by the summoner."
"Then what're we waiting for?" The Key asked. "Then let's summon the most powerful…Titania or Oberon." Luthor turned sharply on the other man.
"We? I will summon the creature. It will answer to me and only me," he growled.
"Not the rulers," the sorceress advised carefully. "They are too powerful to be controlled, even with the mirror."
"Then who?" Luthor countered. "You said yourself that a faerie's true name must be invoked." To that, Tala smiled.
"If we can not summon the king or queen, then let us summon their servant. Puck, or Robin Goodfellow as Shakespeare called him, is said to be a faerie of great power," she said.
"Puck?" The Key questioned. "He actually exists too? I thought he was fake?"
"No," the sorceress shook her head. "He is real. Shakespeare supposedly met the real Puck once and used him as a character in his play. At least, that is the story among the magical community."
"You suggest that I summon a known trickster?" Lex asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you playing at Tala?"
"A known trickster who will be under your control," she pointed out. "Not only will the mirror and the spell give you control, but these chains will also prevent him from attempting escape." She pointed to a thin, heavy metal chain that she had wrapped around the mirror.
"Iron is their kryptonite." Tala ran a finger along the metal chain. "This chain isn't entirely iron, as that would poison a fae and limit their magic. However, there is a sufficient amount present to prevent him from being able to break the chain." She turned to Lex.
"We are able to proceed. Unless, of course, you doubt your own abilities to control a fae," she continued slyly. Lex glared at her and crossed his arms.
"I am quite confident in my abilities," Luthor answered dryly.
"Then what're we waiting for?" the Key asked. "The League to find us?"
"Yes, I agree," Lex said. He nodded his head as he held out his hands to Tala.
"What do I need to do, sorceress?"
……………….x…………….
Helena Bertinelli paused as she looked at her watch. 10:38 am. Vic had promised to meet her for an early lunch.
Surpringly, she had convinced him to eat at somewhere else besides McDonalds. She shook her head. That man…
For all his supposed crack headed conspiracy theories, Vic Sage had double standards. While complaining about government monopolies and corporate conglomerates, he had no problem with shopping at clearly corrupt places like Walmart or eating at massive fast food chains that were probably conspiring to give everyone heart burn.
Double standards. Infuriating man.
The Huntress gave a start when the left rearview mirror of her car suddenly cracked. Frozen, she stared at the mirror with a small shiver of dread. Seven years bad luck…
With a shake of her head, the Helena ignored the incident. She wasn't terribly superstitious by nature. However, the back of her mind still wondered why the mirror had cracked in the first place.
Was it an omen?
……………….x…………..
As instructed, Luthor faced the mirror and let out a long breath. Holding a silver bell in his right hand, he tapped an ancient gold ring against it. Four times he tapped it and four times he was answered by the crystal clear 'ting' of the bell.
"Cum iskeret argentum, et aum involare. Postea Puck ad speculum, Titania penetrare!" Lex spoke the spell clearly. Taking a white feather from Tala, he blew it towards the mirror. The feather floated gently down, brushing against the mirror.
The mirror shimmered like clear water. The feather disappeared into the mirror.
This had better work, Lex thought. To his relief the mirror began to glow from within with a soft green light. The light increased rapidly in intensity until it flashed like lightning. As the humans watched, a slender figure was forcefully pulled through the mirror and deposited at their feet.
There was a long moment of silence as the figure knelt on the ground, long silver hair obscuring the face. Long, pointed ears jutted out from beneath the hair.
Clear blue eyes met Lex's as the fae looked up at him, giving him a clear view of his face. His face, long and slender and nearly as pale as milk; high cheek bones and a long fragile nose framed the suspicious eyes studying him.
"Stand up Puck, I am your master now," Luthor ordered. The elf-like creature tilted his head as a quizzical expression crossed his face. Then with a graceful leap, the fae jumped to his feet. He was short, barely over five feet tall from Lex's estimate. The faerie looked around curiously before…
"Is this how you welcome all your guests?" the faerie whined, crossing his arms in annoyance.
"You're not a guest, you're my servant!" Lex snapped.
"Oh foo." Puck glared down at the chains binding his upper arms to his body. His lower arms were still free for limited movement. They had magically bound him after being pulled through the mirror.
"You just had to use iron, didn't you?" he continued to complain. Puck bounced on his feet as he stared accusingly at the tall, bald man in front of him.
"I had to make sure you don't try to escape," Lex smirked. "Of course, the spell and the mirror should prevent that. However, a smart man takes precautions." He felt a twinge of irritation as the faerie rolled his eyes dramatically.
"You have a problem serving humans, Elf?" he growled. The faerie's eyes twinkled merrily as he danced a step towards Lex.
"Nope!" Puck answered. "Humans are fun, Puck finds them fascinating. Most have a sense of humor…" Here he leaned in closer to Lex to glare at him and point an accusing finger, "however, you do NOT!"
"You break my heart Puck," Luthor answered dryly, pushing the smaller man away. "I laugh at many things. My favorite joke is when I get to hurt Superman and the League."
The fae snorted in reply. He looked around before floating up in the air, gazing around him in unbridled curiosity. Before Lex and the others could react, the faerie began zipping around the room to prod with fascination at various objects in the room.
"Wow!" the faerie exclaimed, zipping over to a display case. "The Spear of Longitis!"
"Puck!" Luthor roared. He yanked hard on the length of metal chain in his hand, Puck's own personal leash.
Grumbling, the faerie floated back down to him. Lex failed to see the covert glance that Puck sent his way, glaring darkly at the partially iron chain.
"Oh fiiiine. Let's just get this over with, shall we?" Puck asked, still floating in the air. He zoomed once around the room before coming back to float in front of Luthor. "Out with it, I haven't got all night!"
"You've got all eternity if I wish it!" Luthor yelled, trying unsuccessfully to hold in his growing irritation. He swiped angrily at the faerie. Puck zipped quickly out of the way and came back to float just outside of Luthor's reach.
"What?" Puck asked flippantly. "An eternity of service for a mortal?"
"I once had immortality!" Luthor snapped. He growled as the faerie grinned mockingly before zipping around the room a few more times.
"Oh yes, I forgot," the faerie replied sarcastically, continuing to float about the room. "You've still got your panties in a bunch from being separated from your beloved Siamese twin, Brainiac. Have you considered counseling?"
"Enough!" Luthor yelled. He felt Tala place a hand on his shoulder and Lex forced himself to calm down.
"How does he know about Brainiac?" the Key asked. The three humans looked at each other and then up at the faerie. Puck whistled innocently to himself as he floated above their heads.
"Puuuck?" Lex asked warningly.
"Puck knows many things," the faerie answered. His eyes twinkled merrily as he cheerfully regarded his 'master.' He zipped up to Luthor until his long nose was centimeters from Luthor's.
"I suppose you want immortality again, hmmmm?" Puck asked. His body turned in midair until the faerie was floating upside down.
"Of course you dimwit! With Brainiac, I had achieved virtual godhood!"
"And you want to be a god again, is that it?" Puck asked cheerfully. He floated over to Titania's mirror, landed, and leaned casually against it. "What does this look like, Aladdin's lamp?" He asked sarcastically. "I have limits you know."
"The mirror will amplify your powers," Tala answered, crossing her arms. Puck tilted his head as he regarded the sorceress. Then he turned around and tapped the surface of the mirror with one of his long fingers.
"What is it you reeeaaally want?" the faerie questioned dryly, eyeing Lex. The surface of the mirror shimmered and then cleared to reveal the image of a tall man dressed in blue. A large red 'S' adorned his chest.
"You want Superman?" the faerie asked mockingly. "Oh how quaint! I never knew you swung that way Luthor…"
"I don't you twit! I want him dead! That's what I want!" Luthor bellowed, a vein threatening to pop in his head. There was a sudden pause as a thought occurred to him. Lex rubbed his chin thoughtfully as a smirk grew to replace his earlier annoyance.
"Yes Puck…" Luthor said with new conviction. "I want you to kill Superman. He's vulnerable to magic."
"Kill?" the faerie asked merrily.
"Yes! Destroy him!"
With a mischievous smile, the faerie floated down next to Lex and hovered inches above the ground.
"Now did you say destroy him or destroy him?" Puck asked cheerfully. Seeing Luthor preparing to strike him, the faerie winked out and reappeared close to the mirror.
"Oh never mind, I'll figure it out," the faerie added, shrugging his shoulders. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them gleefully. This just might be fun after all...
Puck stepped out in front of the mirror and turned to face it. Floating a couple of feet into the air, he stretched out his lower arms to the mirror and spread his fingers. His eyes glowed with hidden power and a soft green light shimmered around the faerie.
"Beware Superman, Lex Luthor your sight doth offend; thus Puck will hasten to amend. Begone Kal'El, Last Man of Krypton, be ye not Superman forevermore!"
The three watching humans covered their eyes as Puck shot a blinding light from his hands, eyes, and mouth at the mirror. Instead of reflecting off, the magical energy disappeared through the mirror.
The light dimmed and Puck landed.
"Did you do it?" Luthor asked excitedly. "Is he gone?" Puck turned to him, eyes still aglow with magic light.
"Yes," Puck answered cheerfully. "He is gone. I did exactly as you asked!"
"Excellent," Luthor smiled malevolently. "But still I want to check. In the meantime…let's see what else you can do."
Puck hid a smirk, his eyes wild with barely contained mirth.
"Yes…" the faerie said quietly. "Let's see what merriment I can chance upon to play today."
…………….x……………
"Look," Superman stated, waving his hand. "It doesn't matter at the moment what this mirror may be able to do. The important thing is, it's dangerous in Luthor's hands."
"Yeah," Flash added. "We'd better find it and get it back before His Baldness uses it."
"How?" Shayera asked. "We can't…" The Thanagarian gasped as a bright light suddenly enveloped Superman. Clark gave a cry of surprise as he was picked magically out of his seat and pulled into the air.
"What's going on!?" John yelled. They all went on the defensive when a flash of green lightning appeared out of thin air and struck the Kryptonian.
"It's magic!" Zatanna yelled. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the energy that surrounded the writhing Clark. She fired a burst of magic, which bounced off of the green light.
"It's fae magic," Dr. Fate said with forced calmness. "It must be the mirror." The others stared wide eyed as Batman attempted to reach out to Superman.
Bruce's eyes widened as his eyes adjusted to the now dimming green light. Clark's shoulders were suspiciously smaller, his height shorter, his hips wider…
His eyes paused on the Kryptonian's altered chest.
There was a complete silence as all eyes stared at the now female Clark Kent.
"Ummm…." Flash stuttered in confusion. "Super…woman!?"
Faintly, the Scarlett Speedster thought he heard the sounds of light, cheerful laughter.
...x...
Author's Notes:
I got the idea for this story from an episode of Gargoyles called "The Mirror". However, many of the ideas are my own. I did pull a few quotes from Puck, of which I will list below so I'm not completely plagiarizing.
I've also posted youtube links for 'The Mirror' on my author profile for anyone who wants to watch it, as I pulled most of my inspiration for Puck from this episode (and other episodes) and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Brent Spiner does a wonderful job voicing the character. The Puck of this story, in my mind, sounds and looks much like the Puck from this series.
As for Puck, our little hellion will continue to raise even more mischief and chaos in following chapters as he puts his own twists on Luthor's commands. (And takes a few liberties of his own.)
Stolen quotes or ones I paraphrased from:
"They are changelings…shape shifters, creatures of pure magic."
"Cum iskeret argentums, et aum involare. Postea Puck ad speculum, Titania penetrare!" (With fire, silver, and gold combined, I summon Puck to pass through Titania's Mirror.)
"Is this how you welcome all your guests?"
"Serving humans is fun. They have a sense of humor. You…have NONE."
"Let's just get this over with, shall we? Out with it, I haven't got all night!"
"You have an entire millennium if I choose!"
"What does this look like, Aladdin's lamp? I have limits you know."
"What is it you reeeaaally want?"
"Did you say that human or that human? Oh never mind, I'll figure it out. This just might be fun after all."