Summary: Flash finally gets a date, the only question is: Will he survive?
Author's Notes by Centuri Eagle: A character named Onyx is featured in this story along with plenty of helpful input by the fan fiction writer of the same name.
When exchanging successive emails, fanfic author Onyx decided to loan me the use of her character to practice writing physical action sequences with. Being that I am a fan of Onyx's stories under the D.C. Superheroes category and being a lousy character creator myself I was glad to have the opportunity for collaboration with her.
Disclaimer: Onyx is a creation of and solely owned by fanfic author Onyx (whereas every other character in this story is a copyright property of Warner Bros. and Detective Comics).
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The Challenge of the Superfriend
By Centuri Eagle and Onyx
Rated PG-13
Chapter 1 – A Challenge from the Dark Knight
"You are way too young." Batman directed this comment at the young woman in front of him. He had memorized all the details from the Oracle's database about her but seeing her in person was a different matter altogether. She was as strikingly beautiful as she was young and confident. Her name was Onyx and she claimed to want to join the Justice League.
"I'm not that much younger than Flash." Her green eyes glared back at him, refusing to be denied.
Batman grimaced at this information. Superman had brought this junior superhero into the Watchtower because the Man of Steel thought she showed promise. That meant she already had his vote of approval. If she had managed to get Flash to reveal his age she might already have won his favor as well.
"You also have too little experience. Even Flash had a reputation on his own before he joined."
"You're just looking for reasons now. Any excuse to turn me down." Onyx maintained a calm and civil tone even if her words were petulant.
"Onyx," Batman began. "I don't need a reason to give you a thumbs down. It takes a unanimous vote of approval for a new member to join, and any of us can say no without any questions asked."
"Hmm…" Onyx looked more thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Look, Batman. As you already know, I can change my shape just like J'onn can. I may have a lot more experience then your detective skills have been able to dredge up on me. It's just that I don't like publicity, and also due to the fact that I sometimes take on someone else's form. I do that to intimidate criminals who might otherwise not be frightened by me. Such as I am."
Onyx waved a delicately fingered hand in a gesture to indicate her lean feminine form. An evaluative glance at the prospective member led Batman to agree. Her jet-black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and her athletic body spoke a certain amount of readiness and physical capability. However, an alluringly pretty girl with a good figure would deter no true evil doer from crime. At least, those qualities alone would not be enough.
"Alright, Onyx. Two last questions. One: Is that your true form?"
"Humph. Next question." Onyx's response was quick and clearly beyond contention.
Batman was not totally surprised by this response. He realized that if she had gone to the trouble of maintaining a form other than her natural one to this point she probably would not bother to divulge that fact upon a simple inquiry. On the other hand, if the form she currently held was her real one, she would, of course, find such a question insulting. It was no big deal. He had other ways.
"Okay then. Number two. I suspect you take on people's appearances by reading their minds. What I want to know is this: Do you require a telepathic connection in order to obtain the powers and capabilities of the person as well?"
Batman could practically see the psychological drama unfolding behind the calm veneer of Onyx's tan features. Her bright green eyes looked down unblinkingly as she formulated an answer that would give the Dark Knight confidence in her veracity without divulging any weakness on her part. Batman smiled.
"I'll tell you what," he said before she could answer. He stood up and collected from the table the scattered papers of the file he had put together on her. "I will vote yes to letting you join if you can meet one challenge I have in mind for you. A sort of 'test' of your skills."
At that news Onyx could not resist telepathically probing Batman's brain to find out what kind of trial he was envisioning. When she saw what he was seeing she gave her definitive answer without hesitation.
"No problem, Sir," she said with youthful enthusiasm. "I agree. No problem. One thing though, Batman. You are going to have me take on Flash, right? I think in all honesty I should tell you that he asked me out on a date…like tomorrow night. It probably won't be much of a challenge if I go up against him. I mean he just might let me win…just to be a gentleman maybe."
Batman turned around to see that she was now standing too. She was taller than average height for a woman, but not yet quite as tall as Diana was. She had a good five or six inches on Hawkgirl. She was wearing a form fitting black jump suit made of a material that while it clung closely to her body, it seemed to allow her comfortable freedom of movement. That sense of style and functionality reminded him of a certain catwoman.
"Don't worry." said Batman. A wry smirk was becoming visible beneath his cowl.
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Later, Flash and Onyx met in the empty shuttle bay. The Javelin spacecraft had apparently been remotely piloted out and the entire space was empty. A line dividing the bay in half marked the floor. Across the line and at the far end of the giant room a shiny metal cylinder lay on the floor. Everything was just as it had appeared in Batman's mind. Flash walked over with the silly grin that was his trademark. He carried a metal hoop in one hand.
"Hey, Babe. Don't worry. You are in like flint. Me and bats play this game with all the hot shots who want to join up, but then none of them were hotties like you."
"Um, that's okay, Flash," Onyx protested. "You just stick with whatever you normally do. I'll just earn my place on the team like everyone else. You don't have to pull any punches for me."
"Hey, don't worry, honeybunch." Flash put an arm around Onyx's shoulder. "I'll make it look authentic. No one will be any the wiser…"
"No. Really, Flash, I…" Onyx again tried to convince him of her sincere wish to accomplish the challenge legitimately. Her words were cut off by an interruption from Batman.
"Alright. I believe you two have already met so I will skip introductions." Batman was addressing them by loudspeaker. They could see him talking into a microphone while looking down on them from an observation deck that overlooked the shuttle bay.
"Onyx, I think you know what this about," Batman's amplified voice began in explanation. "But to be fair I will explain the rules. It is simple. It is basically capture the flag. The flag in this case is the metal capsule you see at the far end of the bay near the hangar doors. To get into the spirit of this test you may wish to pretend that the capsule contains something the rest of Justice League needs to continue a mission. It might be Green Lantern's power battery, Wonder Woman's lasso, or…"
"…Or Batman's Viagra." Flash quipped while imitating Batman's overly dramatic tone.
Onyx laughed.
"Flash will be defending the 'flag' from you, Onyx." Batman continued "He will prevent you from getting the capsule by any means necessary. Once you cross the line, Onyx, you are in his territory, and then he can do whatever he needs or wants in order to stop you. You have just sixty seconds to get the flag back over to your side of the line, Onyx. Any questions?"
"No," chimed in Onyx quickly. "Sixty seconds to glory."
"There is just one more thing, Onyx" Batman's voice now took on a more matter-of-fact tone. "Flash will be wearing a head band that a gorilla named Solovar gave us. I will be wearing a mind control helmet that I picked up from a Gorilla named Grodd. I have modified the two devices sufficiently so that the headband on Flash will prevent you from tapping his mind telepathically while allowing me to motivate him sufficiently with this mind control helmet."
Onyx looked up at the observation deck and saw that Batman was indeed putting some kind of open faced helmet over top of his usual mask cowl.
"Are you ready?" Batman asked.
Onyx sighed to herself and wondered why she had not detected this part of the plan in her previous telepathic inspection of Batman's brain.
"Yes. I'm ready," she said.
"Good. Flash get over on your side of the line and put on the head band."
"Okey-dokey artichokey." jibed Flash.
Flash stepped over the line and looked at Onyx.
"Don't worry, Babe. Even with this thing on I would never hurt…"
The second Flash put the headband on his eyes and face went blank. Onyx tried to probe his mind but she got the mental equivalent of white noise. It was like trying to read Braille with gloves on.
Batman's voice boomed over the loud speaker.
"Onyx, your sixty seconds begins…now. Flash, stop her at all cost!"