23:19 EDT
The Watchtower
"Recognized Nightwing, B01."
Taking a deep breath, the Gotham hero stepped into the familiar satellite base of the League. It had been years since he had left The Team in Kaldur's hands. Years since Wally's death. Even after all this time, he wasn't sure if he was fully ready to manage The Team again, but Kaldur had insisted that this was something he needed his help with and Kaldur was never one to exaggerate. For this to work out though, Dick knew he would have to put all of the memories from those days and his personal feelings aside, even if his friend's death was still a wound that never quite healed.
As he made his way to the briefing room, he passed many familiar faces both young and old. Faces that he had trained and faces that he looked up to as a kid and still held a reverence for. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he was just a sidekick and a member of The Team, yet he could remember the first time he stepped into Mount Justice like it was yesterday. He changed a lot since then. They all had. It had been years since he last saw Connor, Megan, Kaldur, and Artemis. He'd mostly just catch small bits of news about their missions from passing conversations, but never anything substantial or anything that really mattered. He could have easily contacted them, asked how they were doing, but he never did and he didn't have a good enough reason for not doing so. Thinking about it now, he felt guilty for having drifted so far away from the people he had once saw as family in efforts to spare himself from future harm. Being a hero meant that you had to put the lives of others before your own. He knew that and so did Wally, but it didn't make the loss any easier.
Approaching the briefing room, the metal door slid open and Nightwing stepped inside, being the last to arrive due to some earlier trouble with Penguin and his goons. As he entered, Aqualad immediately crossed the room and the two clasped hands.
"Nightwing. It is good to see you again, my friend," the Atlantean greeted warmly.
"Yeah, you too. It's been way too long," Nightwing replied, a genuine and boyish grin pulling on his lips.
"I agree," he said, matching his smile before turning to the other occupants of the room. Batman and Martian Manhunter stood off to the side expectantly.
"Greetings, Nightwing. Let us go forward with this meeting then, shall we?" the Martian stated.
Batman stepped forward. "The previous team we assembled has grown out of their roles and are now taking on solo missions of their own. The Team has been vacant for a while now and we are in need of new members. We want you and Aqualad to recruit and manage this next group. Red Tornado and Black Canary will also be of assistance, but seeing as you two were members of the original team and know the strengths and weaknesses that come with new youths working together, we want you both to be the primary overseers."
Nightwing glanced from his friend to his old mentor, still quite confused, before stepping up. "But why do you need my help? Kaldur managed the previous Team just fine on his own. What's changed?"
"You know we would not have asked for your help if it was not necessary," Kaldur replied diplomatically, knowing that The Team was still a sore topic for him.
"With the previous team, we had members from the original team among their ranks. They were experienced, knew the way of the field, and we knew they were trustworthy. If we assemble a new team, however, there will no longer be that insurance. Some will lack the experience and the knowledge of the sacrifices one must make to be a hero, and others will have to gain the League's trust. Nevertheless, it is our duty to do what we can to help them hone their skills and abilities and prepare them as the next generation of heroes," Martian Manhunter explained as Batman turned on the large screen monitor.
The monitor lit up with life before displaying a map of the United States. The picture first zoomed in on Southern New York State before focusing on a forested, isolated mountain.
"We have set up Anvil Peak to be the new base for The Team," Batman stated. "You'll find that it has a very similar setup to the former base in Happy Harbor, with upgraded technology and security of course. This base, however, hasn't been compromised and is safe from enemy knowledge for the time being. It is perfectly isolated in the Appalachian Mountains as well so we don't need to worry about any civilian casualties if an incident similar to the one that took place at Mount Justice should occur."
The two younger heroes couldn't help but wince at the memory, but Nightwing was the first to speak. "Why not train them at The Watchtower like the others?"
"This is a fresh new group of kids and we're not sure if we can give them full clearance into The Watchtower just yet. Maybe, in time, but for now we will have to monitor their progress from afar. There are too many risks with inducting a completely new group. That's why we need you, Nightwing. We have a list of potential members in mind, but this group isn't like any of the previous ones. Some may have experience as sidekicks but others are troubled and need our guidance. This is not a job Kaldur can do alone. I'm counting on you to help him. I'm counting on you to help them. Can you do this?"
Kaldur placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him an understanding smile. He knew it wasn't necessarily the easiest thing for him to do. "We will understand if you decline the offer, but I know that these kids will greatly benefit from your help. The old team, they look up to you. I know this new group will do the same."
Nightwing sighed as he struggled with an internal debate. He was a hero. He was supposed to be brave and he couldn't keep hiding like this forever. Perhaps now was the time for him to move forward. Finally making up his mind, he stood straighter. "Who are the new recruits?"
A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of Batman's mouth as they turned back to the screen. A number of headshots and names illuminated the screen side by side, each face and expression vastly different from one another.
"These are the kids we have in mind."
02:37 EDT
The Iceberg Lounge, Gotham City
Thirty-seven minutes late. He was thirty-seven minutes late to a meeting at his own lounge. If he hadn't run into that bird boy menace he wouldn't be the next laughing stock among the villains. Employees and patrons alike scrambled out of the way as The Penguin stalked into The Iceberg Lounge, clearly roughened up and in a mood, and the boss in a mood was not one anybody wanted to further irritate.
At a brisk pace, he made his way through the twisting corridors before arriving at his private meeting room. Of course everybody else was already present, some looking very impatient and others looking quite at home like the Joker. Long before he entered the room, Oswald could already hear the clown's obnoxious cackle down the hall.
"Look who decided to show his pretty face!" The clown in question exclaimed from his seat, his feet kicked up on the mahogany table and streaking it with mud and what he could only assume was blood. Some people just didn't have an appreciation for the finer things in life. "Ooh, and what a mug it is! Got quite the shiner there, huh Cobblepot? Did you get mugged along the way?"
"What's black and white and red all over?" an amused Riddler joined in.
"Shove off," The Penguin grumbled angrily, dignifiedly taking his place at the table and immediately motioning for a glass of scotch. God, he needed a drink.
"Enough," Count Vertigo said with finality. "We have business here tonight." The villains seemed to sober up as a seriousness descended upon them. Seeing as he had their full attention, he continued. "With every day, the heroes and their brotherhood grow larger and stronger. They stand together and have become a formidable force - a force that we have allowed to grow too powerful for too long and now they have become our greatest threat… and we cannot possibly defeat the Justice League when we each stand alone."
"What exactly are you proposing?" Poison Ivy drawled from her seat.
"I mean to reinstate the Injustice League. Not only does the Justice League pose a threat, but The Light has proven to also be an enemy worth keeping an eye on as well. I am extending the invitation to everyone present to join me and my operations."
"Got some ideas rolling around in that head of yours, hmm?" The Joker spoke up. A crimson grin split across his pale face but his eyes glinted dangerously. "And what's in it for me? Last time I saw the likes of you, you were a free man while I took a lovely little trip to the good Asylum. If my memory serves me right, the others didn't do so hot either."
"We were mere puppets to The Light then. We answer to no one but ourselves now, and you might find it quite beneficial, Joker. A villain has many enemies including other villains, but with us you will find your allies when the heroes start picking us off one by one," he answered before turning to the others. "We can no longer stand apart and expect to survive. The Justice League and The Light are powerful forces that need to be balanced and none of us can do it alone."
"And as our first order of business, what would you have us do?" The Penguin questioned, always the shrewd businessman.
Vertigo eyed them all meaningfully with a critical eye before continuing. "We form a new team of villains. The Justice League have already began cultivating the next generation of superheroes, securing their numbers and ranks in the future. Unlike most villains, the heroes are already starting to work together and properly hone their potential at an early age. Perhaps not now, but in the future they will pose a serious problem as they will have an advantage their predecessors did not have."
"You're suggesting that we form a group of brats?" The Riddler questioned with a frown. "What are you investing in, Count?"
"I'm investing in our future and the balance of power," Vertigo clarified, finding it hard not to show his annoyance. "We are stronger together and I am insuring that the next generation of villains are ready to face their enemies with the same benefits the heroes' sidekicks get. I refuse to allow our legacy to be wiped out because we refused to adapt and take action now."
He keenly observed the room as the others quietly mulled over the proposal. After a beat, Ivy leaned back in her chair, having decided. "I'm in."
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Riddler stated noncommittally.
The Penguin nodded. "To an investment for the future," he said, raising his glass and downing the rest of his scotch. The rest of the room seemed to be in agreement, each giving their approval.
With a smirk, Count Vertigo stepped forward. "I am appointing Ivy to recruit our newest members. Do you accept?"
"I do," the villainess replied with a sharp grin.
"I would have assigned Harley with you, but I'm afraid she will not be joining us."
"She will join," Ivy replied definitively. "Something just didn't settle well with her." The Joker either missed or chose to ignore the subtle glare she sent his way.
"Well, send Miss Quinn my regards. I leave the overseeing of our newest recruits to the two of you," he said before addressing the room once more. "Now, let us begin Project Genesis… I have a few potential candidates in mind."
A/N: Hi guys! Yes, so I'm doing a SYOC with both a hero group (The Team) and a villain group (Genesis). So this is my first SYOC in a while and my first YJ SYOC, but I'm hoping to hit the ground running. While I am trying to brush up on my Young Justice knowledge (mostly through Google and YouTube), I'm also a bit rusty so please if I mix something up or if you have any recommendations, let me know. I'm definitely open to suggestions! Seriously, I may be biting off more than I can chew, so I'll take all the help I can get. Before we get into the rules and the things you need to know (which I highly suggest you take a good look at before submitting even if it's an intimidating wall of text), I have some questions for you reviewers.
1. Kind of a lame first question, but how did you enjoy the prologue, cameos, and the writing style? Is there anything I need to work on for future chapters?
2. Which heroes and villains do you want to see make an appearance both YJ canon and non-canon? I'd love to also incorporate some comic book heroes and villains.
===================RULES===============
1. I will be accepting characters through PM ONLY. While I love reviews, I will not accept any forms through the reviews to avoid cluttering the review section and to keep characters a surprise for everyone.
2. Reviewing and following/favoriting gives you a higher chance of being accepted as it'll let me know if you're committed to the story and keeping up with it. Seriously, usually only those who get accepted read the story. Don't just do a hit and run and take up a spot that someone who would have liked to see their character in this story could have had. I will usually have questions at the end of chapters, but it would be nice to not only give feedback on your character, but others as well.
3. You can submit as many characters as you like but I will try to accept only one character per author. Because of this, I don't recommend submitting twins or siblings as the characters created tend to be dependent on each other, which makes it harder for me to accept only one of them. I will make a small exception if you want to submit two characters on different teams.
4. I am only taking one sidekick per hero or villain, though I may make an exception if I like the characters enough (maybe stretching to two but no more than that). I don't want half a team of Batman or Nightwing sidekicks.
5. Title your submission subject box as [SYOC: Full name, Age, Alias] as it will be easier for me to organize everything.
6. PM me if you have any questions
7. Take time to create your character and most importantly, have fun. The better detailed, developed, and well-rounded characters will be accepted (I want pages of PM), though I will also consider how well I think the characters will go together.
=============THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW==============
1. While there will be humor true to the show, it will also have darker tones. Don't be afraid to send in darker characters (especially villains), but also remember that they are only kids with less experience than the cannon heros and villains.
2. I will be taking sidekicks, trainees, and rogue recruits and I want a good mix of them on the teams. Keep in mind though that villains associated with The Light are also enemies of the Injustice League. I will also accept sidekicks and trainees of heroes/villains not mentioned in the show either such as Cyborg, Scarecrow, and Dollmaker so be creative!
3. I will not pair your character with a canon character or possibly not anyone at all depending on the OCs I get. While there is an opportunity for romance, I don't want the plot to be based around everyone's love life.
4. I will use and abuse your character. Please don't take it as character bashing, it comes with being a hero/villain. I will try to portray them well and give them their shining moments, but I will also develop them, change them, drag them through the mud, pick apart their weaknesses, and tear them apart. Depending on where I take this, there also may be character deaths later on.
5. This takes place a few years after canon, so while this revolves around entirely new teams, we may see cameos of previous canon characters. It also may deviate a bit from canon for the sake of the plot.
6. As I will be focusing on the plot, your character may or may not show up in a chapter or two depending on if their presence is required in the story. Nonetheless, reviews regarding the plot, writing, and other characters is much appreciated.
7. A submission count will be on my profile for males, females, bad guys, and good guys. It'll give you an idea of what I need as I want a good number for each category. I'm aiming for an even balance of males and females and good guys and bad guys. I will probably be taking around five main OCs per team give or take, but there are opportunities for side characters and cameos so don't lose hope if your character isn't initially accepted!
8. Submissions will close 6/9/16, so in a week. That date may be pushed forward or back depending on how many submissions I get. Keep an eye on my profile for any updates on that.
9. The form is on my profile. No copying and pasting on fanfiction and all that.
Have fun guys, go break some eggs!