Hello, everyone! This is Written-Ideas1 and I hope everyone will enjoy this story-well, the first chapter, at least. Thanks for taking the time to click on this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OC, Victoria Adams and her family.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of Null
She hears a scream first, before seeing the evil grin on the crude villain. She stands still as she watches several people appear right before her eyes. Her eyes are glued to the battle scene happening right in front of her. It doesn't take long before the villain is stopped, or so everyone thinks. She screams, "look!" and points her right hand out at the villain who looks like he's about to use his powers. One of the men, wearing a dark suit and a permanent scowl on his face, knocks the villain out while everyone else keeps gazing at her and then at the villain.
She watches as two women make their way to her.
"Did you see that?"
"I did," the brunette woman answers before stopping right in front of the young girl.
The young girl looks up at them. She reaches out her hands, attempting to touch the feathered wings of one of the women. The winged woman takes a step back. The young girl looks adorable, at least in the eyes of the adults. Her mid-length brunette hair is tied in pigtails and her violet eyes are filled with a mischievous glint.
"Tori!" A voice yells out and Tori turns around to see her mother running towards her. Tori grins and runs to her mom. Her mom envelops her in a tight hug. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright! You shouldn't just disappear like that, Tori! You had me worried sick!"
"Me sorry…" the girl apologizes, looking like she is about to cry.
"Oh, Tori, I'm just glad you're safe and sound."
The several heroes stand there and watch the mother-daughter interaction. Although, most of them are more curious about the young girl and what she did. Could she have abilities? How else would they explain the sudden disappearance of Black Adam's powers.
"Thank you so much, Justice League, for saving my daughter's life," the mother says, a kind smile on her face. Most of the members of the Justice League nod. "Come on dear, we've got to go home before your papa freaks out on us."
"Ooh! I wanna see papa!" Tori replies, but then she turns around and gives the Justice League a toothy grin. "Thanks much, super people!"
The 5-year-old girl skips along beside her chuckling mother and they disappear out of sight. Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Batman, Aquaman, Hawkwoman, Superman, The Flash, and Green Lantern exchange glances. Green Lantern is the first one to break the silence. He uses his shield and envelops the villain in a cage of green light.
"I'll get him locked up. See you guys later."
"Roger that, Green Lantern," Superman replies, "the rest of you, back to patrolling."
One by one, the heroes leave until Wonder Woman and Batman are the last ones. Wonder Woman quirks her eyebrow, knowing that Batman would be the one most intrigued to find out what happened today.
"What do you make of this, Batman?"
"Who knows…Let's go." Batman says without waiting for a reply as he gets into his Batmobile and speeds off. Wonder Woman just shakes her head before flying off.
Tori does not like being weak. She does not like it when villains think that they've won either. Watching closely at the superhero in front of her, she tries to find an opening to help him. The man is dressed in, no surprise there, a skin-tight green uniform, a black mask, a green hood, and Tori figures he should be known as the modern-day Robin Hood. The fact that his quiver is almost out of arrows doesn't help Tori's racing heart. The villain, Killer Frost, doesn't seem to notice the young girl, but Green Arrow does. She waits as he aims his arrow at the villainess, the latter about to freeze Green Arrow. She raises her hand and feels a surge of power escape, nullifying Killer Frost's powers at the same time that Green Arrow unleashes his arrow.
Green Arrow hands the female villain over to the police officers before turning his attention to Tori. He raises his hand and they high five. "Good teamwork out there, kid!" He grins, ruffling the girl's hair. The both of them hear someone clearing their throat and they turn around to see a blonde haired woman dressed in a blue jacket, black skin tight swimsuit-like, sleeveless shirt, grey leggings and combat boots. The older woman quirks an eyebrow at the both of them.
"Arrow, what do you think you're doing?"
Green Arrow rubs the back of his head, "just celebrating our victory over Killer Frost, Canary."
Black Canary turns to look at Tori, giving the younger girl a kind smile. Tori makes her way over to the older woman before giving Canary a hug. Canary bends a little to return the hug before sighing. "Why are you always in the wrong place at the wrong time, Tori? You should run away when you see villains."
"But I can't just run away! It's a hero's duty to save people!" The girl exclaims, pouting. It's no surprise to most of the Justice League that the girl would always try to help them if she catches the heroes in a pickle. Black Canary isn't the first, nor will she be the last, Justice League member who advises Victoria Lynn Adams from entering a fight. Sure, all of them find her abilities useful to have around, but they're not about to risk the life of a 9-year-old girl. The two superheroes share an exasperated look before turning their attention back to their eager crime fighter. They know that Tori doesn't try to find trouble. Unfortunately, trouble has a way of finding her. Green Arrow looks at his watch.
"Canary, mind taking the little lady back to her house? I promised to meet Speedy for his training session in," he looks down at his watch again, "5 minutes ago."
Black Canary rolls her eyes, "you should be setting a better example for your protégé, Arrow. But whatever, I'll walk Tori back to her home." Tori waves bye to Green Arrow as he disappears around the corner. National City, the amazing city of actors, actresses, singers, and celebrities. Palm trees, somewhat-high rise buildings, and sandy beaches are a few of the many distinct characteristics of National City. Sometimes, Tori hates the constant vibrant lifestyle of the rich and famous. She would rather witness something more worthy—like a fight between Superman and Count Vertigo, or a fight between Batman and Joker. She wants to be around the superheroes who are doing their best to save the world, not be around the people who just spend their time entertaining.
"Tori, what are you thinking about?"
The young girl shakes her head before running ahead, "come on, Black Canary, I have to get home before papa gets mad! I have to tell him I want pizza too!"
Black Canary chuckles at the young girl. She has no doubt that the girl will grow into a strong, independent woman someday. But before that happens, Black Canary thinks, the Justice League must do their best to protect the world from any who wants to harm it. The older woman smiles at the cheerful laughter filling the air. Tori begin tugging on Canary's hand, all the while giggling about her papa's bad attempt at cooking.
In just a couple of months, Tori is introduced to the first ever sidekick in the whole world. Batman's protégé, Robin, causes a stir in Tori's heart. She wants to be like Robin too. She watches as the TV shows the Boy Wonder fighting alongside Batman against the Joker. Robin throws a couple of birdarangs –at least that's what the newscaster says—at Joker's feet to distract the madman. It didn't seem to matter to Robin that he's facing a notable supervillain that has caused havoc in Gotham time and again. Tori wants to be like him; she wants to save the world too. As soon as Robin makes his cackling debut, Green Arrow, Flash, and Aquaman introduce their own protégé to the world: Speedy, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, respectively.
Tori pulls her hair into a ponytail and slings her bag over her left shoulder, "Papa, I'm heading out now! Your coffee's on the kitchen counter!" she yells before grabbing a bagel with her free hand.
"Thanks, honey and have fun at school!" her dad yells back.
She's humming to herself as she wonders about the competition coming up. She hasn't decided on what piece she will use and she needs to do it soon. After all, if she does really well, she will be able to get into the prestigious National Academy for the Young Performers. She has to get into that school and get the scholarship for her papa. She makes her way to her school, lost in a daydream of superheroes and sidekicks.
"Look out!" she hears someone shout before noticing that she stumbled upon the usual battle scene. She notices Count Vertigo, Joker, Poison Ivy, and Wotan going up against Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Flash, Black Canary, and Aquaman. A pair of hands grabs her by the waist and pulls her to safety, away from Poison Ivy's monstrous plants. She looks up to see Batman giving her a stern look.
She gives him an apologetic look, "sorry, Batman, I was… lost in the clouds."
"Just get yourself out of the way," Batman states, making his way to rejoin the battle. To say that Tori is feeling indignant would be an understatement. She isn't an idiot. This is not the first time she finds herself involved with the Justice League's battles. Besides, who cares what Batman says? Tori's going to help them whether they want her to or not. She focuses her eyes on Poison Ivy and Wotan, because she knows her powers wouldn't really affect Joker and Count Vertigo. Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman are glaring at Wotan as Batman is facing off the Joker. Superman seems to be handling Count Vertigo by himself and Black Canary and Green Arrow teams up to go against Poison Ivy.
Tori is waiting for an opening and catches Black Canary's eyes. The older woman nods her head, giving her a silent signal. Tori smirks and counts to three before nullifying Poison Ivy's powers. At that exact moment, Poison Ivy loses control over her plants as Green Arrow shoots his explosive arrows at Ivy's plants while Black Canary knocks the villainess out of consciousness. The 9-year-old girl turns her attention to Wotan and tries to get Wonder Woman to glance at her. Instead, the King of Atlantis gives her a swift nod and Tori uses her powers again, panting heavily at using it more than usual. Joker is attempting to escape after noticing Wotan's and Ivy's defeat. Count Vertigo, on the other hand, is furious at his supposed teammates.
Batman captures the Joker and knocks the clown out before the latter could start making remarks. Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Flash make their way to Tori, thanking her for her help. Tori shifts from one foot to the other, and her face looks a little flushed.
"C-can…"
"Can?" Flash asks, quirking his eyebrow at the girl. The other League members are now paying attention to the younger girl.
"C-can I… can I please be a sidekick?!" Tori yells out, looking down with her flushed pink face. The League members exchanged looks. Batman didn't want a girl without experience being a sidekick and was about to tell her that when Wonder Woman nudges him. Tori looks up, her eyes watering. "I know I'm not strong yet… but I swear I can learn to be stronger! Please train me! I want to save the world too…"
Green Arrow and Flash look away, knowing the effects of the girl's awesome puppy dog eyes. Besides, it's not going to be their call to come up with a decision. Wonder Woman and Black Canary soften their gazes while looking at her. Wonder Woman glares at Batman, silently telling him to agree. She knows how determined the younger girl is and Tori has been helping them for a while now. It's only right for her to train to be a superhero in the future. Black Canary, with similar thoughts to Wonder Woman, wants this opportunity to train the girl since the girl does have a talent for finding trouble. Besides, it'll be better if Tori can defend herself in these situations instead of just relying on her powers and the help of other superheroes. Superman refuses, thinking that Tori is just a young girl and didn't want her to subject herself to the dangerous life when she has so much she should enjoy while she's young. Aquaman is indifferent to the situation, thinking that the girl has capabilities but knowing that it's not his position to decide.
"Fine," Batman replies, "but remember, your training session begins soon." Batman's scowl deepens at Superman's pointed glare. Tori doesn't notice this. She grins happily and without thinking, runs up to give Black Canary and Wonder Woman a hug. Then, realizing she needs to get to school, she hurries over to hug Green Arrow, Flash, and even managed to get the stiff Atlantean king to participate with the hug.
"What are you thinking?" Superman asks, after handcuffing Count Vertigo.
"The girl's a magnet for trouble. We should try to teach her to defend herself for when we won't be around," the Dark Knight replies, jumping into his Batmobile. He feels a migraine coming on. Hopefully, her determination to be stronger is more than just empty words.
Tori knows about superheroes and their secret identities. However, at that moment, she feels a little silly for wearing sunglasses at night. Maybe she should get a ski mask or something, but that would look worst and Tori, although preferring comfier clothes, would not subject herself to wearing anything considered as a bad fashion statement. Hey, she may be nine but she still wants to try to look good. She's at Star City, waiting to meet Green Arrow and his sidekick, Speedy. From what Green Arrow has been bemoaning to her, Speedy sounds like a hothead with a strong pride for his archery skills.
The Justice League members decided a couple of days ago that nobody knows exactly how to train Tori. Hence, here she is, trying out archery for the first time to see if she's suited for the bow and arrow lifestyle. Green Arrow instructs her on how to hold the bow as Speedy evaluates the pipsqueak. The young protégé keeps glaring in Tori's direction. It's clear for Tori to see that Speedy doesn't seem to like her at all. Trying to ignore the pointed glare, she focuses on listening to Green Arrow's instructions.
"Kid, just relax. Don't stare into the distance like something's gonna come out and eat you," Green Arrow looks amused, "remember, precision and speed are the keys to surviving the battle." Tori nods her head, focusing at the daunting looking bullseye in front of her. She fires several arrows as quickly as she could. Sinking to her knees, she can hear Speedy laughing in the distance as the older teen goes over to pick up the arrows. Most of the arrows land on the floor a few feet before the target.
"Oh man, kid, you just made my day with how badly you shot," Speedy comments, "now I feel better about my skills."
Tori glances at Green Arrow to see the mentor trying to stifle his laughter, "I'm guessing that archery is not the path for me then…"
Kid Flash grins at the new arrival before running over to introduce himself. Flash couldn't help but smile at the eagerness of his nephew. Even though it's broad daylight this time around, Tori still feels a little weird wearing sunglasses. Then again, Tori is not used to being out in the sunlight when most of her time is spent in school every day. Kid Flash's sudden appearance makes Tori jump and land on her butt—thankfully, on the somewhat soft grassy ground. The Flash frowns at Kid Flash who is sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.
The younger superhero offers his hand and Tori takes it with a grateful smile, "Thanks, Kid Flash. It's, uh, nice being scared by you."
"Sorry, Tori, the kid's a little too excited to meet you today," The Flash explains, quirking an eyebrow at his nephew. Kid Flash gives a nervous chuckle.
Tori blushes at that, "No, no, that's fine. I think I would have done the same if my heart isn't doing somersaults."
Kid Flash grins at her before turning his attention to the city around him. He recognizes National City by its palm trees and beaches. Kid Flash whistles, "we should totally go to the beaches here."
"Maybe," Tori turns her attention to the older Flash, "so, what are we up to today?"
"Batman wants to know your nullifying limits and hopefully beat those limits. Kid Flash will be running in circles around the park and your job is to keep using your powers on him."
Kid Flash lowers his goggles down and gives Tori a thumbs up, "can't wait to see what you can do, beautiful."
Both Tori and Flash roll their eyes as Kid Flash starts running. Tori focuses on Kid Flash's blurred figure and releases a spurt of energy at him. It eventually slows him down and Tori continuously allows the energy to flow towards KF. The Flash notices the beads of sweat forming on the girl's forehead as she does her best to focus. Kid Flash gives her another thumbs up as encouragement while feeling a bit disturbed at his slow speed. Tori lands on her butt, too tired to continue her focus and Kid Flash races over to his mentor to look at the stopwatch.
"4 minutes and 37 seconds. Not bad, Tori, but we should keep working on this. You know that fights are going to be much longer than 4 minutes and 37 seconds."
Tori can't help but admire the batmobile and its speed. But that is not what took her breath away. She glances all around her, trying to take in all of Gotham City. The city is definitely vibrant with life and yet, she can feel her goosebumps rising at the shady alleys and the sounds of sirens in the air. She understands why Batman is the perfect hero for such a city; a strong, strict man such as him will be able to reign in any crime from causing too much damage. They pull into a cave and when the batmobile rolls to a stop, Tori sees a boy with black hair and in her own words, the most colorful costume ever. He's wearing a domino mask to protect his identity, much like how Tori has been wearing her sunglasses. Of course, the Justice League already knows how she looks like though.
"Hey!" the boy greets as soon as she gets out of the vehicle, "I'm Robin and you must be Tori."
Batman gets out and narrows his eyes at the Boy Wonder. Tori sees Robin looking down and wonders if she should do anything about it. With courage, she walks up to Robin and smiles. "Yup, my name's Tori and I'm so glad to finally meet you! You're like the first sidekick ever! You were my inspiration to find my courage to beg the Justice League to let me be a sidekick," she gushes, grabbing both of Robin's hands and shaking them up and down.
Batman, to say the least, is amused as Robin's face turns pink. Tori continues to smile, oblivious to the obvious shyness that Robin is unexpectedly feeling. Robin knows that he is Richard John Grayson, for goodness sakes, he should not be acting shy. Then, they hear the door creak open, sending Tori jumping and into Robin's arms. Robin has a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Don't even think about it, Master Robin," Alfred calls out from where he emerges from the door with a tray of a couple of soda, tea, and water. Robin sighs and let Tori down from his arms instead of dropping her. Tori gives the boy a light smack in the arm as the latter pretends to be severely injured. The young superheroine sidekick starts laughing, finding her nerves disappearing. Alfred makes his way to Batman and gives a slight smirk, "I do believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship, sir."
Batman allows a rare smile to appear on his face, "maybe you're right," before turning his attention to the sidekicks. Replacing the smile on his face with a stern look, "time to begin your training session, Tori. Robin, I want you to demonstrate the basics and Tori will try them out. Understood?"
"Roger," "Understood!" both of them answer in unison.
It is a month later before Tori gets the opportunity to meet the stoic Aqualad and his mentor, Aquaman, for a training in her nullifying abilities. She's wearing a pair of flip flops, sunglasses, and a one-piece red swimsuit. She has a feeling that she'll probably get wet since she's dealing with two water-users. She catches sight of Aquaman's mid-length blonde hair (which she thinks should warrant the King of Atlantis the role of a shampoo commercial model) and then two figures begin walking towards her. The younger of the two has a blank expression, curly blonde hair, and darker skin.
She waves at them with a kind smile, "Aquaman! It's been a while," she greets.
"Yes, it has been a while, Tori. My apologies. There was much to do in Atlantis," the superhero explains before gesturing to his protégé, "this is my student, Aqualad."
Aqualad gives her a nod, "you may call me Kaldur if you wish to. It is a pleasure to meet you."
She stares at them and gives them a blank expression, "yes, thank you, Kaldur. And you may call me Tori," she says, before breaking into a grin. Yup, the whole stoic, serious thing is not for her. Kaldur and Aquaman exchange looks before smiling at the younger girl. Aquaman explains that Kaldur will demonstrate the mystical arts of Atlantis and her job is to keep nullifying each spell the sidekick conjures. Tori understands that Batman is trying to lengthen the frequency of her using her ability. She will never underestimate Batman's ability to think and come up with the perfect plans. She's glad to be able to train on not just lengthening the time she can keep using her power on someone, but to use it on more occasions during a fight.
Besides, Batman and Robin have been helping her with combat training, though she notices that the best person to train her with that is…
"Are you ready to show the world your face?" Black Canary asks, tucking a loose strand of Tori's hair back into place. The current 10-year-old sidekick grins at her mentor and proceeds to run into the battle scene. "Oh, they sure do grow up too fast, Arrow," Canary comments as Speedy grumbles at Tori for leaving him behind. Green Arrow chuckles and both mentors follow their sidekicks, Speedy and Null, into battle.
Thanks again for making to the end! Have a great day :)