DC Gothic – Young Justice
Part 3
Mount Justice. Happy Habour.
Batman had smartly stashed me in a safe house not long after I'd dropped by Wayne Manor, and since I'd been living with monks for the last year I hadn't exactly been overburdened with possessions so packing up my stuff for the move to Mount Justice had not exactly been a chore.
"Red Tornado has volunteered to live here as your supervisor, and Black Canary will be your trainer" the Dark Knight told us as we looked around the central room "and I'll be giving you missions".
So far I'd not seen much of this place, but already I was impressed. It would make a fine base of operations for a covert team.
"Real missions?" Robin asked
Batman nodded.
"Yes.. but covert missions" he then said.
Flash spoke up after Batman.
"The League will still handle the public stuff" the fastest man alive told us "You know the take over the world types, and the alien invasions. The stuff that ends up on the news".
Aquaman continued after the Flash.
"Cadmus showed us that the villains are getting smarter" he said "Batman needs a team that can operate under the radar and the things those of us the public eye can not".
Off to the side beside Red Tornado was young woman, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slender yet toned build. She was wearing a black, one-piece bustier-leotard combination along with black calf-length boots; black finger-less gloves. Also she had on a blue jacket, and a black choker. I'd have known that she was Black Canary even if her name hadn't been mentioned.
"I think she's a little old for you" Kid said while giving me a nudge "or maybe she likes younger men".
To be fair I had been staring, and it was easy to tell since I wasn't wearing my mask. In fact I wasn't even wearing my armour. Instead I was dressed in all black clothing that I wore under a leather jacket I'd been able to buy thanks to Batman. He was paying me to be here, and kindly he had given me a generous advance.
"I'm older than I look" I told Flash.
Despite that distraction I didn't miss too much of the important conversation.
"Seven of us?" I heard Robin ask.
Suddenly the computer near a tunnel spoke up.
"Recognized Martian Manhunter 07"
J'onn Jon'zz entered the hideout and with him was a green-skinned female humanoid with shoulder-length red hair. Her outfit consisted of a short-sleeved white top with a red X on it, along with blue skirt, cape, gloves, and ankle high boots.
"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian" Batman introduced.
She smiled shyly before waving.
"Hi" she greeted
No one spoke for a moment so I went over to her and shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you Miss. Martian" I said sounding very British "I'm Gothic".
She smiled, and sifted her cape to look like my jacket.
"I like your coat" she told me.
It was a nice coat.
"Thanks" I replied.
I then backed away as everyone else went and introduced themselves, and I had a feeling that these team was going to get on very well.
(Line Break)
Mount Justice. Happy Harbour
Since the Boy Wonder, Aqualad and Kid Flash had homes to go to they'd left not long after meeting Miss Martian. But when the teleporter fired up I knew they were coming back even before the computer announced them. It had been a week, and since our first mission nothing had happened so it was about time for something to happen.
"Recognized Robin, B02. Recognized Kid Flash, B03."
Robin, and Wally walked in from the tunnel in their street clothes over to, M'gann, Power Girl, Superboy and myself. Aqualad then just appeared from somewhere else, which surprised me because I hadn't even know that he was here.
"Is he coming?" Robin asked
Aqualad nodded before speaking.
"He'll be here any minute" the water boy answered.
The computer told as such a moment later, and no sooner did the robot materialise than Aqualad stepped forward, and cleared his throat.
"We were hoping you'd have a mission for us" the Atlantian said "We've been waiting for some time now".
Red Tornado shook his head.
"Missions assignments are the Batman's responsibility" the machine man thing stated.
Robin, who for some reason thought sunglasses made a great disguise, seemed rather upset by this news. I was not as I got paid either way, and I'd used the lack of activity to familiarize myself this world and the people in it, or at least the heroes and villains.
"But it's been a whole week" Robin complained.
Tornado had more to say.
"Perhaps you spend your time familiarizing yourself with this base and each other" the machine huy suggested.
While I'd been de-aged I wasn't a teenager. I was about twenty I figured so I didn't feel the need to bitch about things. Aqualad however did.
"This isn't a social club" Water boy said.
Tornado raised his hand.
"Agreed" stated the machine "But I am told it's a good team building exercise, and you must be able to depend on each other, therefore you must learn to trust each other".
I was a loner by nature, but I figured the machine bloke had made a good point.
"Do they think we're falling for this?" Kid Flash asked.
M'gann smiled before turning to look at the fast teen.
"I'll find out" she said while making her eyes glow "Nothing.. I forgot he's in-organic, but Gothic seems like he knows something we don't".
Rather than ask she tried to read my mind.
"Those are some powerful mental shields" she said "I can sense what your feeling, but I can't read your thoughts".
That was good to hear.
"There are villains who have the power of mind control" Robin told us "Its good to know at least one us can't be affected by them"
Kid Flash then dashed to M'gann.
"Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" he asked the alien with leer.
The green girl wisely did not go into Kid Flash's head.
"We don't need a mind reader to know what you're thinking" I said "I was your age once, its all sex, food, sleep, video games and even more sex".
To be fair that was something how my brain worked too.
"I guess we could tour the clubhouse" Robin then suggested "We've got nothing better to do".
My desire was to research, but I went along with this idea as while team building felt silly, it was also important.
"Well Superboy, Power Girl, Gothic and I live here" green girl said "So we could give you a tour."
Superboy stiffened and turned away.
"Count me out" he said.
Wally again invaded M'gann's personal space
"Don't worry" he told her "A private tour sounds just fine"
I noticed that he never acted like that towards Power Girl, but given that she could break him in half it was most likely out of a sense of self preservation.
"She never said anything about a 'private' tour" Robin said.
Given that the M'gann could shape shift I could understand the appeal she have towards males. She could be anyone woman a man could desire or simply change her own body to suit other people's tastes. I however simply didn't find her attractive, she was too perky for me.
"Team exercise" sighed Aqualad before raising his voice "We all go".
I left my mind drift a little as we walked around so I missed out on some of the talking.
"What's that smell?" Superboy and Power Girl asked at the same time.
I sniffed the air and found that I could faintly detect something burning.
"MY COOKIES!" green girl shouted.
We all followed after and found the alien floating a tray of burned cookies onto the kitchen counter.
"I wanted to try Granny Jones recipe from episode seven" she told us "Guess I still need to practice my baking".
She didn't tell us what show and since I didn't know any of the television here I was left none of the wiser as to who Granny Jones was, but I didn't care enough to inquire.
"It was sweet of you to cook for us M'gann." Aqualad said
Flash was already on his second cookie, and I tried one just to be nice.
"These are exactly like the ones my mother used to make" I told alien girl.
My mother had never had much luck with cookies and cakes when I'd been little, so I was used to eating things that were both burnt and sweet. M'gann took it as complement.
"Guess we should get to know each other better" Aqualad then said after a while "I'm Kaldur'ahm, but my friends call me Kaldur".
Kid Flash who was still eating the cookies looked to M'gann and gave her a wink. He was a like a dog with a bone.
"I'm Wally" he told us "See I already trust you with my secret identity".
Which should make the Flash that was in the League, Barry Allen, unless I was mistaken.
"I'm not like the dark glasses types over here" he then added "I bet Batman's forbidden them from giving their real names to anyone".
That wasn't the case for me.
"I already told her to call me Gothic" I corrected Kid "Its only Azrael when were working. My name before I came to this reality was James, but don't please call me that".
M'gann spoke up next.
"Mine's no secret I'm M'gann M'orzz" she reminded us "But you can call me Megan. That's an Earth name, and I'm on Earth now".
Superboy and Power Girl had nothing to add as they had no lives outside of being heroes. Although to me Power Girl looked like a Karen.
"Oh I can show you my ship" green girl then said.
If she had a space craft then I so wanted to see it.
(Line Break)
Mount Justice. Happy Harbour.
"My Martian Bio-ship" Megan said while pointing at what seemed to be a large egg "Isn't it wonderful".
I had to ask.
"Has it hatched yet?" I inquired.
The green girl seemed to find what I had just said very amusing, either that or just liked to giggle alot.
"It's in rest mode, silly" she told me "I'll wake it up."
The egg turned in something far more aerodynamic, but clearly alien, so much so that I couldn't have described it in words. Once we were inside things became more understandable for me, it was a bit like that ship out of Flight of the Navigator. Megan was even sitting in the middle with two lighted circular 'handles' that had come up out of the floor.
"Red Tornado, please open the hanger doors." Megan requested.
The doors opened and we flew out really fast, however it didn't feel like we were moving at all.
"Incredible" Robin commented.
He wasn't the only one with an opinion.
"She sure is" Kid Flash remarked "The ship I mean! All ships are she's".
I decided to change the subject.
"This is so like Flight of the Navigator" I said
Everyone looked at me in confusion.
"The movie" I explained "You know about the kid who flies around in an alien space ship trying to get home. That ship changes shape like this one does".
Clearly they had no clue what I was on about.
"Now I feel old" I moaned.
Robin decided it was time to change the subject again as my attempt had failed.
"Can you transform?" he asked the green girl
Getting up, Megan shifted in to a female Robin, and then a girl Wally and both in their hero costumes.
"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" Wally asked us.
No one replied to that and thankfully she didn't try to shift into a female version of me.
"Mimicking boys is a lot harder" Megan then said.
I'd have thought that with a race of shape shifters that gender would be a matter of choice, perhaps it was when they were fully mature.
"And your clothes?" Kaldur inquired.
Megan smiled, and pulled on her jacket.
"They're organic, like the ship" she explained "They respond to my mental commands".
Superboy snorted before speaking up.
"As long as they're the only ones" he said.
Wally broke the tension by turning to Megan and asking another question.
"Can you do that ghosting through wall like Manhunter does?" he wished to know.
Megan looked to him before replying.
"Density shifting?" she replied "No that's a very advanced technique."
Robin spoke next.
"Flash can vibrate his molecules to go through walls" the Boy Wonder told us "But when Wally does it he gets a bloody nose."
Wally stared wide-eyed at his team.
"Dude!" he yelled.
That was when I noticed something no one else had.
"Where's Power Girl?" I asked everyone.
Megan very quickly got upset.
"Oh no we left her behind!" green girl yelled
Superboy was less concerned.
"If my sister wished to have come with us she would have" he told us.
Clearly Miss Martian felt otherwise as the ship started to turn around just as the radio activated.
"Red Tornado to Miss Martian" the machine said "An alarm has gone off at the Happy Harbor Power Plant I suggest you investigate. Covertly".
Since I didn't have my weapons or my armour I figured it would be best for me to hange back if it turned some super crook was being naughty.
"I wonder what caused the alert?" Robin
Out the view port, or window, or whatever it was we soon saw a twister.
"I'm guessing that!" Kid Flash called out.
The twister sucked the ship into itself, causing Megan to attempt to land the ship. It was not pleasant.
(Line Break)
Power Plant. Happy Harbour.
"Robin. Are tornados common in New England?" Aqualad asked "Robin?".
The Boy Wonder was no where to be seen.
"Damn it!" Kid Flash complained "He keeps doing that".
It was rather annoying.
"Alright lets move!" Aqualad then ordered.
After running inside the plant, we saw Robin get blown in to a stone support. Aqualad ran to him, and knelt down.
"Friends of yours?" he asked the Boy Wonder.
Robin sat up, and shook his head.
"Nope" the sidekick replied "but he packs a punch"
That was when I saw an android with a scarf around his 'face', and blue wires on his arms, and back.
"My apologies" it said to all of us "You may address me as Mr. Twister".
Lifting his arms, he blew wind at my new teamates and I, and I found myself getting blown across the plant. When I got up all I then saw was Superboy hurtling through the air towards me, the next thing I knew his back had rammed into me and then I felt the worst pain I had ever felt just before blacking out.
