Author's Note: This is one of those chapters that went kind of...ehh. For me. Hopefully you guys will like it as much as the previous installments. Enjoy.
Contengency
Chapter 4
Trials
Back at the Justice Cave in Happy Harbor, Aquaman came into the command center relaying a message to J'onn and Red Arrow who were still with the young boy Roy had brought in.
"J'onn we just lost another one." Aquaman informed.
"Who was this time?" Martian Manhunter asked.
"Hourman." Orin replied. J'onn and Roy groaned but had little time to reflect on it.
"How many other heroes are left?" J'onn asked.
"I don't know." Said Orin. The attention was then drawn to the young man in the cobbled together costume.
"I guess we don't have much of a choice then." Red Arrow muttered.
"Aquaman check the frequency for any remaining superheroes and transport them here." Martian Manhunter ordered. The Atlantian ruler nodded and went back to the computer while J'onn and Roy remained with the boy.
"Before we are to proceed any further we must know who you are underneath that mask." Martian Manhunter told him.
"Why?" the boy answered tensely.
"Because your going to be working for us that's why. We have a rule here that everyone must know the other's secret identity. No exceptions." Red Arrow said venomously.
The boy looked back at J'onn who stood silently before him, and seemed to share this opinion. Reluctantly the boy reached for his face mask and began taking it off along with the goggles revealing a young teenage boy with messy black hair that was about medium length and mussed with his hair a bit as the bangs hung off to the sides and was parted down the middle with blue eyes. He was about a year younger than Roy that seemed to surprise Red Arrow as he raised his eyebrows behind his mask.
"Who are you?" J'onn asked.
"Tim Drake." He replied.
"What do you call yourself?" Manhunter asked as Tim looked down at his costume.
"I uh…I haven't really gotten to that yet." He admitted.
"I have to say that's the worst costume I've ever seen." Red Arrow commented.
"It was put together at the last minute thank you." he shot back.
"We do not have time for petty arguments. If you are to are to be a part of this team then your training must begin immediately." J'onn stated narrowing his eyes at Tim.
"All I'm asking for is a chance to prove myself." Tim said seriously.
"Then let us begin." Nodded J'onn as Tim followed him out. While Roy leaned against a wall with his arms folded.
"This ought to be good." He muttered before following them.
J'onn led the boy into the cave's training center.
"Step onto the center of the platform." He instructed as Tim did as he was told. The Martian Manhunter took the controls as the floor lit up beneath Tim's feet.
"I'm afraid I will have to give you a crash course on what it is like to be a superhero." Martian Manhunter said from the council.
"I will not go easy on you." Manhunter advised. Tim prepped himself as best he could when the advanced platform produced a holographic representation of the late Black Canary.
The hologram raced towards him and opened up with a roundhouse kick to his head. Tim dodged to his right as she threw her right fist at him. Tim threw up his arms and blocked it along with a follow through punch and forward roundhouse kick to his left side hitting his arm as Canary clocked him with a crossover left hook, before being kneed in the chest by the hologram and was punched in the face again with a right hook taking him out. The boy landed with a thud as a small icon reading 'fail' lit up beside his head. The hologram stood back with hands on her hips with Tim lay out before her.
"He doesn't have what it takes." Red Arrow commented. Tim grit his teeth and was back up a second later ready to give it another try.
"Let's go again." he answered. Canary jumped and flew into the air with a powerful drop kick. J'onn and Roy both flinched as Tim cried out in pain a second later.
"Ahh!" he yelled before a loud crash as Red Arrow smiled.
"That wasn't pretty." He commented.
Tim was knocked part way off the platform by the Canary doppelganger with his head and upper back lay slanted off the edge with his legs in the air. The boy groaned and cradled the back of his head and got up slowly. The wannabe hero cracked his neck side to side and straightened himself up.
"Again." he said taking more punishment from her.
"Kid has guts I'll give him that much." Arrow noted.
"He'll need much more than that." J'onn said as he resumed the simulation.
A few minutes later Tim started getting the hang of it, anticipating and blocking hits from Black Canary taking more and more devastating hits from the hologram, and roundhouse kicks that would make Chuck Norris envious. But every now and again he was tripped up by something new like having his cape being used against him as well as dirty fighting on Canary's part. His upper body ached and was swollen from all the abuse he had taken to the point where he could hardly stand. J'onn and Roy watched the young man intently as he tried to maintain his ground against the brutal hologram. When it seemed as though one last hit would do him in, Manhunter stopped the process as the hologram was in mid-roundhouse kick aiming for his head. The mirage dissipated into the floor with poor Tim on his hands and knees. The Martian Manhunter and Red Arrow stepped onto the platform a moment later as he looked up at them through his mask.
"Did I make the team?" he smiled warily.
A few minutes later Tim was in the med bay as J'onn used his healing powers on the boy. And had already put him under mental sedation to help him heal faster. This did nothing to assuage his feelings of guilt as he worked.
"I'm afraid we might have pushed him too hard and too fast. If it wasn't for the protective padding he was wearing underneath his costume. His injuries would have been a lot worse. I should have held back more before progressing further." Martian Manhunter said remorsefully
"He's a quick study, a lot better than I would have given him credit. But he's still just a kid. He doesn't really belong in this line of work. And I'm the guy that brought him here…" Red Arrow stated.
"He has a lot of conviction and cares deeply for his city and for those around him, I would imagine." Replied J'onn.
"You think he'll be all right?" Red Arrow asked.
"His injuries will heal, but I do not think it is wise to continue this manner of training." Martian Manhunter replied.
"Kind of defeats the purpose when the enemy is just shooting at us. We need to find out what their objective is and why their even here to start with." Red Arrow commented.
"Agreed." J'onn stated.
On the other side of the world after liberating Athens from alien invaders, Wonder Girl and Captain Steve Trevor continued to search for any remaining superheroes. There had been whispers that certain members of the Justice League had survived the attacks in the U.S. but since sightings of any heroes were rare there wasn't any real confirmation by the media that any heroes were left. And the only known Greek superhero was a man calling himself the Olympian. No one was certain if he had even survived the attack, let alone what state of mind he was in. As it was said that the Olympian had a fragile psyche to start with, not knowing where else to start Steve and Donna headed for his secret hideout.
As a man that styled himself after the Greek Pathos it was fitting that he would have his headquarters on the highest mountain in Greece. And set the experimental plane down in a clearing before the Olympian's 'palace'. Making their way inside Wonder Girl walked a few steps ahead of Captain Trevor making sure it was safe. The hall of Olympian's place though spacious and lined with many trophies from previous conquests seemed deserted. Donna searched the room with her eyes as she and Steve continued inward.
"H-Hello? Olympian?" Donna called out, her voice echoed within the cavernous hallway as they walked towards a colossal red and gold lined doors.
"I don't think anyone's home." Steve commented standing behind her.
Wonder Girl furrowed her brow and pushed open the enormous doors. Light spilled into an otherwise darkened sanctuary, revealing regal scarlet tapestry and mountains of gold piled beside the walls. Wonder Girl and Steve both peered through the darkness searching the shadows for any sign of the hero. And pushed the doors open further as they came in.
"If there's anyone here. Please show yourself." Wonder Girl said in a non-threatening tone.
"Looks deserted to me." Steve said from the doorway as he pushed his way in.
The captain pulled out a flashlight and searched the darkness showing the far reaches of the room as well as an empty throne. He sighed and turned off his flashlight.
"Well I hate to say it Wonder Girl but this looks like a bust." The captain said.
"He must be out trying to protect his country like we are." Wonder Girl suggested.
"Come on there's nothing more to find here." He answered turning away from her. Wonder Girl hung her head and started to follow him.
But from the rafters overhead a large, imposing shadow watched. As they headed for the door Donna looked up and saw the shadowy figure lunge at them. The being let out a war cry as he dropped in holding a sword. Donna instinctively crossed her wrists as the figure struck, his sword clashing against her indestructible silver bracelets. The girl remarkably held her own against the much larger figure as Steve looked back in shock to see a large, burly man dressed in a white sleeveless tunic and skirt, with a red belt, gold pelt and golden helmet that shielded his upper features with ram horns adorning them.
Wonder Girl struggled briefly under the man's mighty load as he bore down his sword on her with one arm. Steve drew his pistol and aimed at the man attacking them.
"I suggest you step away from the lady." Steve ordered aiming between his eyes.
But the man didn't obey and pressed harder on Wonder Girl's smaller form.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Steve muttered.
"No, stop! Don't kill him!" she implored before turning her attention back to the man infront of her.
"We are looking for a man that calls himself the Olympian. Are you him?" Wonder Girl asked. The burly warrior's eyes widened beneath his helmet and halted his assault.
"Yes I am he. What brings you to my domain?" the Olympian asked shocking Steve, as he remained tense with his pistol trained on the hero.
"It's okay he's one of the good guys I think." she told him. The pilot narrowed his eyes and reluctantly holstered his gun.
"Don't think I wont." He replied seriously looking back at him. Donna looked back at Steve briefly before addressing Olympian.
"I am Wonder Girl of Themyscira, my people worship the gods you pattern yourself after." She explained.
"So you're an Amazon." Olympian stated.
"Yes sir." She nodded. The Olympian sheathed his sword and wandered back toward his throne.
"I have met these Amazons once before, fought alongside them. One of who wore a garish costume said that she was their representative to Man's World." he replied standing over a table. Donna raised an eyebrow wondering if it was the same person.
"You met my sister?" she asked. The Olympian looked back at her, and narrowed his eyes studying her features.
"You do have a passing resemblance to her. Though her name escapes me at the moment." He muttered before turning away and setting down an orange pill bottle, that sat among many others.
"Wonder Woman. My sister's name was Wonder Woman." She answered stepping forward.
"You must forgive me. My mind isn't what it once was. I approached your sister with the possibility of joining their Justice League. But the one in blue turned me down saying I was too unpredictable." The Olympian said.
"Imagine that." Steve muttered behind Wonder Girl's shoulder.
"What is it that you have come to me for?" Olympian asked turning back to them.
"We were hoping that you might be able to join us in battling these alien invaders and perhaps even know where there might be more heroes like us?" Wonder Girl stated.
"I'm afraid I don't socialize with the outside world that much. I know not of any other heroes close by. I'm sorry." He replied.
As Wonder Girl and Steve Trevor started to leave a large explosion ripped through the roof of the Olympian's home. The trio yelled as they were thrown back by the explosion in opposite directions. In the skies above an alien mother ship opened fire on the base having spotted Trevor's ship seated before its entrance. Inside the crumbling base Steve helped Wonder Girl to her feet and looked back to see the Olympian on the other side of the cave as the disintegration beam tore through it.
"Olympian!" Donna called out.
"Go I'll be fine." he ordered staring back. The Olympian drew his sword from his scabbard and stood ready to battle.
"There's nothing we can do for him." Steve said pulling on her arm. Tears formed in her eyes, as she couldn't stand to see another person fall.
"If you go after him you'll be killed as well." He added trying to reason with her as the cavern started to collapse around them. The Olympian made the decision for her and broke through the roof of his base as Steve and Donna raced out the entrance.
Outside the mountain top base collapsed as the Olympian went to face the alien ship himself with sword in hand. Wonder Girl grabbed Steve's waist and flew towards the ship as the ground gave out beneath and sent the Harbinger plunging backwards off the edge and flew after the ship as it fell.
A few seconds later the Harbinger was seen rising out of the abyss and leaving the Olympian's mountain fortress, Wonder Girl looked back in shock at the monolithic mothership as the fortress crumbled.
"We have to go back and help him." she told Steve.
"I'm not sure if you've noticed Wonder Girl but we're like an ant to that thing. Even if we tried there'd be no way we could help him on our own." Steve said as the ship left.
"So we're just going to leave him there to die?" she demanded.
"Olympian gave us a chance to escape. The best way to honor that sacrifice now is find others like you and hope we can defeat them once and for all." he explained as they continued on.
"And what about Athens?" she asked. The captain didn't answer and instead hit the mega thruster and rocketed out of sight as the alien mothership laid siege to Athens.
At a secret underground base back in the U.S., 16 year old Jaime Reyes awoke and found himself bound to a strange ring like device with his hands and feet sheathed within cylindrical restraints and struggled with them not know where he was.
"Hey, what the hell is this place? Somebody help!" Jaime yelled.
"Relax, you're in the custody of the United States Government." a bald Black man in a dark suit, tie and sunglasses said approaching him.
"The government? What the hell for? I didn't do anything!" Jaime yelled still struggling.
"It's not necessarily what you did son. It's what you have on you." the man in black stated.
"Who are you anyway? What is this place?" the boy demanded scanning the room.
"I'm agent Trevor Barnes, and I'm afraid I can't tell you where we are. You've recently come into contact with some sort of alien technology, that thing on your back. We're running tests to try and figure out what it is and what it does. And whether it can be used against them. You know you're pretty lucky for a number of reasons." Agent Barnes told him.
"Oh yeah? What's that exactly?" Jaime replied sardonically.
"Well first and foremost that thing on your back actually fell from space when it hit you. So it's a miracle your even alive. Second that scarab started healing your injuries when you were at the hospital just now. And third I'm actually being pretty lenient in telling you all this intel. Which in itself will probably cost me my job." The agent said removing his sunglasses and placing them in his breast pocket.
"I'm crying for you really. I suppose I owe you my life then." Jaime replied sarcastically.
"Hey look kid, I'm just a cog in a much bigger machine. And believe it or I'm actually one of the good guys. And between the two of us, we're getting a little desperate in finding ways to shut down the invasion. So believe me when I say that I'm one of the good-er guys here." Agent Barnes told him.
"I would chose my words a little more carefully Agent Barnes. There's a reason why certain things are classified." An older man in a dark suit and sunglasses said from behind.
"Just trying to prepare him for what's coming sir." Agent Barnes replied turning back to him.
"I believe that the less he knows about it the better. After all he's not going to like any of us when this is over. If we're going to crack the secrets of that scarab we need to find out about them now, not later. Proceed with the test." Agent Jones ordered. Agent Barnes sighed as he looked back at Jaime.
"Sorry kid." He replied softly.
"Agent Barnes, since you're so keen on showing him what it is we plan to do. Why don't you do the honors yourself?" Agent Jones asked while chomping on a cigar.
"Sir I don't think…"
"I insist Agent. Unless you feel like scrubbing the latrines around here for the next two months with your tongue." Agent Jones said as the African American agent narrowed his dark brown eyes at him.
"As a matter of fact I think I'll do just that, it'll get the taste of this fiasco out of my mouth." Agent Barnes replied as he started to leave, angering his superior.
Agent Jones tilted his head towards the other MIBs surrounding him and went after Agent Barnes a moment later, grabbing him from behind. He struggled against them as they held his arms out.
"As I was saying Agent Barnes, start to procedure." Agent Jones ordered earning questionable glances from some of his subordinates off to the side.
The group of men forced Agent Barnes up the stairs to the control panel while one of the scientists started to protest.
"Sorry man it's nothing personal." One of the agents holding Trevor Barnes down said behind him.
"None taken." He groaned and was smacked face first against the control panel while another agent forced his hand towards a lever that would begin the test.
Agent Barnes continued to struggle against them, wrenching his left arm down behind his back while it was on council. The other agent then forced Barnes' fingers to grip the control lever. A third agent started punching Barnes in the head to force his compliance. As his left arm was forced behind his back, the face of his watch was triggered as it rolled across his lower back and started to glow as Barnes yelled throwing the men back in a burst of strength.
"What?" Agent Jones said looking on.
Agent Barnes breathed heavily after breaking free of the other G-Men. Agent Jones drew his pistol at his back while others did the same. Trevor recovered with his back still turned to him, and twisted his wrist watch in the opposite direction granting him super speed and took off in the next instant as agents opened fire.
Agent Barnes raced down the stairs and punched out Agent Jones before going to work on the other government agents. Agent Jones was up a moment later wiping the blood from his mouth as he watched Trevor Barnes take out the other secret agents.
"If you want something done right…" the older man growled and twisted the face on his watch before going after him.
Agent Jones came up behind the defector a moment later and hit him in the face. Agent Barnes skidded back on his feet as his superior came at him again. The two men traded punches at supersonic speed, each one blocking the other's shots as Trevor threw his knee into Jones' chest while Jones threw a haymaker at his head missing him before clocking Barnes with a reverse and kicked him in the chest knocking him back.
"This agency doesn't tolerate traitors Barnes, and I doubt the president will either." Agent Jones said approaching him. The agent held his hand up as a pistol launched out his sleeve and took aim at the rouge agent.
"I'm afraid we're going to have to terminate you." he said cocking his pistol.
"Hey leave him alone you overgrown turd!" Jaime yelled still restrained to the device.
"I'll deal with you momentarily." Agent Jones replied without looking. Jaime grit his teeth as the scarab on his back started to react.
"Never take your eyes off a target, even for a moment. You taught me that yourself Waylon." Agent Barnes told him.
"Too bad you couldn't learn everything Barnes. You were one of my best students." Agent Jones replied with his gun still trained on him.
"Yeah…too bad." Agent Barnes replied.
Agent Jones opened fire, as Trevor's black business suit started to burn through revealing a second costume underneath and unleashed an energy blast from his hands in the next instant vaporizing the bullet and sent Agent Jones flying back. Jaime looked on in shock as Agent Barnes emerged wearing a black and red super powered suit with three white stars adorning the red upper border of his costume as he stood up.
"Always have the best the organization can offer, you taught me that as well." Agent Barnes added. The remaining agents then cocked their guns as he turned and faced them.
"Ah hell." Agent Barnes said.
"Shoot to kill!" one of them yelled. The agents opened fire as Trevor threw up a red energy shield on his forearm when a bullet tore through his left calf. The agent groaned as his leg gave out.
"Stop it!" Jaime yelled as they continued their assault. Agent Barnes did his best to shield himself as they assailed him. Jaime's anger grew with Agent Barnes pinned down and returning fire shooting a red energy blast from his hand.
The restrained teen clinched his eyes shut trying to block out the gunfire. The agents started closing in on Barnes as Jaime's anger intensified and luminescent blue 'circuitry' started appearing on his back and arms through the scarab as it came on line in response to his emotions. Jaime groaned and could feel something coming as the alien circuitry spread throughout his chest and body as the first strains reached his face. The boy opened his eyes glowing blue as the Scarab's eyes came on line glowing red.
"H'shin!" the scarab said in a mechanical voice.
Jaime cried out in pain as the base of the scarab's under carrage rose up releasing a swarm of tiny blue hexagonal panels started covering his body. The panels multiplied a thousand times over as agents looked on forming what appeared to be some sort of armor around his chest, arms and legs. The scarab on his back glowed issuing brilliant beams of light as the scarab grew and soon covered his entire back and insect legs latched onto his shoulders and sides taking the form of an enormous beetle perched on his back. A rubber mask rose from the base of his neck and covered his face, and a large beetle pincer rose over his shoulders from the scarab's mouth. The scarab's powers were fully realized, as Jaime broke free of his restraints. While the agents including the one that saved him were thunderstruck at what they saw. A large blue energy cannon was formed out of his left arm as he pointed the weapon back at them.
"Who wants a piece of this?" he yelled threateningly.
"Holy shit." one of the agents muttered.
Jaime twisted his face into a scowl as he opened fire launching a large blue energy sphere towards them. Agents hit the ground as the beam hit an instrument panel behind them blowing it sky high.
His right arm changed into another cannon with a narrower barrel and blew out the door to the lab. His right hand changed back as he looked towards the open and pointed his remaining cannon at the cadre of secret operatives.
"Dont come after me." he warned menacingly.
"You coming?" he asked Barnes. His partner in crime nodded and got to his feet.
"This isnt over. You hear me? You wont escape." Agent Jones glowered as Jaime stood by the blown out exit. And turned to face him.
"Try and stop me." he answered in a low voice and left. Agent Jones and other remaining agents were still on the floor as the head spoke into his watch.
"Lock down the base." Agent Jones ordered.
Author's Note: All right so what'd you think of that? You ever have one of those chapters where you know you did an all right job but feel like you could have done alot better if given more time? Well anyway I'm not sure how great this chapter was. I guess you could say it was filler, but I've been told that even my filler chapters are awesome. Which is saying something. Didnt really know why I brought in the Olympian he's sort of an obscure character in DC canon. But since YJ has a history of doing that I figured why not. He's more or less tied into the Wonder Woman mythos as you can tell. And really the whole exchange was for me to try and get in tune with Donna and Steve Trevor's characters I think I think all the right notes with them. And of course I wanted to show Tim undergoing a gauntlet of sorts to prove that he is worthy of succeeding Batman and Robin and earn entrance into the Justice League. And then of course we have Jaime and really what more can be said about him. Hope you guys liked it. Let me know what you think.
Please review,
The Green Gallant.
First update of the new year.
