We're moving on folks, and we've got some fight scenes here. I haven't worked on fight scenes in a while, so I hope they're enjoyable.
"So this is the place, huh?" Hothead questioned.
"Mhm," Vav Girl hummed in response.
"It's secluded," Techvi commented. "I can see why she'd attack Violet Velvet here. Hardly anyone would know a fight was going on."
"Nothing's out of the ordinary," the male superhuman stated. "There's no evidence of anything."
"The Justice League come through and grabbed anything related to the incident," Techvi repsonded. "I expected as such."
"So then why the hell are we here?" Hothead demanded.
"I wanted to see the scene," Techvi replied. "Batman wouldn't answer my questions about where it was and what they got from the scene, but I wanted to look it over." She flew up into the sky, looked around for a few minutes, before lowering herself back to the ground. "Your attacker must have pulled Violet Velvet from the sky into this alley."
"Why?" Hothead questioned.
"Because this alley is obsecured from the road. No one can see in or out if they were just walking by at random. From the sky, however, the attacker would have had a good vantage point," Techvi replied.
"And Vio Vel i-..was a flyer," Vav Girl added.
"Plus, this was the portion of Metropolis Violet Velvet patrolled," Techvi continued.
"Wait, patrolled?" Vav Girl asked in confusion.
"Yes. Superman followed Batman's lead and had his members patrol certain areas of Metropolis for better coverage," Techvi answered. "You weren't aware of this?"
"You know as well as we do that Superman doesn't pay Gwen any attention," Hothead spoke up, his tone taking on an edge of annoyance. "If it wasn't for the two of us, she wouldn't be a part of any missions; he'd just keep her up on the Watchtower or down on Earth."
"Mhm," Vav Girl agreed with a hum, her tone slightly sad. "Without you two, I wouldn't have had my powers grow the way they did."
"So back to this serial killer, what else can we gather about her?" Hothead asked.
"Well she was kind of similar to Vi," Vav Girl answered. "She could fly like Vi, and she was a Gadget user. And she was dressed in pink. Plus, she's really powerful."
"That's not really helpful," Hothead commented.
"She's probably aligned with Luthor," Techvi theorized.
"And your reasoning is...?" Hothead trailed off so she could answer.
"She's going after heroes who mentor under Superman," the leader explained. "Who else despises Superman more than Luthor?"
"Me."
The three heroes turned at the new voice, adrenaline in overdrive because the voice wasn't recognizable to them. A woman older than the three of them decked in pink clothing lowered herself to the ground several feet away from the team. Vav Girl tensed upon seeing her attacker while Hothead and Techvi, guessing she was Vav Girl's attacker, took protective stances in front of Vav Girl.
"Have you been following us?" the only male of the team demanded.
"No," the woman responded coolly, her face void of any expression. "I have an associate who was able to lock onto your position and I came here."
"If I were you, I'd leave right about now," Hothead threated. "It's three to one."
"Is that supposed to scare me?" the woman questioned, her tone indicating that she was unintimidated.
"It's a warning," Hothead responded with a snarl.
Before he could launch himself at the villainess, Techvi held up her arm as an indicator for him to not engage. To back Techvi up, Vav Girl reached out and wrapped a hand around Hothead's arm, keeping a physical hold of him in case he did shoot off. Luckily for the girls, he did not and merely glowered in their opponent's direction.
"Who are you?" Techvi asked.
"Does that matter?" the woman questioned. "You three will be dead in little time."
"For my curiosity it does," Techvi responded, forcing back a shudder that had threatened to run down her spine the moment she heard those words. The woman said it so nonchalantly...like killing someone wasn't out of the ordinary.
The woman closed her eyes, looking like she was deliberating before opening them again. Nothing in her demeanor changed.
"Very well. There is no harm in letting you know your killer," the woman replied calmly. "I am Momorose."
The second the words were uttered, Momorose flew from her spot and grabbed Techvi by the throat. Hothead jumped into action, breaking Vav Girl's hold and rushing at their opponent. Momorose saw him coming and, with her other hand, brandished her staff that she used to whack Hothead away from her. Techvi used the opportunity to use her own staff against Momorose. The hit to the side of the stomach was enough to force Momorose to release the younger girl. Hothead and Techvi grouped up, once again standing in front of Vav Girl.
"Gwen, stand back," Techvi whispered to the girl, watching Momorose warily.
"But I can help," Vav Girl protested. "And you're hurt."
"Just sore, not hurt," Techvi corrected. "And you just got out of the infirmary. You're still recovering. Just stand back and let us handle this."
"But-"
"Do as she says," Hothead ordered. "You've already gone up against this girl once, now we'll take it from here. We've got this."
Vav Girl pouted, but reluctantly stepped back. In truth, she was a little afraid to fight Momorose, but she resolved with herself that she'd jump in if her friends needed her help. Momorose watched with the youngest hero step back with narrowed eyes.
"Protecting her won't save her," Momorose responded. "I'll merely kill you two first, and then slaughter her."
"You won't touch her," Hothead snarled, sending a fireball at Momorose.
The villainess twirled her staff fast enough to beat off the fireball. She stood still, not moving but held her arm up and out. The three heroes watched in silent curiosity. Before their eyes, a floating green mechanism appeared beside the villainess. With the snap of Momorose's fingers, her creation began firing at the three.
"A turret?!" Hothead shouted, jumping away from the impending hit by the rockets. "Techvi-"
"I can't match that," Techvi interrupted Hothead before he could finish the question. "Just destroy it."
"Already figured that," the male replied.
He stood up and ran at super-speed at the turret. While running, he crafted a meteor in the air and threw it on the turret. The turret doubled-back from the attack. It was distracted by the hit, giving Hothead the opportunity to slash at the turret with his Scintillating Zweihandler. The turret fell back once more from the second hit. Hothead went to run at the mechanism again, but before he got far, he felt something hit his chest. Looking down, he found a small device on his chest, and before he could grab it, the device went off. He felt himself fly up into the air, before he was brought back to the ground by a powerful hit to his back.
"Chris!" Vav Girl cried when she watched Momorose land on Hothead, the older woman planting her foot and adding pressure on the back.
Before Techvi could hold the younger girl back, Vav Girl lunged towards her opponent, raising a hand and mentally lifting a nearby trash can and throwing it at Momorose. The turret took the hit from the trash can, having flown in to protect its mistress. Momorose shot off from her downed victim and slammed Vav Girl with the head of her staff. The momentum and speed of her attack sent the young hero into the wall.
"Your friends are foolish enough to fight me for you," Momorose stated to her opponent. "I will kill them before I dispose of you."
Techvi rushed at Momorose from behind, placing the staff around the woman's neck, beginning to choke her. Momorose glanced at her opponent from the corner of her eyes. Without a word, Momorose grabbed the staff against her neck, and flew into the sky with Techvi keeping pace.
"I can fly like you," Techvi stated to her opponent as they continued to ascend. "You can't break free of me like this."
"Who says I'm breaking free?" Momorose questioned.
Techvi had only a moment to mentally question Momorose's response before she felt a hit against her back. Looking over her shoulder, she found the turret trailing them, hitting her. Her attention was off of Momorose, giving the older woman the opportunity she wanted; without hesitation, she slammed her head backwards against Techvi's face, drawing Techvi's attention away again, this time to the pain coursing through her 'cause of the hit to the nose. Momorose then moved the two until they were parallel to the ground and rocketed the two to the ground. Techvi wasn't able to collect herself or fight back. Just before they hit the ground, Momorose broke free and, taking Techvi's staff, slammed both the staffs into Techvi's stomach, sending the woman faster to the ground. When she made contact with the graveled ground, a small indent was made. Momorose threw the staff back to its owner like it was trash, no longer interested in it. Raising her own staff, she intended to impale Techvi with the sharp-end of her staff, but was stopped by an energy blast nearly hitting her. Turning, she found Vav Girl glaring at the older woman with her hands held out directed towards her. Momorose turned her full attention to the young hero, but was distracted by a fireball sent in her direction. Hothead was off the ground, his body engulfed in fire.
"I forgot about you," Momorose commented. "I forgot I left you breathing."
"Your mistake," Hothead snarked back, racing at the woman.
Momorose flew up into the air, avoiding the hit.
"That's not going to work on me!" Hothead shouted.
He began running in a circle directly under Momorose. Momorose was unworried. She formed a grenade in her hand and threw it down at Hothead. The grenade went off and an electrical shock hit the male hero, stunning him. Momorose shot down at him and kicked him in the head, sending him to the ground again. She stepped on his spine and put pressure on it. She heard movement to her left and found Techvi attempting to get up and form a sticky bomb. Momorose snapped her fingers, and the turret, that had been hovering to the side waiting for a command, flew forward and shot several rockets at the hero, stopping the girl from her actions. She went back to stepping on Hothead, but was stopped again, this time by a force pushing her. Turning, she found Vav Girl glaring at her with panic in her eyes. Momorose glanced behind her and saw that the turret had been knocked back a little.
"Leave them alone!" Vav Girl ordered.
Momorose directed her attention back to her prey.
"I've changed my mind. I'll kill you now so that your friends may see their failures in trying to protect you," Momorose informed her prey.
"I won't let you hurt them!" Vav Girl cried out.
"Your worry should be for yourself," Momorose responded. "I won't let you live a second time."
Vav Girl responded by sending a telekinetic push at the woman. Momorose rose up a barrier that protected her and, at the same time, sent electrical currents through Hothead and Techvi since they were close by, making the two cry out from the pain. Hearing her friend's cry made Vav Girl freeze up in shock. Momorose took this chance to raise up in the air. From the air, she dropped a tiny device to the ground. The device went off and turned the three into ice blocks. Hothead, though in pain, managed to melt his way out of the ice, but the effort had taken his energy. Vav Girl used a mental blast to break free of her ice prison, and sent a nearby object at Techvi's ice block and broke her team leader free of the ice block. Momorose landed behind Vav Girl and knocked the younger girl in the back of the head. The older woman then formed a stasis field over Vav Girl and it shocked her like it had a week before. When the field dropped, Momorose stepped over to the girl and stepped on her.
"You're weak," Momorose stated. "And very foolish. The Justice League had you locked away safetly, and yet you came here to die. No one will miss you."
"Don't move," a voice commanded.
Momorose looked over her shoulder, finding Superman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and John Stewart standing behind her. Momorose glared at the assembled group, removing her foot from Vav Girl's body so she could turn around fully to face the heroes.
"So it took me beating up this pathetic excuse for a group for you to finally show up?" Momorose questioned Superman.
"Pink Rose...I can't be," Hawkgirl muttered in disbelief.
"That's because it's not. I'm not Pink Rose anymore. She's dead," Momorose replied. "I've done away with her and I'm now Momorose."
"Stop this Pink Rose," Superman spoke to her. "Your actions have endangered many people and continue to do so. Stop this now and let's talk about it."
"You don't get it, do you?" she responded. "The day the Justice League abandoned me is the day I became Momorose. I no longer hold any ties to the Justice League."
"We can talk this over," Martian Manhunter stated calmly.
"There's nothing I want to talk to any of you about," Momorose said. "My goal is to exterminate all of your proteges, Superman. And I am going to continue with this girl."
"Don't touch her," Superman warned.
"All worked up over a weakling? Where was this response when I was left to die in S.T.A.R. Labs?" Momorose demanded, bitterness on her tongue.
"We were coming back Rose," Hawkgirl spoke up, taking a step forward. "We were getting necessary equipment to get you-"
"You left me to die. You didn't come back. You ran without checking to see if I was following," Momorose cut the winged-woman off. "And I've now switched loyalties."
"To who? Luthor?" Superman demanded.
"Yes. He has promised me an opportunity I couldn't pass up," Momorose answered.
"And what would that be?" John questioned.
"I'll only tell you, Superman," Momorose said to Superman, lifting up into the air, her turret disappearing with the wave of her hand. "But it will be on my terms."
"I will find you," Superman promised.
Momorose scoffed at the notion. Her eyes then landed on her fallen opponent.
"This girl has been saved once more, for reasons I can't understand. But know this, heroes," she began her threat, "I will kill her the next time I see her. If you care about her so much, I suggest keeping a careful eye on her."
With the threat stated, Momorose flew off.
"Should we follow her?" Hawkman asked.
"Let her go," Superman responded. "I'll handle her. We need to get these three to the Watchtower."
Martian Manhunter was calling in for a teleporter while Superman, Hawkman and Hawkgirl went to the three fallen heroes. While Hawkman went to Hothead and Hawkgirl to Techvi, Superman went over to Vav Girl, carefully lifting her from the ground. Both Techvi and Hothead were knocked out, the former having fainted because of the freefall and Hothead fell unconscious the moment he heard Superman's voice, trusting his and his teammates' lives with the Kryptonian. Vav Girl was the only one still conscious, though she was in great pain.
"I'm sorry," she whispered as she was held in his arms, tears traveling down the sides of her eyes.
Superman didn't say a word about her apology. He frowned and walked back to where Martian Manhunter and John Stewart were waiting. He didn't look at her or speak to her during the short walk. Vav Girl curled a little in on herself, knowing Superman was extremely disappointed in her and seeing him not accept her apology hurt her deeply. She glanced over at her two teammates who were being brought over by the other heroes and saw the damage done to them. She closed her eyes and turned her head away, regret and self-blame running through her veins.
This is all my fault.
Momorose walked through the Hall of Doom like she owned the place; which wasn't too far from the truth since she was Luthor's favorite "pet." However, none of the unknown villains dared to approach her since they feared her. Not only was she a walking, expressionless robot-like being, she also had Luthor and Bizarro as her allies. That made her practically untouchable in many of their eyes. On top of that, the one time someone did approach her, Momorose took care of him and killed him without a second thought. That made many stay away from her.
So after arriving back from her task of fighting Vav Girl and her team, Momorose was met with no obstruction as she walked through the hall to her room. Riddler had been the closest one to doing so, but seeing the look in her eyes made him think twice and walk away. She entered her room and locked the door once there. She didn't want to speak with anyone, especially Luthor. Her mission had been semi successful. She had nearly killed Vav Girl for the second time, but Superman had interrupted her. It made her hate the teenager even more.
What made Vav Girl so special that a whole team would come to her (and her teammates) rescue? As far as Momorose could tell, Vav Girl was weak and lucky; anytime she had attempted to kill the girl, someone got in the way. Nothing about her was special, and yet Superman had come to her rescue. Why hadn't he done the same for her? Had she not been the best of the best during her times as a hero? Had she not proven herself great? But wasn't this what Luthor told her about? How she had been too great and so the Justice League wanted her dead? Yes, that made sense. Vav Girl was weak, so they came to protect her because she was weak. She had been too strong, and so they left her to die so their reign would go unchallenged. Well, they made a grave mistake, and she would inform Superman of that mistake.
Next time we meet, Momorose vowed to herself. I will kill her where she stands.