A jet came around supper time and it held a variety of people that were apparently staying the night. Victor told me they would all pay the night fee, but that's not what bothered me. "There aren't enough rooms." I spoke with Lucky as she entered the kitchen for the third time to bring out another meal. She rolled her eyes.
"Almost every single one of your new visitors have super powers." She spoke as if it were nothing. "Robin and Nightwing not included. They'll either sleep on the jet or outside, or share a room." One of the cooks placed a few steaming meals on her tray. "They only thing you'll have to worry about is if we have enough food for them. There's twenty young adult/teens, the Doom Patrol- in which only two of them can actually eat, and three little kids. Pluse the workers that live here, Rachel and her friends, and Rachel's unexpected family visitors. "This weeks food bill is going to be higher than most." I sighed as she wandered back into the dinning hall. To counter her statement, we're also getting in more money because of the people staying here. I leaned against the counter, trying to escape all the madness from earlier. My fingers drummed on the wooden surface as I waited for the pink haired girl to reenter the room.
"You know, maybe if you helped me. Like a good boss, we could get more than a few sentences of conversation in before I head out again." The pink haired girl wandered in again, placing a few slips of orders onto the counter.
"What happens if I accidentally turn into a animal?" I asked her. "I was told not to do anything, workwise. My condition is unstable." She rolled her eyes at me.
"Yes, the man who changes into a mouse at the mention of the word." Just like she said, I morphed the second 'mouse' left her lips. My body quickly turning back to normal after I fell onto the floor. I rubbed my head. "You should see the Hospital about that."
"It's on the other side of the country." I stated. "I can't leave my animals alone. That's like, abandoning them." I used the counter to help me stand as she was handed more plates.
"You seriously need to look into getting me some help out here." She ordered before walking back out into the dinning hall. This time I followed her out the door and made my way through the crowded room to the entrance hall where Bee stood making arrangements with a woman with ling curly red hair and a purple and lack dress on.
"So currently there are five open rooms in the ranch, and we have two rooms that aren't normally used out in the barn. And about twenty seven here for the night. Pluse we have five couches and a few chairs in the livingroom."
"Nightwing and Starfire will share a room, I honestly don't know where Robin ran off too. He might be staying out in the city till tomorrow morning. My team and I will stay in the jet mostly because of Mento's lack of trust for everyone." Bee nodded. "The kids will stay with Raven like always. Thunder and Lightning prefer to be in the sky. That leaves four rooms."
"If I remember correctly Argent and Wonder Girl get along well so they can share a room. Kole and Gnarrk can stay in the barn, Gnarrk can't handle civilized things too well. Más y Menos and Pantha can have another room. Kilowat needs his own space so he can use the second Barn room. Jericho and Ravenger are siblings,"
"Ravenger won't share a room with Jericho. She's best sleeping alone or on the roof." The woman spoke. I leaned against the counter listening to them. "Speedy needs his own room."
"So does Herald." Bee commented absently while writing down the sleeping arrangements. "Everyone else is either on the couch or in the jet."
"With little conflict I hope." The woman sighed then looked at me. "Garfield, correct?" I nodded. She held out her hand and I shook it. "Elasti-Girl." She smiled sweetly. "Co-leader of the Doom Patrol."
"Nice to meet you." I greeted. "Bee, Lucky needs help in the kitchen if you have time to spare."
"I would think so," Bee stepped out from behind the counter and made her way to the dinning hall.
"So, it seems that you have an ability like most of your current visitors." The woman spoke. I turned my attention back to her and nodded unsurely. "Rachel said it had something to do with animals, and that's her weak point, as you already know." She motioned me to follow her. "A few years ago, back on one of the first missions Rachel was sent on, she ended up lost and in the care of me and my team for a few months, until we were able to contact the Titans and they sent out to get her. I had a son, with my husband, who -like you- had powers with animals, though in a different way. He could communicate with them and get them to do as he wanted. It came in handy when we were out on missions and needed a spy, but he rarely saw real action. Rachel thought that me and my husband could help you develop your powers, get them under control at least. If she had more knowledge of both animals and your power I'm sure she would've helped you, but please don't think poorly of her for keeping her distance with this.
"She's not scared of you, but of what you can turn into. Considering you've been helping her overcome that fear, I belive that your new found ability will be more helpful than harmful in the near future." I nodded and I found myself in front of a large jet where a robot man was wandering around inside moving things to create beds and what not.
"Your son-"
"He passed on half a year ago. We were ambushed by the Brotherhood of Evil, and he was in the wrong spot in the wrong time." I stopped walking as she went to climb aboard the jet. She turned to look at me, giving me a small smile. "Sacrifice is something you have to learn to live with... I'm sorry, you're not used to things like this, not around here at least. Common, I'll introduce you to the team." I followed her onto the jet, that was twice as large inside as it was outside. I had to stop to take in the entire look.
"Holograms." A large metal man said as he moved a couch across the room. "This isn't actually a jet, it just looks like one."
"Garfield, this is Cliff Steele. Or, as the world knows him, Robotman." Elasti-Girl introduced. "In the back, sleeping on a chair is Lary Tranor, or Negitiveman."
"Rita some reports came in on the Brotherhood." Cliff set the couch doen near a door. "Steve wont tear his eyes off of them." Elasti-Girl frowned, and motioned me to follow her into the room behind the door. It was a simple control room, there were computers and a stirring wheel as well as some chairs. A man, with short messy black hair covered by a metal helmit sat in a chair near one of the computers. In his hand he had a stack of papers, double sided. I could see some of the printed words.
Searching for animal intelligence that has been sending reports on Ga- The paper was flipped. Heading south east towards Georgia U. S. A. Looking for Lo- "Steve, we did not come here to work on the Brotherhood." I looked at Rita as she crossed her arms glaring at the man, he lowered the papers to glance at her.
"I'm just reading." He responded. "It's not like we have to do anything until tomorrow."
"We do have something to do, remember what Rachel asked?" The man set the papers on the counter next to him.
"Besides run Justice League arrons like lap dogs?" He mumbled and I felt the shift over my body once again. By now I recognized it as transforming. My control on it, none. The man's attention turned to me as I turned human again. "A subconscious transformation." He stood and walked over to me, looking much taller than he should considering I was sitting on the ground. He knelt next to me, "I'm going to ask you a series of questions, you have the option to answer them." He told me. "Forst: what's the smallest animal you can think of?" I went to respond but my body was transforming before I could manage a word. He kept his eyes trained on me as I shrunk, and returned to my normal form moments later. "A Marmadasthred Snake." He spoke, getting the answer he was looking for. "Not many people know about that one, easily mistaken for a worm.
"Careful Steve." Rita warned quietly but her message didn't seem to get to him, he asked me a few more animal related questions, first water mammal I could think of: dolphin. First predator I could think of: lion. Largest animal: my body didn't change for that, whether it be because of the space in the room or limits of this power, neither I, nor the man could figure out. I was able to speak that name though. Mammoth. My body was starting to hurt from transforming so much in a few short minutes.
"What's your name?" Steve asked but spoke before I could respond. "Don't answer that. I'll just take a look-"
"Steve!" Rita grabbed his attention and he looked over at her, standing and backing away. "Slow down. You're going to overwhelm him." She paused a moment, letting the moment of relaxation kick in before talking again. "Garfield, this is my husband, Steve Dayton, or as the team calls him, Mento. He's able to control things and read with his mind. He's going to help you control your powers while I will train your body to be able to handle each power. The other members of the Doom Patrol will help."
"Control meaning changing on will and the speed of your transformations." Steve added in quietly.
"Over all, you should have basic control over your power by the time we leave in five days."
Steve started talking, sounding more of a leader now, than a man talking casually to his friends. "For the next five days, when you're not working, sleeping or eating, you will be here training. We start now." I saw his eyes glow blue before my mind went blank.
Greed is a desire for everything you come across.