I own nothing but the characters that don't appear in the DC universes.
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Outside Mount Sinai HospitalBooster Gold pulled up long before he hit the ground. Flying back up to the room he swore when he found it empty.
"Skeet, keep calling the Watchtower." He ordered flying back into the building.
- - -
Inside Mount Sinai HospitalHow the hell did he get Brainiac's insignia on the back of his neck! Just who the hell was he? He asked himself as he left bathroom. Ricky walked absentmindedly down the hallways until Booster Gold suddenly appeared hovering in front of him. Shocked into remembering what was happening Ricky turned and ran.
- - -
New YorkStatic watched as the sleek shape of a Javelin landed on a rooftop not to far away. Changing direction quickly he made his way over to it.
"You guys looking for something or you just here for the sights?" He called down to them. Coming to a hover over the rooftop the disk he stood on folded back into his boots
"Static?" Green Lantern asked. "What are you doing in New York?"
"Looking for Gear. He came here for the weekend to see family about some legal matters. At least that's what I thought. His family saw him once and know he's disappeared. You?" Static responded.
"We had a confirmed sighting of Brainiac. The fact that Gear's disappeared doesn't sit well with me. Now that I think about it the description we have matches your friend." The Lantern explained.
"Where'd you eye him?" Static asked.
"Mount Sinai Hospital." He said pointing to the building. "The message we received stated that our member was perusing him but…he's not the most…competent of people.
Static pulled his Shock Box from his belt.
"I got a lead on Gear, meet me at Mount Sinai Hospital and Feral bring that nose of yours." He said into it.
"It's attached to my face." A voice said back
"Feral will be able to track him if we've loss him. I assume you realize I'm coming with you."
"I thought you would." Green Lantern called as he floated into the sky with his team.
- - -
Mount Sinai HospitalRicky pulled a cylinder from his belt and pressed the only button on it. He pushed the staff that unfolded into the ground and skidded to a stop. Booster Gold, who was still pursuing him, flew headlong into the pole. Ricky quickly picked himself back up and ran back the way he came. Booster Gold did the same soon after with an annoyed grimace.
Running past a cart Ricky picked a metal tray from it spilling the containers of medicine across the floor. Not stopping or even slowing down he lifted the tray in front of him as he dived confidently through a window, shattering the glass as he did. Booster Gold followed but an egg shaped flashed brightly before him.
Falling through the air Ricky calmly fired yet another devise from his belt, launching a wire into the wall. He gripped it tightly and slowed his decent until he landed on the sidewalk. Before Booster Gold could recover he ran across the busy road and pulled open up a manhole cover. By the time Booster Gold had recovered Ricky had vanished.
"John isn't going to like this." He said to himself.
"No." Skeet agreed.
- - -
Mount Sinai HospitalFeral sniffed around in the men's room as Green Lantern and Static talked to the doctor, who had been examining Ricky, and Batman.
"He came in with amnesia. At first I thought it was a hoax but then I heard of the other cases." The doctor started.
"Except for this 'Ricky' all the other patients are witnesses in a high profile case. Ricky must have intervened on an attempt on one of the witnesses and was affected himself." Batman said.
"Then why is Brainiac in him?" Booster Gold asked.
"He's not." Batman stated.
"Then where did he get all the advanced technology he beat me with?" Booster said.
"He keeps a few gadgets on the inside of a belt. But that's only a few Caps, Shock Box, re-breather, repel, staff and some sort of multi-tool. You got beat by his emergency gear?" Static asked in disbelief. Batman just growled lightly in disappointment.
"It's defiantly him." Feral said coming out of the lavatory and walking to the window. "As long as he stays on the ground I can track him." She continued stabbing her Snare into the wall above the window. A moment later she leaped into the air.
"This is Green Lantern to all Justice League members. False alarm. Everyone return to your Javelins." He said after pressing his hand to his ear. "I assume you're okay to track your friend yourself." He finished.
"Feral will do that. I'm more worried about what happens when we find him." Static said.
"Why?" Booster Gold asked.
"He's running scared. Probably wont trust anyone and if he has Backpack on him he has a small arsenal with him. Probably with weapons he's designed to beat all of us. Even me."
"Would you like some help?" Green Lantern offered.
"I may." Blacklash said from the roof. Static and Booster Gold jumped and looked at the man who had silently entered through the window. Releasing his hold Blacklash dropped from the ceiling and landed lightly on an empty bed. Batman gave him a glance, not many could sneak up on him and none who didn't have training to do so.
"Why? What you up to?" Static asked.
"We need to reverse the affects of his memory loss." He explained.
"I'm already going to do that. You can join your teammates." Batman told him.
"I'm with you." Black told him back.
Batman issued him a glare that sent most people into to shivers. Blacklash must have adapted to it earlier however because he held his ground.
"Have Zatanna bought down here." Batman said without looking at Green Lantern.
"You're thinking magic." Green Lantern wondered. Batman just walked away with Blacklash following close behind on the roof.
Static shook his head. The only time Blacklash ever walked upright was when he took a normal looking form. When in his newly natural state he either crawled on walls or stood with a crouch. It made him look like he was ready to pounce at any moment and seem more sinister then he really was.
Maybe that's why he does it. Static mused to himself.
"This is Green Lantern to all Justice League members. Anyone out there want to stay and maybe help Static fight a super-genius?"
"This is Superman." Came a response after a pause. "Me and Diana have come across something we want to take a closer look at. If Static needs backup he can call us."
- - -
New York"Sewers." Static said in revolt.
"You think you got it bad. Try taking a whiff with my nose." Feral responded.
"Will you two stop complaining! Your like kids." She-bang said from the back of the line. While she held a small flashlight in her hand Static had changed his hand into a large flashlight. Feral of course could see better in the dark then they could in daylight.
"It is in my nature as a teen to complain." Static answered her back.
"Well could you do it in the privacy of your own mind. I will strangle you." She threatened.
"Is that a complained?" He asked her. She-bang actually wrapped her hands around his neck but were interrupted as sunlight flooded the passageway.
"He went up here." Feral called down to them from atop of the ladder. A moment later Static levitated through the manhole followed shortly by She-bang who simply leaped.
"Where to from here?" She-bang asked. Feral held her finger up to her asking her to wait. After a second Feral pushed the manhole cover back into place with some force.
"Ow!" Was heard.
With a display of light Static moved the cover again and lifted the man still inside the sewers. Booster Gold floated out, nursing his head.
"What gave me away?" He asked wincing.
"I knew you were going to follow me the moment I jumped out the window. You don't like that Gear kicked your golden hiny and you want another shot. That and you were talking to that little robot thing down there."
"You could hear us?" He asked surprised.
"It's her Bang Baby thing." Static said dropping the man.
It was certainly a strange sight as the four heroes made their way through New York City. Feral told them how Gear's erratic movements suggested he was trying to hide his trail.
- - -
New York"Mr. Foley!" A man yelled as Ricky ran passed the hotel.
"Yes." He asked warily.
"You looked a little lost. I just wanted to point out that you are outside your hotel." He said.
Ricky blinked and looked up at the building. It did spark some recognition in him.
"Oh, thank you. I thought I would have to spend the night on the streets for a moment." Ricky said with a false grin as he maked his way inside. He walked into the elevator and pushed a button out of instinct. Once the door closed and he was left alone he began rummaging through the hidden pockets on the inside of his belt. He was surprised to find that he could fit his entire hand into some of them but more surprised when he realised he understood how this was possible. Looking in one of the smaller pouches he found what he was looking for, a hotel key card. Smacking himself around the head Ricky cursed himself for not looking through them sooner.
The room was easy enough to find. He just walked up to the one that felt right and opened it. The view wasn't great and the decorum was a little drab but he knew he had rented this room. Again following his instincts he pulled a metal case from under the bed and laid in out.
He entered a sequence of numbers into the lock and opened it. Changing into a spare pair of clothes he found he returned to the case. Closing it and entering a different sequence revealed a different interior. Packing foam protected two dome shaped devises and a pair of roller blades. Pulling out the smaller of the two devises he found that he had been looking at the top of a full-face helmet with a reflective visor. The inside of the case appeared to be bigger then the outside in order to contain and hide it, much like the pockets in his belt.
Pulling out the next devise he found that this one too was slightly bigger then the case would suggest. Pressing a button on the shell he got another surprise.
Booting. Sounded in his head as the small device turned on. The computer lifted itself up on four legs and looked at Ricky almost questionably. Backpack powered up. Ready to receive.
Ricky looked down wide mouthed at the devise. Again flashes of memory appeared behind his eyes. Using the computer to decode a pair of necklaces. Reworking it to utilize his new spacial physics technology. Pulling tools and gadgets galore from inside it. Loading it with a number of Nano filled tubes. Executing the codes that activated these tubes.
This is a systems check. He said to the rudimentary AI. Identify yourself and your function.
Backpack. Scouting robot, storage devise, mobile computer, link to standard computers and Nano-tube executor
Identify me. Ricky asked.
Primary User. Was its response. Ricky sighed and ordered the robot to climb onto his back. After dressing in the rest of his gear he pulled another Cap from his belt and pushed down on it. With an eerier familiarity a liquidly substance seeped from it and began coating him. A moment later it returned to the Cap and Ricky found himself in a silver and black uniform. Now he really wanted to know who he was.
- - -
New YorkBlacklash waited with Batman for the arrival of this Zatanna. Batman had not taken his eyes off of Blacklash since he perched on the corner of the roof. While Blacklash had not turned around he was sure to concentrate on the older vigilante through the back of his head. When the woman finally appeared he didn't bother to turn around to face her, he could see her well enough.
"Somebody order a magician." She smiled flirtingly at the Bat.
"Did Green Lantern apprise you of the situation?" Batman asked her.
"He did." She said while turning to face Blacklash. "Hi there, I'm Zatanna."
"Blacklash." He said simply.
"Oh great. Another ray of sunshine." She said. "Where do we start?"
"Only one of the witnesses hasn't been attacked. The FBI has added extra security but we're here anyway." Batman said.
"So we're on a stakeout. Should I order takeout?"
Batman shook his head slightly.
- - -
New YorkFeral walked into the room that the manager had opened for her. This was defiantly his. Judging from the smell he had only spent one night in the bed. Static walked over to a case that was on it and showed it to the others.
"He has his gear." He said to them. Feral walked over to the open window and sniffed outside. She could smell him and burnt fuel.
"He went out the window." She stated. "I can't track him through the air."
"Why not?" Booster asked her.
"I can't fly." She responded sarcastically.
"I could carry you." He said flirtingly. Feral growled at him.
"Maybe you could ride on Static's disc." She-bang suggested.
"We could do that. It's big enough." He agreed. Feral gave Booster one final glare before stepping aside to let Static to the window. The young hero hopped over the sill and unfolded his disc from his boots. Feral soon joined him on it.
"Don't drop me." She said grasping his shoulders for support.
"Your not the first girl whose taken a ride with me." He told her.
"And no doubt I wont be the last."
Inside the room Booster turned to She-bang.
"Can I offer you a lift?" He asked.
"If you enjoy the simple things in life, like walking. You wont." She responded jumping out the window and firing a grapple from her Tonfa.
"I think she like you sir." Skeet said to its master.
"Quiet Skeet." He moaned following the others.
- - -
New York"So what are your powers?" Zatanna asked Blacklash. The meta-human had not moved from his position since he took it. When he didn't respond she childishly stuck her tongue out behind him.
"I can see behind the back of my head." He told her. Her tongue returned to her mouth.
When Batman suddenly fired his grapple and swung towards the building Blacklash was right behind him. The two crashed through separate windows surprising the men inside.
The only one in the room that was standing had a globe of light in his hand that he had been chanting into. He wore plain white trousers and vest as well as a white cape though it was red on the inside. He turned his head sharply on the two who had interrupted him.
The two FBI men looked confusingly up from the floor, judging by their expression the sorcerer had wiped their own memories. Finishing his incantation the man in white allowed the ball of light to fly at Blacklash with unexpected speed. It hit and Blacklash stumbled backwards from sudden disorientation.
Batman rolled to one side, throwing a length of black rope at the sorcerer as he did. With his arms tired down the sorcerer whispered a few chose words. The rope suddenly thickened and turned into large white snake that sprung at Batman. Batman grabbed the serpent's head but still bell backwards. After more words each of the sorcerers hands launched a torrent of white energy at Blacklash. Blacklash was hit head on and thrown through the wall to the ground below.
Batman threw a pellet that exploded into light as he rolled to avoid another spell. Blinded, the White Magician didn't see as Zatanna stepped from a cloud of green smoke that has risen. He quickly recovered after another incantation and turned to face both of his foes. His face split into a wide grin when she saw Zatanna.
Raising her wand Zatanna spoke her own magical words. A lightning-like blast shot towards the man from the black and white stick. With a wave of his hand the streak erupted in a shower of sparks. His other hand threw a ball of light, which Zatanna caught in her top hat. After another wave of her wand a dove flew out of the hat and through the hole Blacklash had been thrown through.
"You've gotten good Zee. What's with the fishnets?" The sorcerer asked his eyes scanning over her legs.
"What's with all the white?" She shot back before launching another attack.
- - -
New YorkFeral searched the skies for evidence of her missing teammate. They had been making slow progress tracking him, as Feral had to keep telling Static to change direction or altitude. It took over twenty minutes for her to find him. He was sitting on the spire of the Empire States Building.
"I see him. He's on the Empire States spire." Feral told her team.
"I got him." Booster Gold shouted flying ahead.
"No!" Static shouted to late.
Booster Gold flew up to Gear and fired his golden energy at the teen. Noticing him in time Gear blocked the attack with his own purple Gauntlet energy. Raising his other arm Gear returned fire. Booster Gold avoided the beam and fired again. Gear took to the air to avoid it. The spire gave a whine of protest as Booster Gold's blast blew a chunk out of it. Static, who had chased after Booster Gold, quickly took position behind the collapsing spire.
"I need you off." He called to Feral. She leaped from the disk towards a ledge on the building roof some distance below. Feral rolled the moment her feet touched the ground, her powers helping to disperse the energy and land without harm. Static gathered as much energy as he could and released it at the spire, holding it place.
"Superman, this is Feral. We need you at the Empire States Building right now!" Feral called into her Shock Box on the Justice League's channel.
Booster Gold held Gear's arms above his head high above street level. Gear lifted his legs and increased the power output to his Jetblades. Booster Gold's back slammed into the Empire building but his hold didn't lessen.
Booster Gold's suit grants him protection and strength.
"Backpack execute code: Man of Steel!" Once he was covered in the material he added more power to him blades. Booster Gold's back was forced against the wall with more power. When his grip slacked Gear rocketed away and turned towards him with his arms raised. A burst of purple light blasted him unto the building.
Wonder Woman flew past Static in an attempt to help him hold up the spire as Superman made his way to its base. He began wielding the metal together with his heat vision.
"What the hell is wrong with Golden Boy down there!" Static yelled up to Wonder Woman.
"He has a tendency to seek out glory." Diana called back.
"Well if he hurts Gear he's going to be famous as the first man to be hit by ten lightning bolts simultaneously."
"You won't have to worry about that." Feral's voice said over Static's Shock Box, which he had left on. "Gear just blasted him through a wall."
Feral replaced her Shock Box back on her belt as she ran across the ledge. She threw her Snare just before jumping off. The wire tightened and she swung around. She pressed the button on her forearm that retrieved the Snare half way through the swing. Falling through the air she landed squarely on Gear's back.
"You need to calm down." She yelled at him. Whether he was ignoring her or didn't hear her he didn't calm down. Instead he began flying erratically, trying to throw her off.
Feral has an incredible sense of balance.
Gear reached behind himself and grabbed his passenger by the fur that decorated her collar. Feral soon found herself being launched through a window. She heard people give a yelp before dropping to the ground or stepping to the side to avoid her. She crashed through a wall and landed, on her feet, with a slide on a long table.
"Ow." She said as her wounds began to heal. The others in the boardroom stared slack jawed up at her. Without even acknowledging them Feral jumped from the table.
Gear raised his Gauntlets again but an electrical pulse disabled them. Looking up Gear saw Static flying towards him before an arrow hit him in the side of the head and exploded in a burst of light. The next arrow Feral launched tied him in a Wrap Cap's tentacles.
The armours strength surpasses the restraint capacity of a Wrap Cap.
The Wrap Cap's bindings snapped violently as Gear flexed his arms upwards. A pair of disks unfolded from his Gauntlets, which he preceded to throw both at Static and Feral. Static caught the disk in an electrical field while Feral easily dodged hers. This didn't help however as the disk simply stopped and turned back on her. With a yelp of surprise Feral ran down the corridor with it chasing her close behind.
"S'cuse me…pardon me…out the way people." She yelled as she ran down the hallway. When she came to a corner she leaped up and kicked off the wall, over the disk, and down the next corridor. The disk flew past and into the wall. Her extraordinary senses informed her of its flight path. With a sight she turned and ran as the disk cut through the wall she had kicked off.
The Cap Gear launched exploded above Static's head causing a wall of water to fall on him. Immediately his powers shorted out and if it wasn't for uniform Gear had given him he would have fallen to street level. He drained the suit of its own electrical charge and used it to evaporate the water he was drowned in. Once his way was clear his metal disk unfolded from his boots and he rose in the air again.
Gear was blasted back by the shock of electricity that slammed him into the wall. The nanites that built his armour protected him from the electrical charge.
Superman, Wonder Woman and Booster Gold hovered above the battle below. The two founding Justice League members had decided to allow Static the deal with his teammate and to not get involved unless they felt it necessary. Booster Gold wasn't happy with that but he followed his orders none the less.
Static rolled to avoid Gear's next Cap. He charged his palms and released a volley of electrical bolts at his friend. Gear's left Gauntlet extended into a shield that allowed him to fly through the blasts without harm and throw another Cap at Static that he had pulled from Backpack. The Cap grabbed his arm and began draining his energy into itself. Static yelped in surprise tried to pull the devise off.
Gear pulled his Launcher from Backpack and aimed it at the panicking teen. He fired his Cap but Superman's form quickly swatted the aside. Gear pulled back and returned the Launcher to its place in Backpack only to draw it again once the computer loaded a new Cap. This Cap hit Superman head on and exploded against him, throwing him back. When Superman steadied himself a wall of purple energy, coming from Gear's newly repaired Gauntlets, collided with him.
Once Superman's eyesight cleared from the unexpected light he saw an armoured Gear charging towards him with his hands enveloped in the same purple energy. Gear was jolted to a stop as a golden wire wrapped around his raised arm and pulled him back. Looking at the source of the rope Gear fired his Gauntlet; the cable Wonder Woman was pulling him with had raised his arm at her. The blast of energy sent her back.
Static just managed to settle safely on a rooftop before Gear's gizmo completely drained him of power. He offered a few more hopeless tugs but the devise would not release him. Without energy he was just another teen.
"Water Cap things, energy draining thingy. I ask you, where's the trust." Static complained.
"Well he obviously needed them!" She-bang called down as she fell from the neighbouring building. She landed lightly on her feet right next to Static. Grabbing the devise on his arm she snapped the tentacles apart with a swift jerk. Static took the main egg shape in his hand and began draining what it had stolen from him.
"Gear's in the zone." She-bang noted as Gear fought off the three League members at once. Static looked up and shrugged.
"They're trying not to hurt him." He told her.
"What's the plan…We do actually have a plan don't we." She-bang asked still watching the battle above.
"Backpack has an emergency shut down code. If I can get close enough I can execute it."
"What makes you think he will let it work?"
"Gear created the code in case his technology, or he, fell into the wrong hands. The code will shutdown all technology even if the primary user is telling them not to." He explained.
"And what makes you think he didn't remove it, this is Gear we're taking about. He has a plan for everything."
"Exactly! What good is an emergency shutdown code, that's to be used in case he ever goes bad, if he know its there. None because he could just remove it."
"So…the plan won't work because he's removed it." She-bang asked confused.
"He can't remove it because he doesn't know its there!" Static exclaimed.
"Oh…Wait…you lost me with that one. If he put it there how can he not know its there?" She asked.
"Gear can organise his mind like a computer. He can store memories into a file and then delete the file so that he has no memory of it. He told me about the code then removed all memories he had of it."
"That's…messed up. That's really messed up. Rich is unhealthily paranoid, what kind of a man considers himself a threat?"
Static dropped the energy-draining Cap once he had re-absorbed all that he could.
- - -
New York
Blacklash climbed to a crouch not long after he hit the street. Just as he prepared to leap back into the fray a pain in his head stopped him. It felt like someone had smashed a nail into his face with a sledgehammer, right between where his eyes should be. He fell to his knees clutching his head in his hands and yelling in pain.
William Kaine
Fire licked at the boys skin as he ran through the house screaming. His blood mixed with that of the mountain cat he was stabbing with a small knife. The older boys arm finally gave way to a satisfying snap as he bent it back on itself. He cut into the mans ankle with the larger knife he had been given before plunging the blade into his neck and running through the dense wood, tears in his eyes. Water seeped into the plane as it quickly sank. For four nights he didn't sleep, fear of the Rippers keeping him up.
Blacklash could feel these flashes of memory slipping away from him so tried desperately to hold onto them. Before the darkness could completely consume him he hear one last thing.
Luck of the Oni.
The pain in his head gradually eased into a heavy throbbing and Blacklash found himself back in New York. The crowd that had gathered around him backed up as he pulled himself back to his feet. That was one hell of a ride. Still dizzy he looked at the hole he had caused, in the buildings wall high above him, through the top of his head. He could see flashes of light and occasionally an exotic bird would fly out through the wall void.
Still too disorientated to jump he instead stretched a tentacle from his back that clung to the wall above the hole. The appendage quickly pulled him back up to the room he had been thrown from.
- - -
New York
Feral could hear the sounds of the battle outside even as she ran from the pursuing disk. She had been waiting for the right moment and now it had arrived. She leaped head first through the window with her arms protecting her face. Dropping through the air she plummeted past Gear who was flying towards her while firing his Gauntlets at Booster Gold, who was returning fire.
The disk continued after Feral and into Gear's flight path. Before the disk could collide with him however Gear snatched it from the sky and redirected it to Wonder Woman who was making her way towards him. The Amazonian princess blocked the Chakram with her bracelets but had to hold them steady as the disk continued to spin in the air against them.
Gear stopped suddenly and deflected Booster Gold's next blast with his shielded left arm. His right Gauntleted hand was encompassed in a ball of purple energy, which he then used to punch Booster Gold in the side of his head. The man from the future was sent careering back into the distance with a shriek, his small robot calling after him.
Cursing Feral threw her Snare into the wall and started to slow her decent. Once the thin wire began to reach the end of its tether she extended her claws and flipped around in the air. She began to recall the Snare as she buried the claws into the wall. Ten thin scratches gouged their way down the building as she continued to fall, albeit at a slower rate. Once she neared the ground she kicked off, did a back flip mid fall, and landing on her feet on the hood of a car. The scratches she received breaking through the window had long since disappeared.
Lifting her Shock Box to her lips she spoke into it. In the Mount SinaiHospital parking lot her black Predator roared to life.
Superman and Gear exchanged several hits high in the air. Superman had been doing his best not to hit the teen to hard. While the armour was impressive it was still nothing compared to Superman's inhuman strength.
Superman gasped when Gear's glowing hand struck him heavily in the stomach. Apparently the purple light made his punches more powerful. Before he could close his mouth Gear pulled out a smaller Cap from his belt and forced it down his mouth. Once it was in his throat Gear delivered another hit there, cracking the Cap and causing it to spill its contents.
Thick white foam exploded from Superman's mouth, preventing him from breathing and getting into his eyes. Gear grabbed his head with one hand and launched him at the Empire States Building. The man of steel crashed into it and through several more walls.
- - -
New York
Blacklash pulled himself back into the room where the magical duel was taking place. A number of Batman's equipment lay in pieces across the floor, as did a number of animals. When he stood a snake slithered over his foot.
"What happened Randolph? What do you get for casting cheap memory wipes on these people?" Zatanna shouted at him as she deflected one of his spells.
"Lets just say I'm doing an old friend a favour." He answered her. Black tentacles suddenly erupted behind him and dragged him to the ground. Blacklash's tentacles turned white and scaly before loosening their hold and turning on him. Each of them had been turn into red-eyed snakes that flew towards his face. Blacklash severed them from his arm where the tentacles had come from before wrapping in another. He had not taken his gaze off of Randolph's surprised face.
"How did you do that?" He asked surprised. He was so shocked that he didn't notice Zatanna cast a spell over him. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground.
"How did you do that?" She repeated as Batman restrained the man.
"Do what?" Blacklash said.
"That first spell he hit you with was a memory wipe. You shouldn't know who you are right now."
"…I've been suffering from amnesia since I awoke from a coma a few weeks back. After I hit the ground I saw some stuff, like, flashes of memory"
"The spell he used is quite simple. It may not know what to do if the memories are already suppressed. Its possible that what you saw…was your past."
William Kaine. He said in his head. He repeated it over again, determined not to forget it.
"Can you reverse the spell?" Batman said.
"I think so, now that I've heard what spell he was using." Said Zatanna.
"Then we're going to the hospital to restore the witnesses." Batman continued. Zatanna nodded before kneeling down a picking up a piece of rubble of the floor that used to be the wall. She muttered something under her breath and waved her wand over it.
"Gear's memories should be restored once he touches this." She said passing it to Blacklash. He wasted no time pulling his Shock Box from under his skin and pressing the call button.
"Feral." Sounded from the devise.
"I've got a way to get Gear's memories back. Where is he?"
"Kicking our collective ass's over the Empire States Building. He's armoured and not very happy with us. If you don't hurry we may have to hurt him."
"I'm on my way…which one is the Empire States Building?"
"The tallest." Feral responded. Blacklash leaped out of the building.
- - -
New York
Even while he was fighting the Justice League Ricky's mind never stopped working. He knew that the Justice League were the good guys. The obvious conclusion being he was a bad guy. But what did he do? Was he guilty of robbing a bank or trying to concur the world? He quickly dismissed the second. Jessica and Bethany would have told him if he looked like a conqueror. He defiantly had some tie with Brainiac. Maybe he was a spy. It would explain why he knew so much.
He briefly went over a list of components he would need to contact the super-program but dismissed this idea quicker then his last. If he was only guilty of robbing a bank then giving Brainiac a reason to come here was not going to help him.
His thoughts returned to the battle as Wonder Woman's lasso tried itself around his neck. He was wrenched higher into the air and slammed down onto the Empire States Building's un-even rooftop. Turning his mind to the Chakram he had thrown at her he found that it was no longer under his control. She must have destroyed or disabled it.
He didn't have time to rest as her left fist collided with his visors right half. Her following right hook sent him up through the buildings rooftops and into the hastily repaired spire. It gave a great moan and again began to topple. Gear dropped a Cap by his feet and again took to the sky.
Thinking he had left the spire to fall Diana landed by its base and reached to grab it again. Before she could the Cap Gear had dropped exploded with masses of foam that quickly hardened. It prevented her from reaching the spire but did the job for her. It was securely held in place by the Gear-Crete.
Diana however was not very happy. Not only was she mostly stuck in the mass of rock but also when the Cap exploded the foam had found its way into her hair and hardened there. As carefully as she could she pulled her arms free from the Gear-Crete and used them to free the rest of her with equal care. She could not risk the spire falling just so that she could pummel a teenager.
At this point Gear would have made his escape if She-bang hadn't delivered a devastating kick to his back. She had leaped from Static's saucer to deliver the blow. The two of them crashed onto the rooftop again. She-bang quickly leaped back off of him to help Wonder Woman dig herself out. When Gear climbed back to his feet a large blast of lightning knocked him off the building.
Before he could fire his Jetblades he slammed into a motorbike that was driving up the buildings side. Feral tapped a Wrap Cap against him so that he soon found himself bound. The bike flipped through the air so that Gear once again found himself land roughly onto the rooftop.
"Damn it's cold up here." Feral complained.
She-Bang and Wonder Woman finally rejoined them, soon followed by a coughing Superman. Booster Gold was unconscious some distance away with his ever-faithful robot Skeet trying to explain to passers by that he was Booster Gold and that he needed help. Gear pulled himself free of the Cap and rose to look at the group.
"You put up a good fight. But now its time you came with us." Superman said.
"Backpack execute code: Alpha Omega Gear!" Gear said.
Error 42: Nano-tube not loaded.
Gear blinked.
A Black mass leaped onto his back and dragged him to the ground.
"I need his armour off!" Blacklash yelled. Wonder Woman and Superman quickly aided Blacklash in keeping the struggling teen down. Static too jumped onto him trying to get to Backpack.
"Backpack execute code: Cracked Gear!" Static shouted at it. At that moment Gear turned and hit everyone away with an ark of purple light. This was to be his last act however before his armour seamed to fall away from him like dust. Gear could feel every piece of technology shutdown and go silent. Even the implant in his neck died. She-bang ran at him with a burst of speed and pulled his helmet from his head, her finger touched his forehead and he found himself frozen.
"Eyes shut please." Feral said as she helped Wonder Woman to her feet. "Hero without his mask." She turned the heroin away from Gear as Blacklash did the same to Superman.
"Is he okay?" Static asked She-bang. She had not removed her fingers from him.
"How should I know?" She asked back. "I don't even know what I'm doing to him."
Blacklash walked over to the rest of his team and pulled the brick from inside of him.
"This should restore his memories." He explained. Lifting the brick he pressed it against Gear's exposed arm. For a moment nothing appeared to happen but then a single tear leaked down Gear's face. She-bang stepped back and Gear fell to his knees in tears.
"What's happening!" Superman demanded. Static walked up to him and lowered his voice.
"Gear only just lost his parents." He whispered. "I think he just remembered."
She-bang knelt next to Gear and put her arm around him.
- - -
Bethany and Jessica's Residence
"Bethany and Jessica's home. Nobodies in so leave a message."
"Hey you two. It's me Ricky, well actually my names Richie. You've probably heard all about what happened on the news so I won't bore you. I got my memories back. I'm heading home now so we probably won't see each other again. I just wanted to thank you. If you ever need anything just call me on 0021298016. You may be surprised how helpful I can be with a lot of things. Thanks again and bye."
- - -
Dakota
Amanda looked at the three teens in front of her. The two that called themselves Behemoth and Vamana were lucky. Their father was a friend to some very important people and had managed to get them this opportunity. The last called Charge had somehow obtained the same chance. They were all seated in a special room where the buzzing green lights were designed to drain a Bang Baby of the energies they needed to use their powers.
"We cannot help you legally. And once you're free you will be fugitives. If you are re-captured we will not help you. We can keep the police from looking for you but you have made enemies that are beyond my control."
"How long would it be for?" Charge asked. Even though he was the youngest she had no doubt he was the smartest.
"Two years. After which you can stay with us or, for all I care, go back to crime."
"Once we do two years?"
"All record of your criminal activities will be lost."
The three looked at one another and as one, agreed.
"Welcome to CADMUS." Amanda Waller said.
- - -End of Black Pasts- - -
AN
Well I hoped you enjoyed the extra long chapter. I was planning on it being two chapters but not only could I not think of a suitable cliff-hanger but I also haven't updated it quite some time so you all deserve a larger helping. Aren't I generous.
Don't be shy about reviewing even if it's just a pat on the back…You're all going to send me a review saying pat on the back now aren't you.
Now the questions I was asked.
From mari
Will Richie's new name be Brainiac 2 or maybe Caretaker?
Sorry no. Although I am wondering why you think it would be Caretaker. The name doesn't seem to fit in my mind. Could you explain it to me? You may change my mind.
Next from GiTrtl
For some reason this chapter doesn't seem like you wrote it. I'm probably just being paranoid. And how the devil did they get to NYC?
I can assure you this is my work. I would like to think I'm becoming a better writer so maybe that's it.
This question was answered in this chapter. Because Richie is only seventeen there were some issues regarding his guardianship after his parent's death. He went to New York to straighten things out with the rest of his family who lived there. That's of course when the whole memory mess began. I had the story based in New York to make it harder for the others to find him.
I would also like to thank GiTrtl for being my most consistent reviewer. Thanks for sticking with it.