secretlystephaniebrown prompted: 17, JLI
A/N: I literally squealed with delight, it would've been embarrassing if I was embarrassed by my passionate love for these losers lol
Disclaimer: Justice League International and associated characters are the creative property of DC Comics.
Best Boy
She has a childish instinct to try.
That, more than anything, is what Ice thinks is her ultimate downfall. Ice has allowed many things to happen to her, happen to the League, all in the name of making solid attempts toward something bigger and better. In this childish hope and dream that when all things are equalized, she can push their rather infamous luck toward being something greater than it used to be.
And Ice really wants this to work. She wants it to work more than she wants the recent photoshoot. She wants it to work more than she wanted her date with Guy to work out. She wants it to work more than she wants to see what Booster and Beetle have planned when the reruns of Next Generation hit too many same-old notes.
Most of all, Ice wants to be able to keep him in her room, too. If Martian Manhunter allows it.
It starts as a team-up with Green Lantern ironically.
No, not that Green Lantern. And not him either. And she's never met that one.
She doesn't say anything about it when she initially leaves the embassy with him because Guy is always strange about any of them hanging out with other Green Lanterns. It's rather cute in Ice's opinion — he likes being their one and only Green Lantern.
But this Green Lantern, the first first one, reminds Ice of her grandfather in some ways, he mentions that he likes her advertisement pictures and that he has a daughter of his own in the industry. So how can Ice not help him out with a mystery involving the fashion industry?
When Fire gets back from her European shoot, she's going to be so jealous that Ice got to be both a superhero and supermodel in one single adventure.
It doesn't take that much detective work — nothing to call Elongated Man or Batman about — but at least part of that is because of their help.
Ice, being from another country, has never heard of having a super pet before this adventure.
His codename is Wonder Dog and his civilian name is Streak.
He is the best boy in the world and Ice, in fact, loves him.
Which makes it easy for her to answer Alan Scott's last-minute request to provide supervision for his furry partner while he goes on a business trip.
She goes to Blue Beetle first because, if anything, she figures Blue Beetle has the most experience trying to cover up things from the rest of the League.
He's sitting cross-legged on the ground, arms folded to his chest, starring intently at the short, furry corgi like it owes him money.
Streak licks Blue Beetle.
"Yeah, I'm a cat person," Blue Beetle says.
Ice decides immediately that Blue Beetle is no longer someone that should ever be trusted.
Aghast, she pulls Streak into her arms and twists away from Blue Beetle.
"Do you know how many artificial potted plants that thing is going to pee on in this building?" Blue Beetle asks. "At least ten! That's ten spots of urine stinking up the embassy alongside whatever smells are coming out of Guy's room."
"Wonder Dog would never!" Ice gasps. "He's a… he's a good boy!"
Blue Beetle holds up his hands and pulls a face. "Hey, it's your funeral when J'onn finds out."
"If you tell him, I'm going to tell him about the diet Chacos!" she hisses at him.
Immediately, Beetle puts a hand to his heart. "You wouldn't!"
"I will!" She promises. "Anything for Streak."
She receives a lick on her cheek and she knows, at that moment, she will die for this dog if she must.
When Guy scoops up Streak and cradles him like a baby, Ice feels her heart melt. He even rubs the good boy's stomach and nuzzles nose to nose with the Wonder Dog.
Beyond pleased, Ice practically hugs herself and looks at Guy.
"I always knew you were good, Guy," she informs him happily. "And look at his little face, Streak agrees! And is happy!"
"Sure he is!" Guy says back, full of bluster. "I grew up with dogs. My sister and I always took care of them, couldn't count on the ol' man to. Just as well, huh, li'l guy?"
No matter what others say about Guy, no matter what Ice even knows about Guy, she has always seen the goodness there beneath the surface. She feels so validated and warmed to see the evidence of it so clearly on display before her now.
"Will you help me keep him in the embassy until Alan gets back?" she asks sweetly.
Guy, immediately, stiffens and looks at her. "Alan? Who's Alan? Are you seeing him? How tall is he? I bet I can fight him."
Ice huffs, rolling her wrist at Guy's antics. "You know Alan! Alan Scott. He went on a business trip and needed someone to watch after Streak."
A strangely judgmental look grows over Guy's face as he looks down at Streak. It hardens. "This is Alan Scott's dog? The first — unsanctioned, mind you — Green Lantern who uses the Starheart instead of an Oa issued ring?"
Frowning, Ice tries to make sense of Guy's serious tone and expression. Is this the more serious side of Guy she's always known was there? The one that trains in the Green Lantern Corps and acts as an officer of the peace in space? To be frank, she's never been acquainted with him.
"I don't know about much of any of that, but Alan seems very nice and noble and Streak helped us solve a mystery last week," she explains.
For a moment, Guy nods and that seems to be the end of whatever interrogation is happening until Guy lets go of Streak. The dog yelps but is caught by a bright green construct that looks and is emerald green cuffs and chains around the dog's paws and tail.
"Yeah, I'm taking this guy in for questioning," Guy says.
Working on instinct, Ice lets out a shriek and blows Guy back with a gust of wind, freezing his ring hand until he drops the construct.
"You will do no such thing!" Ice declares, scooping up Streak and stomping out of the room.
"OW! Ice! TORA! It was a joke, are you kidding me!?"
Ice, though, is not kidding. And she doesn't look back as she marches through the embassy to her next stop.
Fire is her best friend and, when she's not blowing her top, she's the closest thing Ice can find in the embassy to a voice of reason.
She's back from a trip that went well, so Fire isn't really near blowing her top. But she is skeptical and standoffish toward Streak.
Ice finds this rather insulting to her newfound canine loyalties.
"Is it going to be tearing up the furniture and," Fire lets out an exasperated noise as she waves her hands, "my clothes or something?"
"He's a Wonder Dog, Bea," Ice admonishes. She lowers to her knees on the floor and pampers the corgi. "Of course he wouldn't."
Immediately, Streak hones in on the scrunchie around Ice's wrist and begins timidly grazing his front teeth on it. Then, after a few misses, he grabs the scrunchie in his canines and pulls it off of Ice's arm entirely. It's one swift motion, very well-rehearsed.
There's not enough willpower within Ice to resist the giggle that bubbles to the surface as a result.
Once again, Fire looks unimpressed. "You're just going to let him tear that up?" she asks.
"It's his scrunchie," Ice answers.
"Oh, really? For how long?" Fire presses, bending over enough to get a full view of Streak viciously shaking his head, scrunchie in tow.
Using a babying tone, Ice wiggles her shoulder at Streak playfully. "For as long as his little heart has wanted it!"
Groaning, Fire pinches at the bridge between her eyes. "This isn't going to end well, and considering I'm still paying off the fire damage I did to my room, I do not want to be roped into this," she informs Ice. Like a traitor.
"Then you will not be his Auntie Bea," Ice says, pulling Streak into her arms to the dog's playful dismay.
"Somehow I feel like we'll both live with that," Fire rolls her eyes.
"Should it be in the kitchen?" Booster Gold asks over the loud blender.
"He," Ice corrects.
"What?" Booster yells a little louder over the blender, though he doesn't stop mixing his shake.
"He not it!" Ice repeats.
Post-workout Booster is sweaty and not wearing his signature goggles, so Ice gets to see his squinting confusion at her. At long last, he turns off the blender and then points at Streak who is patiently sitting right on top of Booster's feet. "Dog. Should he be in the kitchen?"
"Where else would he eat?" Ice asks pointedly.
"Probably your room under the bed in hiding," Booster jokes, pouring the contents of the blender into his awaiting glass. "Protein shake! You want some?"
"I am now vegetarian," Ice says, staring seriously at Booster and completely ignoring the angry rumblings from her stomach.
Licking the sides of the blender for the drips of shake, Booster smirks at her. "Since when? You had bacon yesterday."
"This morning," she says, crossing her arms. "I will never harm an animal again! Wonder Dog has shown me the light!"
"Okay," Booster snorts. "The carnivore inspired this?"
"I thought you were complaining the other day about twenty-first-century diets," Ice argues. "You said it was weird that we ate so much meat."
"It's weird because of what it did — is doing," Booster quickly corrects himself, "to the environment at the level you — we — make it. That was my point. And grease. You guys ruin things with overcooking. But we need protein. And it's weird that you guys made fun of me saying meat-farming is going to go away, but you meet one admittedly adorable dog and you're completely changing your lifestyle."
"It's just meat," Ice says, hugging herself to muffle the growls.
"I meant your lifestyle of not being homeless since J'onn is definitely going to throw both your adorable butts out on the street when he finds out," Booster jokes. He pats Streak on the head and Streak humors him by acting appreciative.
That's okay because Ice knows that Streak knows to pee on Booster's bed later.
Really, it's only a matter of time before she opens her door and sees the Martian Manhunter on the other side.
Ice still dares to think it should have been longer, but then again J'onn is a telepath.
And also not a fool.
"May I come in?" he asks, red eyes already honed in on the corner of Ice's bed where Streak is curled up napping.
Puffing out her bottom lip, Ice steps aside and watches as the martian crosses her room and rather quickly begins patting on the dog. She folds her arms self-consciously and watches.
"He's a good boy," she defends unsaid accusations.
"Perhaps," Martian Manhunter agrees and looks back to Ice almost softly. "I know of this dog, he belongs to the original Green Lantern."
Perking up, Ice steps forward. "Yes! He is Wonder Dog! Mister Scott needed someone to watch him while he had business out of town! And we had just teamed up together and got along so well…"
He stands tall, towering over Ice as he looks down at her. There isn't the darkness and fear that Batman inspires but Ice does feel a large dose of anxiety wash over her.
"Ice, we cannot keep animals on the property permanently," he informs her.
Deflating, Ice bites nervously on her nail. "I know."
"However, taking into account the considerable merit of our current houseguest, and the temporary status of his stay, it is only fair to amend the rules," J'onn says kindly.
Ice squeals as she throws her arms around him. "Thank you!"
"It seems only right, considering the rules are basically meaningless in this embassy by now," he says more grimly with a sigh. "I believe we will have more luck house training Wonder Dog than Beetle, Booster, or Guy Gardner."
When Alan Scott comes, Ice isn't ready. In fact, she's the furthest thing from ready. She considers freezing her bedroom door shut and staying inside with Streak forever.
Fire assures her that, if that happens, Fire will be forced to burn the ice away and it could hurt their friendship. Even Streak isn't worth that, Ice decides.
The boys are all lined up in the foyer with Alan Scott, Beetle has popcorn, like they're anxious to see some big production.
The moment Ice walks down the stairs with Streak, she can feel the little guy struggling in her arms.
Lowering herself on the bottom step, Ice feels her lip quivering and she holds Streak even tighter. "You are such a good boy, and I know you're gonna miss me just as much as I miss you," she begins to say.
Wonder Dog earns his name with a well-placed kick to Ice's chest, twisting himself like a noodle out of her grips, and barking as he races down the foyer to his owner who is happily awaiting him. Ice isn't sure if she's ever seen a tail wag so much before.
"Thank you, Miss Olafsdotter," Alan says, chuckling as he bends over and latches an old fashion clip leash onto Streak's leather collar. "I know Streak was on his best behavior — it's the only mode he has — but it was good to feel assured he was with good people." He gives skeptical glances to the snickering trio beside him and grips the leash a little tighter. "Mostly good people. I'll send you a check for your troubles."
"Whoa, check? She gets paid for this?" Booster pipes up.
"We have dog sitting services, too, y'know," Beetle begins selling as he follows Alan out the door.
Beside Ice, Fire puts a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, he's gone now, you don't have to keep up the brave face."
Before Fire is even done, Ice bursts into tears and flings her arms around Fire's waist.
"Oh, boy," Fire says, patting Ice's head.
"Aw, Tora, don't worry, I can get you a better dog," Guy says, attempting to stroll up while avoiding Fire's direct line of attack.
Martian Manhunter's head snaps in Guy's direction. "No more pets in the embassy."
"Okay, but what if we're cutting you in on the dog sitting business?" Beetle asks while Booster is already looking through craigslist.
"It doesn't matter," Ice sobs, "there is no better dog than Wonder Dog."
"Okay, that dog slept for eighteen hours a day and wouldn't even eat scraps on the floor, only in his little silver dish," Fire reminds her. "It was the most bourgeois dog ever."
"And I loved him," Ice continues, rubbing at her eyes.
Martian Manhunter actually looks pained by Ice's crying. "I will take another look at our leasing agreement," he mutters.