#TrainingDay
Some time later...
In a junkyard, the group was gathering, about to begin their training with Diana. The excitement still seemed to be taking over a good part of them. Barbara maintained a certain optimism about her initiative involving her friends and their attempts to become heroes. Karen had a certain uncertainty, considering the fear that was taking over her, as well as her insecurities. Jessica continued to look at her companions, keeping a calmness in her body, while Johnny watched everyone, wondering what kinds of training they would be put to the test, while Kara seemed to be a bit restless and impatient about it. Zee, on the other hand, seemed to be more outraged than she had ever been at what was surrounding them, even more so considering the filth. Meanwhile, the Amazon had not yet arrived, but they were still waiting for Diana.
(Zee) - Ugh, I conjured up a new uniform to walk through a junkyard? - She said, a little nervous, even more so considering the dirt that was everywhere, which seemed to conflict with her standards. Meanwhile, Johnny took the opportunity to giggle lightly, putting one of his hands over his mouth to hide it, but this did not go unnoticed by the purple-haired girl. - What's so funny?
(Johnny) - Is that fear of walking through a junkyard, Zee?
(Zee) - Afraid? Me? Imagine. - She denies it, trying to stand firm. - There are certain places that sometimes, you wonder if you would have the courage to go through them.
(Johnny) - Sometimes getting dirty can be quite interesting. After all, you never know when it might happen. - The two seemed to be staring at each other, with the boy trying to make fun of the situation. The girls watched everything, a little nervous.
(Zee) - It's just that I am a girl of principles.
(Johnny) - Of exaggerated principles. - That was enough to excite Zee, enough for the two of them to continue to glare at each other. - Who in their right mind is afraid of dirt? Where I lived, generally, some people I knew didn't have these problems.
(Zee) - I'm not afraid, but let's just say that a junkyard doesn't suit me very well.
(Johnny) - If you say so. - This seemed to be building an indescribable tension, as if it could be cut with a knife or something if it was up to them. - I wonder what's taking her so long?
(Barbara) - Maybe she is preparing a surprise or something. - The boy approached Zee and slowly, she found his attitude strange.
(Johnny) - How about a truce? At least until we see where this story goes.
(Zee) - And you promise you won't say anything funny?
(Johnny) - If you do the same, that's fine with me. - They both shook hands, symbolizing a small truce. Just then, Diana appeared, approaching the group that stood in front of the Amazon.
(Diana) - Soldiers! Our mission is to save the World of Men!
(Barbara) - That's it!
(Diana) - So we can do that...
(Barbara) - Pray, sister!
(Diana) - We have to learn to save...
(Barbara) - Who? WHO? - The excitement was clear for Barbara, while for the others, the uncertainty was immense. Johnny looked at the purple haired girl next to him, a little nervous.
(Johnny) - Why do I get the feeling that something is gonna go very wrong here?
(Zee) - That's a bit of an exaggeration, Johnny. Are you scared?
(Johnny) - We're still in a truce, aren't we?
(Zee) - As far as I know, yes. But we can put a few things aside during this little training. If you want to leave the truce aside just this once... - The tension seemed to be right in front of the two, almost opposite, but still paying attention to Diana's words.
(Diana) - The man himself! - She led the group to a mannequin, trying to demonstrate the reins of the training she wanted to apply to them, but in the meantime, some remained a bit nervous about what Diana wanted to do. In just a few movements, the Amazon used her skills to destroy some debris that began to fall from above where she was standing. In this way, she saved the mannequins, while everyone looked on in astonishment. - And now it's your turn.
(Johnny) - We're screwed, aren't we?
(Zee) - Speak for yourself. - The nervousness was clear, but still, they tried to remain confident.
(Johnny) - If you want to say something funny, now is the time.
(Zee) - Thinking of going first? - He nodded, a little nervously, which made the purple-haired girl smile smugly on her face, as a brief sign that this might be fun. Despite a truce, in which one would not criticize the other, Zee saw no loophole saying that it was not worth making fun of the truce.
(Barbara) - Why don't we draw straws? Maybe one of us can do the training without any problem.
(Johnny) - All right. I'll go there. At least it can't get bad, right?
Slowly he walked along, while looking around, wondering what he should do. A few minutes later, on a crane with a magnet, he saw several pieces of debris on top, making it clear that his task was to prevent them from falling on top of the mannequins that were positioned there.
(Johnny) - Let's see what I can do now.
The debris started to fall, and the boy used a good part of his powers to avoid falling on the mannequins. Gradually, he began to concentrate some of his powers, throwing them a little far away, until more debris began to fall, forcing Johnny to use a good part of his powers to create a barrier, putting some of the debris away.
(Zee) - Why don't you try flying so you can clear the debris?
(Johnny) - It's because I never thought to practice this in my life! - Even though he couldn't fly, little by little he created a barrier around himself, trying to prevent the debris from falling on top of the mannequins. At this, he concentrated his powers with a certain dedication and threw the debris away, causing a shockwave the moment the barrier dissipated. Walking up to the girls, staying a little in front of them, he ended up bending down, making a reference as if he were a Brit, until suddenly, Zee pointed with the index finger of his left hand to what was behind the boy, seeing that even using his powers, part of the mannequins were destroyed, some of them having been cut in half, to the astonishment of Johnny, who put one of his hands on his forehead, apparently annoyed. Walking away, he began to look around, totally nervous. This was enough for Zee to give a smile, as if he was taking advantage of the situation.
(Zee) - And what's worse, he still thinks he saved the mannequins? You have to be aware of what your powers can do, otherwise, they might end up causing a little destruction and you won't even realize it.
(Johnny) - You're enjoying this, aren't you? - He asks, ironically, which makes the girl giggle a little.
(Zee) - You have no idea.
(Johnny) - All right, Zee. - He opens one of his hands, showing what was around, still being ironic. - If you're enjoying it, I want to see you do better than me.
(Zee) - I will do it. Just watch.
A few minutes later, it was Zatanna's turn to show what she was capable of. The mannequins that Diana had prepared were on a conveyor belt, heading towards a crusher, in which the girl would have to use a good part of her magic to be able to prevent them from being destroyed. Concentrating a good part of her magic, Zee began to create a sphere that slowly, gradually, passed through a good part of her body, as her magic increased a little more energy. Creating what appeared to be a hand around her, the girl deactivated the lever with her powers, using them to create a round of applause for her achievement. However, the whole group seemed to have gotten a little nervous about this, and so Johnny points back, seeing that the mannequins had been crushed, the moment Zee realizes this, she is amazed.
(Johnny) - Was that your best or are you just practicing? I'm kind of confused. - The moment Zee landed, becoming totally indignant at what had happened. But it was clear that apparently, there was a joker in the group, despite the fear she felt to use her powers. - Now who was left thinking he was?
(Zee) - It was just a little mistake when it came to deactivating the machine.
(Johnny) - I know. A flaw in which you have to keep showing yourself? - They both started to look at each other again, noticing the tension between them, which complicated things even more. - It seems that ego doesn't cooperate at these times.
(Zee) - When you went to do your part of the training, from what I remember, it was your ego that is on high. - That was enough for Diana to push the two of them apart because of the tension.
(Diana) - We can't keep fighting among ourselves. If we want to put our mission into practice, we must be united. Who will be next?
It was clear that there was tension between them, more precisely because of a certain uncertainty and fear. Even more so for Zee, who used his powers, but for Johnny, he was a little irritated to see what he believed to be an exhibitionist attitude in himself. But he was willing to give friends a chance, no matter their differences. After all, deep down, the boy felt that this was actually being a little fun.
Next, it was Kara's turn, who wearing her heroine costume, began to look up, having to perform the same challenge that both Diana and Johnny performed just now, but the blonde seemed to have a certain confidence in weight in her body, considering her powers and the strength she possessed. Readying her feet and concentrating the power she had inside, she flew as fast as she could and with a single punch, destroyed all the debris, until Diana and the others watched, half worried. That was enough for the Amazon to point at the ground, showing that the wreckage she destroyed had basically destroyed the mannequins she was supposed to save, which complicated things even more. The training didn't seem to be making much progress, but the optimism could be described as something that was slowly waning. If Johnny was asked what he would describe it as, he would say that he was seeing something wrong. But that was enough to make one facepalm, along with Barbara, half worried.
On the city streets, Diana, Karen, Johnny, Barbara, Zee, Jessica and Kara kept walking, until they came to a comic book store, which was the perfect gap for Barbara to continue one of her lessons for the Amazon a bit, still feeling that she could make the team work, with her optimistic manner showing how she was feeling now.
(Barbara) - Normal teenager's lesson #4: Pop culture.
(Johnny) - Now you're talking my style. - The excitement was so great that there seemed to be no end to the boy's excitement. They started walking into the store, while Barbara continued to teach Diana about what it meant to be a normal teenage girl.
(Barbara) - No way! - She finds a poster that makes her happier than imagined. - It's the super-rare, giant super-special limited edition Batman poster! I would kill for that!
(Diana) - Haven't you learned anything? We should protect the innocent, not get into a needless massacre for material goods.
(Jessica) - Diana, it's just an expression.
(Johnny) - That. It's a rhetorical thing. For example: I am light as a feather. To say that deep down, I might be carefree or I might describe something else, as an example, I would kill for gold.
(Diana) - Many have done horrible things out of greed. But you? - That was enough for another facepalm, as Johnny began to get irritated.
(Johnny) - I have a feeling this is going to take a while. - Kara then approached the boy, almost a little nervous.
(Kara) - Do you still think this will work? - At the same time, Zee approached the blonde, while looking at Johnny.
(Zee) - Worse, i'm inclined to agree with her.
(Johnny) - It will work out. No matter how long it takes.
Next, in the junkyard, it had been Karen's turn to show off her skills. Preparing her costume, she began to fly, as she approached the mannequin she was supposed to save. Shrinking, somewhat suddenly, a dog approached, causing Karen to fly with the mannequin, but suddenly, the costume ended up malfunctioning, causing her to return to normal size, while the dog continued to follow the girl, trying to attack.
(Johnny) - Oh, another one? - Another facepalm was made by the boy, showing that despite his optimism, he was getting a little more irritated than he could admit at that moment. Nervousness was a big one for him, even more so with Zee watching, worried about Karen, while Diana and the others looked on. - This is a very bad sign. Why is everything going wrong?
(Zee) - You worry for nothing. Karen will find a way out of this.
(Johnny) - You're not the one running there now because of a defect. - He looks at what was happening, while looking at the other girls. - Out of curiosity, who is going there to chase the dog away? - Nervousness took over the other girls, apparently showing the fear they were showing of the dog, except for Diana. - I'll have to take the fall for this...
(Barbara) - It's not that we are afraid, but the problem is the dog going after her.
(Karen) - I'm taking suggestions as you speak! - Johnny went after it, trying to stop the dog, until suddenly, the dog attacked the boy, making him more nervous.
(Johnny) - Quiet! Quiet! - Each of them was totally flustered as they saw what was happening, but practically, Johnny manages to push the dog away, going back to the observation spot, shivering a bit. - This dog was a bit more vitamined than usual. - Karen returned to the observation point, making the others a little nervous.
(Barbara) - Is everything okay?
(Johnny) - Just a few scratches. And I think we're going to need to make a bandage for this here. - He shows a cut on his leg.
(Barbara) - How did he manage to get that bruise while he was running?
(Johnny) - This part here, actually, was me. I stepped on the wrong foot and ended up falling on some pebbles. Can we take a break?
(Zee) - I think that after this one, we are in need of a bit of a break.
In the city, the group continued to walk the streets as they continued to try to explain to Diana about figures of speech, so that the Amazon could understand when not to take things in the literal sense. Slowly, it seemed that things might go a little wrong, considering the situation itself. Getting close to a burrito cart, Barbara gave a little smile.
(Barbara) - If you are hungry, you would say: I would kill for a burrito. Go ahead, give it a try. - Diana took a breath, trying to muster up the courage to get a chance to show her understanding of the figure of speech. However, the next scene demonstrated that it was not going to work out too well when she got close to the salesman.
(Diana) - I would kill you for a burrito! - The salesman started to run, while the Amazon was right behind, showing that she had taken it literally again.
(Johnny) - Not again! - She runs after Diana, causing the others to do the same.
(Diana) - Accept my payment or die!
(Johnny) - I wonder what's coming next.
(Jessica) - You still ask? - The fear returned, but still, they needed at least a simple breakthrough.
(Kara) - This is getting on my nerves!
(Johnny) - Can we move on to the next idea after we figure out how to stop her? - Each one ran, while Diana kept running after the salesman.
A time jump later...
At a spa, the group continued to try to demonstrate to Diana how to be a normal girl, and for part, the spa was Zee's idea, in an attempt to show her how to take care of herself, while at the same time the staff took care of each of them.
(Barbara) - Normal Teenage Lesson #26: Uh, what are we doing here anyway? - Every one of the group, except Kara, who was sitting in a chair using her cell phone, was being taken care of by the spa staff, and not even Johnny could believe it.
(Zee) - Being pampered. Isn't that relaxing? An important part of being a teenager is knowing how to take care of yourself. - Johnny was just fixing his hair, leaving the magician a bit surprised. - I just didn't expect you to like it.
(Johnny) - Honestly, I'm in need of a change of scenery. I don't know many barbers around here, so I just asked them to take a look at my hair. - He starts reading a book in the meantime, with a smile on his face. - At least it gives me a sense of calm.
(Zee) - You're not thinking about getting lights, are you?
(Johnny) - Imagine. - The boy's hair was half black, somewhat short, but still, he needed to keep an eye out for any detail. - I'm just doing what you suggested: taking care of myself. It made me even more angry when a relative of mine chose a haircut. You may not believe this, Zee, but I've had a lot of bad cuts. There's just no picture to show you.
(Zee) - I can believe it. - She chuckles lightly. - But I agree with you.
(Johnny) - Every self-respecting teenager has the right to give himself an invigorating treatment. But as for Diana, I think we're having another problem. - The Amazon was still reluctant, as if she was trying to go against what seemed to be a kind of torture for her.
(Diana) - And in Men's World, is the toenail the focal point?
(Zee) - Exactly. Isn't this fun?
(Johnny) - I have to agree. Besides, it gives me a little more time to catch up on my reading. - While reading, Johnny could feel his calm vibe slowly returning, until one of the employees, looking at Diana's feet, that with a single look, made it clear that they needed to do more, and in this, each employee brought the heavy weapons, to give a hand on the feet of the Amazon. Diana then picks up her golden lasso, starting to run towards the female staff, causing each of the group to have to go after the Amazon again. - And so much for any chance of a little calm on our part.
In Barbara's turn, she was keen to use everything in her power to get through the training. However, what the girl did was exactly the opposite. Instead of saving the mannequins that had been placed as part of the training, each one of the mannequins was destroyed, making everyone extremely nervous and worried about what had happened. It seemed that the training was not yielding much in the face of so many problems.
(Johnny) - What's going on? - He was already a little irritated. But slowly keeping his optimism the same way Barbara did. It was as if something was bothering him inside, besides the fear he felt in his body. Looking at Barbara, her gaze made him even more worried. The redhead then turned back, trying to disguise it a little.
(Barbara) - I don't know.
(Johnny) - So, what are the next steps now?
Another time jump later...
In a movie theater, each of the group began to teach Diana another step, which showed that despite their attempts, the task seemed to be becoming more and more complicated than they could imagine. The challenge they had in mind was something beyond their own comprehension, but still difficult.
(Barbara) - Normal teenager's lesson #86: Romance. - The movie Just Before Dusk was being shown in the theaters in Metropolis, which gave the perfect opening for Barbara to explain some of what she wanted to show Diana. Johnny, on the other hand, had bought some popcorn to go with the movie, in a medium package, so as not to seem like overkill.
(Johnny) - Will it work this time?
(Barbara) - Trust me: We are practically in a safe place, where nothing can go wrong. - Somewhat suddenly, the boy extends the package of popcorn he had to Jessica and Zee, who were standing next to him.
(Johnny) - Anyone wants some? - Jessica and Zee then took some of the popcorn, but that was enough for Johnny to give a smile.
(Zee) - What?
(Johnny) - Not at all. - He thought of the perfectionist style Zee had, but wasn't willing to admit it, considering how the girl didn't like to get dirty, but it seemed she had no problem considering some salted popcorn. - This is the moment when I wonder about the point we are getting to. At least here there is nothing to worry about, the way Barbara said now. - Slowly, the movie went on, but Kara was the only one not watching, considering that she was sleeping through the movie, almost snoring. Meanwhile, the Amazon looked on, with a certain strangeness in her body.
(Diana) - What's going on? - Gradually, Karen was explaining about the movie and the element of it itself, showing a bit of a certain nuance that slowly made it so beautiful and sad at the same time, but this seemed to have only served to make Diana more confused than she already was now. - Teenage boys are very confusing.
-Tell me about it. - The girls in the group spoke, while Johnny didn't seem to mind. After all, he seemed a little out of place in some respect. Being among a group of girls was something that made him a little nervous, considering that they also had powers and abilities like him. But the fear he had that things might not work out was immense. As if everything would slowly go wrong in ways he couldn't even imagine.
As they left the movie theater, the mission seemed to be getting more complicated. Even though Diana was being shown how to act like a normal girl, it seemed that she was still having trouble understanding the situation, which made things even more difficult. Kara seemed to be more irritated than she had ever been after everything they had faced so far. Johnny left the movie theater with a certain smile on his face, still maintaining his optimism, and with that, the concern of the girls, with the exception of Barbara, only increased.
(Kara) - She's not getting the hang of it, guys!
(Johnny) - I am being forced to say the same here. - The smile was still maintained, as he tried to speak, but it was kind of complicated for the girls to understand.
(Jessica) - Why don't you take the smile off your face?
(Johnny) - I said... - He removes his smile somewhat reluctantly, while looking at the others. - That I am being forced to say the same here. All these situations are driving me completely crazy!
(Kara) - How nice that there is someone who agrees with what I am saying.
(Johnny) - Don't get me wrong. I'm optimistic, but the problem is that we just can't seem to get along. - He puts one of his hands on his forehead, getting more nervous than he already was in his body. - This is all well and good, but it's kind of hard to explain everything considering that we are dealing with an Amazon, but my point is that we need to do something. - Worry arose, showing the loss of calm in his body. - I think I'm losing what's left of my sanity after all this.
(Barbara) - No - Barbara started to stand up for herself, willing to draw a line. - I'm not willing to give up on this team. There has to be somewhere around here to loosen up a warrior princess. - With that, an idea came into the purple hooded girl's mind.
The group then went to the Metropolis pier, trying to show Diana what it meant to be a normal teenager. Little by little, Barbara continued to put faith in the team and in the hope that everything could work out. This was something she had maintained from the beginning. Each of them started to participate in the activities they had at the pier, like the roller coaster, the merry-go-round, which made each of them excited. Diana indeed looked like she was having fun with everything she was doing. Next to Karen, she started to dance a little, causing Johnny to smile when he saw that they were managing to get Diana to loosen up a little. More than that, she was acting like a real teenage girl. For the boy, this was quite a bit of fun. It was also enough for Barbara to give another smile next to Johnny, showing her optimism.
(Barbara) - I told you this could work.
(Johnny) - I feel that we have finally made progress. And I'll tell you, I'm feeling kind of emotional here.
A few minutes passed, while the girls and Johnny were having fun in the activities, Barbara spotted a photo booth, so everyone headed towards it to get some pictures taken. They were pictures that many seemed to be getting happy to take. Johnny made a point of showing up with each of the girls he was with. In one of the pictures, he appeared with Barbara and Diana, then in others with Kara, Jessica, Karen and Zee, until they all decided to take a group picture, showing the excitement in their bodies, along with the happiness they now had inside. Johnny, on the other hand, knew it had worked out. He had friends. And it seemed that they had managed to show Diana what it was like to be a normal girl.
Unbeknownst to them, some robots began to pass through the streets of the city, walking everywhere, analyzing every place the youngsters passed, while some of them were wearing Lexcorp's virtual reality glasses, not realizing what was happening. It was the brief sign that an evil plan was being put into practice at that very moment...
To be continued...