Mount Justice
August 14, 2017
14:06
McKenzie hit the floor with an audible thud, her harsh breath escaping her mouth as she collided with the ground. Her eyes widened as she rolled over to stand up on her legs. "Maneuver 14 is unsuccessful," she called out to her fellow team mates, hiding her body behind an obstacle.
"Try 17," Victoria suggested, flipping over a training bot charging towards her. She used her momentum to launch herself near McKenzie, standing in front of the shorter girl. McKenzie braced herself to be thrown at the robot, using Victoria's outstretched hands to balance herself as Victoria adjusted herself briskly, catapulting the smaller girl. While midair, McKenzie shifted her lower body into its snake-like tail, before wrapping itself around the robot's head and dismantling it.
Victoria cheered, pumping her hand up and down victoriously. "That's what I'm talking about! Some kickass girl power!" Victoria applauded, high fiving McKenzie as she slithered off the android's frame. She transformed her body once more, replacing her lizard tail with legs. McKenzie smiled shyly, allowing Victoria to wrap her arms around her.
I love it when I'm included in girl power celebrations, McKenzie confessed internally as she wrapped her arms around Victoria's more powerful frame. Both girls turned to look at the rest of the team, who had watched their training exercise.
Noah smirked from his position, crossing his arms across his chest as he stepped forward. "Girl power is great and all, but I'm sure Logan and I could fight circles around you," he taunted, looking back towards the older boy who was still seated by the sidelines.
Logan's face turned doubtful, an awkward expression gracing his rugged face. "No, we couldn't. Victoria is the strongest fighter on the team while McKenzie is the smartest one," Logan admitted, smiling at the girls' triumph facial expressions. "Plus, Yessenia trained under both Wonder Woman and Black Canary." Yessenia leered at her name's mention, joining the girls on the training platform.
Victoria stuck her tongue out at Noah briefly, before responding, "And this is why Logan is my favorite boy." Noah rolled his eyes at her exclamation, a playful smile spread across his face.
"I was trained under Batman, Red Hood, and Nightwing," Noah reminded the group, confidence gracing his body, "Let's spar and see who is the better fighter." Victoria looked at both girls, her eyebrow arching in nonverbal communication. When both girls gave a curt nod in response, the more abrasive girl stepped closer to the small boy, her arms raised in preparation.
"You're going down, tiny," Victoria chaffed, before charging at the boy. She attempted to punch him, but he deflected her attack with his arm, pushing her to the side momentarily. Unfazed, she used the opportunity to bring her arm back, elbowing him in the nape of his neck, causing him to stagger forward a couple of feet. He stopped himself inches before his face collided with Yessenia's foot, grabbing her near her knee and flipping her into Victoria's advancing position.
Both girls fell in a heap, their limbs tangling with one another with strangled cries. Noah turned his back to them, eyes squinting to focus on McKenzie. "I guess that just leaves you," he teased, cracking his knuckles as he spoke. He repositioned his hands in a boxer-like stance before throwing a jab at McKenzie's face. She ducked the punch, raising her own hands to fight back as her legs curled into a tail, flicking the appendage at Noah's lean legs. With a strained humph, Noah's body found itself crashing onto the floor.
Victoria stood up first, determined to continue the fight. "You sure are cocky," Victoria noted at Noah, "Despite the fact that you're on the floor." Noah smirked hazily from the floor, using his arms to pick himself up.
"It's part of my charm," he chortled. McKenzie's eyes narrowed in on an object in his hand, her head tilting in suspicion as he applied pressure to it. McKenzie felt a jolt of electricity run through her, distracting her from Noah's oncoming attack as he threw a batarang in her direction, hitting her in the center of her chest.
Victoria sneered as the girl's body slammed onto the training platform. Before she could tackle the smaller boy, she felt herself being lifted off the ground slightly by the back of her shirt. Logan pressed her back into his chest, holding her still. "Come on guys, we are team. It's better to learn how to fight together than against one another," he reminded them. He returned Victoria's footing to the ground.
She placed her hands on her hips, grumbling, "You're only stopping us from fighting because you know I would have killed him."
"No, I'm stopping you from fighting because it would have ended in a tie anyway," Logan interjected as he helped McKenzie stand up. Before either fifteen-year-old could protest, he continued, "Who cares about who the better fighter is anyway?"
Yessenia snorted from her position. Sometime after the girl had first fallen in the fight, she had climbed into the rafters, prepared to jump down upon the newest team member. She sat there, her legs dangling off the side. "You're only saying that because you suck at fighting," she mocked. Logan stood up from his crouched position, shaking his head with a light smile.
"I don't suck at fighting, I just choose not to," he defended himself. Yessenia jumped down from the rafters. She landed next to a sore McKenzie, who rubbed at her ribcage from the previous batarang attack.
"Sure," Yessenia agreed sarcastically, her eyes rolling. Her attention shifted to Noah, who stood proud next to a fuming Victoria. "You didn't win, just so you know," Yessenia sneered, pointing her finger at him.
"I don't know mate, it sure feels like I did," he glanced up just as Victoria tackled him onto the floor, the sound of his fall echoing in the large space. Before any of them could react to the outburst, an alarm rang throughout the training room, the wails screaming for their attention.
Victoria whined, removing herself from the straddling position she previously had on Noah. "You're lucky, tiny," she said, offering her hand to help him up. He took it without second guessing, letting bygones be bygones.
Unknown Location
August 14, 2017
15:46
Victoria scanned the area with her binoculars, eyes narrowed in concentration at every minuscule detail. Four guards on the upper level, six guards on the lower level, two guards near the front door, she internally noted. The group crouched behind her as she counted off the hench men, all in various positions and armed with guns.
The Justice League had been tipped off about a weapon shipment, believing it to be related to their string of murder cases. Victoria struggled at first to make the connection from her case to the shipment, but trusted her mentor's intuition. Victoria took the binoculars away from her eyes, turning to the group.
"There are guards on both the ground floor and second balconies, so keep an eye out. Ghost King, Amazon Girl and Adder, you take the lower level; Logan, you're with me," Victoria ordered, before signaling the others to go forward. She waited until the first squad deployed, and watched on in interest as they worked together stealthily.
Noah remained in the shadows, either as a result of his bat training or from his necromancer life, taking down two guards with swift movements. After putting one in a head lock, Noah hid the unconscious guard in a shadowed area, his gun tossed aside in a place he would be unable to reach. The other guard had been stunned silently with a taser, his body placed expertly on the other's. Victoria's eyes traveled to McKenzie, a good twenty-five feet away from Noah.
McKenzie was quicker with her movements, her fast reflexes matching that of a snake even though she still possessed her human appendages. Using non-lethal poison, McKenzie perfected her strikes to take down the armed guards, covering their mouths with her affected hands from behind.
When Victoria managed to find Yessenia in the darkened side of the building's outskirts, she was surprised to see the young Amazon flying above them, nearly aligned with the second outdoor balcony. The tall girl hid herself, and used the butt of her sword to overpower the guards below her. After striking in their neck pressure points, the guards fell down without hitches.
Victoria turned to her remaining team member, nodding at him in permission to advance. He slid down the hill top quietly as Victoria perched herself higher, aiming her crossbow at one of the guards. She waited until Logan's figure appeared at the ledge of the second story, pulling himself up to be behind an unsuspecting guard.
The Huntress trainee aimed her crossbow before shooting it, the arrow hitting an armed hench man and exploding with foam. He was soon covered, unable to move or make a sound. Victoria reloaded her weapon cautiously, waiting to take her next shot.
The eldest team member, after dismantling the first guard, moved onto the next. Victoria watched as he disappeared from her view, his all black uniform blending him in the background perfectly. He advanced from the shadows, using a guard's own gun to hit the hench man in the face sharply, a soft but audible crack erupting. Victoria didn't wait for the last guard on the balcony to turn around and take aim at her team, taking her shot at him quickly yet effectively.
After all the hench men were disarmed, the group recollected themselves on the ground floor, all looking at Victoria for guidance. Victoria took off her hood for a moment, allowing the breeze to go through her dark brown hair. "We'll enter from the ventilation system before coming up with our next move," Victoria explained briefly.
Victoria had looked at the group, hoping that they would make a sign of either approval or disapproval. When she received none, she sighed, before signaling the group to head inside. I wish I knew if what I was doing was a good plan or not, Victoria doubted herself, standing behind momentarily to quickly rethink her plan. Victoria was usually confident, the girl knowing that she was trained well beyond expectation, but she still struggled in believing in her leading capabilities.
Noah had been the first to find a vent able to withstand the team's size, and he led them indoors. He crawled in the thin space, a small flashlight in his hands helping him to see his destination. Once he came within four feet of a grate he paused, halting the others behind him. He moved his hand, ushering Victoria closer to look out.
The girl nearly gasped at the sight of over three dozen hench men, either occupied in unloading a small box or protecting it. What could possibly be so important in that tiny box? Victoria asked herself for a split moment. She pushed against the grate, removing it quietly before leaving the tiny crawl space. After she was out, she ducked behind larger boxes shoved to the side, forgotten, and collecting dust.
Yessenia looked at her best friend, her hand clasping onto her sword tightly. "What's the move?" Yessenia asked. Her other hand itched towards her belt, where her golden lasso sat unused and bright. Victoria was almost embarrassed, unable to come up with a plan that called for this much enemy attraction, yet that was quickly overcome by her confidence.
"I don't know, wing it," Victoria suggested, shrugging her shoulders with a smile. The impulsive girl didn't wait for her team's reaction before leaping over the boxes, her cross bow armed. Unable to pull her back, the team watched on as she shot one of the crew members, gaining the attention of the others. Before they knew it, gun shots were echoing throughout the warehouse building, ricocheting off certain surfaces with loud bings.
Yessenia looked at the still hidden team members, before hitting her sword against her shield twice, "Let's get going!" She cheered, vaulting over the boxes to join her friend. Back to back they stood in the center, Yessenia's shield raised to protect her.
From their hidden position, Noah and McKenzie both looked up at Logan. The eldest gripped the strap to his book bag tightly, before looking out at the scene. "Well, she is the leader," he reminded the two, taking a deep breath before dashing out from behind the boxes. Without hesitation, the two joined the others.
As Noah rounded out from the boxes, he took out a smoke grenade, throwing it into the ground. Not long after, the room's occupants found themselves blinded by the dark substance, the hench men unable to see the heroes. The blind fire cut through the smoke, the panic in the guards rising.
Victoria stopped shooting when the smoke filled the room, afraid to accidentally hit one of her team mates. She unsheathed a knife from her side, holding it up in front of her. "Maneuver 3," Victoria called out to Yessenia, who she could still see the outline of. Yessenia hit the guard closest to her with her 'W' symbolled shield, freeing the area for Victoria's plan. The Amazon girl threw her shield forcefully toward her team mate and watched as Victoria expertly flipped over it, planting a bomb on it. While she was still in the air, Victoria managed to grab hold of Yessenia, pulling her down with her to protect her.
The loud boom echoed in the pace, rocking the building. Throughout the scuffle, Yessenia was able to put herself over Victoria, protecting her from any debris. Along with the audible shake of the building, the bullets still rang out from their weapons. A sharp hiss was heard, before a cry of pain. When the smoke started clearing, Victoria was able to assess the situation.
The sharp hiss had come from Noah, who held his shoulder tightly with his gloved hand, blood seeping through his fingers. The cry had come from… Victoria looked down at herself, a moment of realization crossing her features. I was shot. The cry had come out of her own lips, hands quickly going down to apply pressure to her thigh.
"Are you okay?" Yessenia asked her, her hands applying painful, super-powered pressure. Victoria nodded, although even she didn't believe herself.
The leader pointed at Noah, "Go check on Ghost King, I'll be alright." With a look of remorse, the Amazon bounded off towards the smallest team member.
Victoria took out her cross bow once more, shooting it out at three close knit shooters, the arrow exploding and throwing them off course. Taking up all her arrows and all of McKenzie's energy, the guards were soon taken down, leaving the room to the heroes.
Logan bent down to Victoria's level, pulling his book bag off his bag. "Pain rate?" He asked her as he unzipped the bag, pulling out a first aid kit. Victoria brought her hand up, displaying four fingers to show her anguish. "The bullet grazed your thigh, no known ballistic fragments," Logan notified her. He pulled out disinfectant and gauze, handing her the kit to find pain reducers.
"Well, so much for going in hot," Victoria joked to herself. Yessenia crouched next to her, along with McKenzie and Noah. "Are you okay?" She asked Noah as she dry swallowed the medication before handing it to him.
Noah exposed his shoulder to her, which was protected by long sleeve. He took the medication from her anyway, swallowing his own share to reduce the bullet shock he was still feeling. Victoria didn't even notice that Logan had completed his task, including giving her neat stitches and wrapping her thigh in protective bandages.
Victoria looked over at McKenzie, before speaking. "Go check what was in the box," Victoria requested as she attempted to stand, leaning against Yessenia for support. The other girl wrapped her arm around the leader's waist, propping her weight up against her. McKenzie disbanded from the ground, taking a crowbar to open the nailed shut box. With little effort, the girl was able to open it, tossing aside the crowbar.
"What is it?" Yessenia asked, lifting Victoria up a bit so she could walk forward with her. McKenzie pulled out a reaper's scythe, confusion evident in her body language.
"I don't think that's been used," Noah spoke up, walking closer to McKenzie and the deadly equipment. "I don't sense any death within it," he added, his powers coming in use. He stopped himself from grabbing the weapon, leaving it with McKenzie instead as he swiftly turned around. The temperature in the room dropped, but Noah knew it wasn't from his willpower.
The doors opened harshly, the crash resonating throughout the room as billows of smoke entered the area, cascading in the lower level. A hooded figure glided inside, his arm outstretched. The weapon twitched in McKenzie's hand, before being ripped from her grip and flying towards the unknown occupant. Yessenia braced herself, protecting both Victoria and herself with her recollected shield.
"Who are you?" Noah asked in a demanding tone, stepping in front of McKenzie. The hooded figure looked up, his skeleton grin stretching. The doors shut behind him with a snap, containing the group in the room. Noah outstretched his hand in front of McKenzie in a protective stance as he repeated his question. "Who are you?"
The lights flickered on and off as the skeletal figure raised his scythe above his head. "I am Death," he rasped, his voice eerie in the room. The skeleton figure glided slowly, getting closer to Yessenia and Victoria; however, Logan stepped in front of them, his mask shielding his furrowed expression. The villainous creature looked at the nineteen-year-old, his scythe lowering momentarily as he spoke, "You have cheated me before." Death's hollowed figure looked over at Noah, his expression turning gruesome. "As have you."
Noah stepped closer to Death, unafraid of him. "I haven't cheated you!" He exclaimed. Death raised a boney hand towards the young boy, his cloak hanging off his body.
"You bring my souls back to this plain for your use. You cheat me," Death hollowed out, the smoke billowing out from underneath his cloak in a quick fashion. Victoria quietly formulated a plan, whispering it to Yessenia.
Yessenia's attention was half on the scene playing out before her and half of Victoria, who whispered in her ear, "We need to evacuate. Take Mack and bring her back to the jet, then come back." Yessenia nodded at the order, although skeptical. She didn't want to leave a wounded Victoria at the will of Death himself, but figured that a quiet and quick evacuation was needed.
Yessenia had carefully released Victoria into Logan's awaiting arms, before flying to McKenzie, who was horror struck. She took the smaller girl into her arms, before bolting, leaving the three behind.
Victoria stood up, pushing herself away from Logan. "I'm not going to sit here and allow you to bully my team mates, I don't care who you are," Victoria snapped. Death's attention shifted onto her, his eyes narrowing. Logan grabbed a hold of the younger girl, almost hiding her behind him.
He wisped towards her, his waving cloak nipping at the two's ankles. Death's scythe was lowered tremendously, the weapon out of view as it hid itself in the fog. "I'm not here to claim their souls, Victoria, I'm awaiting yours," he retorted, unmoved by her earlier defiance. While Death was preoccupied with Victoria, Yessenia had reentered the building, grabbing for Noah. The boy struggled, upset he wasn't able to help, but he was no match for Yessenia's super strength.
Victoria stared at the man, anxiety flooding her. I'm not ready to die, she cried internally. She clutched Logan's arm tightly, watching as Yessenia flew out of the room, her hand covering Noah's mouth. I need to stall so everybody can leave safely, Victoria planned. "I am not dying today," Victoria challenged, her head held high.
Death chuckled, his grin cracking his jaw. "Not today. Soon though." The reaper cackled, before disappearing completely. The room's lights brightened and the temperature increased drastically. Victoria found herself falling into Logan's grip, hugging him for any kind of reassurance that she was still alive.
Mount Justice
August 14, 2017
19:45
Victoria lay in the med bay, glaring at the ceiling as she tried forgetting the day. The throbbing pain in her thigh was returning, as well as Victoria's anxiety about her conversation with the villain. He can't really be Death, Victoria debated, playing with the gauze wrapped around her securely.
The doors to the medical bay shuttered open, Yessenia entering the coven with Jell-O. She held it out for her friend, who took it in her hands gingerly. Yessenia sat on the edge of the cot, a reassuring hand on the girl's uninjured thigh. "Want to talk about it?" Yessenia asked politely, frowning. Victoria mimicked her friend's frown, turning away from her.
"I'm okay," Victoria lied through grit teeth. She smiled at her friend though, eating her treat gratefully. Yessenia's frown deepened, but she stood up anyway. She figured that the girl would come to her if she wanted to talk about the incident, so with a hesitant wave, the Amazon left the other girl alone to her thoughts.
Once Victoria knew the Amazon was out of ear shot, she sighed deeply through her nose. How would anyone be okay after being threatened by Death himself? He taunted me with knowledge of my own demise.
The thoughts crept up on her, eating her alive as she struggled with its meaning.
McKenzie felt the curiosity nipping at the corners of her brain, which had persuaded her to knock on Noah's room door, allowing herself entry before he gave her clearance. When she entered, Noah rolled over on his bed, staring at her.
"Hey," he spoke into his phone cautiously, "I'll have to call you back later Lotte." He tossed his phone at his pillow, standing up to feign confidence. "Hey Mack, everything okay?"
McKenzie closed the door behind her, feeling awkward. The girl normally didn't have enough self-esteem to talk to the group, let alone an individual person, but she felt as if the topic was important. She played with her fingers, stroking the hem of her short-sleeved shirt. "How did you cheat Death?" Her question was direct, which was the opposite of her personality.
Even Noah was thrown off by the question and its serious tone, his eyebrows furrowing. He sat down on his bed once more, patting the area next to it. McKenzie closed the gap almost instantly. He sighed, running his hands through his hair before speaking. "I was almost murdered before being taken in by Red Hood," Noah revealed, wringing his neck with his hand. "That's all I really want to say about the subject."
McKenzie stood up, still confused but not wanting to upset the newest team mate. There was a lot she didn't know about him, and it fascinated her. But at the same time, he knows nothing about me either.
Logan entered the medical bay, a bottle of water and medication in his hands. "Hey Tori," he greeted the injured girl, forcing her out of her own thoughts. She took the offering gratefully, greedily taking the medication to lessen her pain, which had been aching her for close to half an hour. "Is it okay if I redress your wound?" He asked her considerably.
She nodded, giving him a tired, faux smile. He put on the purple latex gloves sitting near her before unraveling her bandages carefully and gently, one hand resting near her knee in an almost reassuring manner. Every touch he had was gentle, lessening Victoria's anxiety about the wound. He inspected the stitches and the bruising surrounding them, cleaning them with disinfectant wipes.
"Can I ask you something?" Victoria asked. Logan's paused his action of rewrapping Victoria's thigh, looking up at her. "Do you think I'm a good leader?"
Logan continued wrapping her thigh, speaking as he did so, "You're a better leader than you think." He finished addressing her wound, putting the supplies away neatly. "You were able to get your team out of a disastrous situation with no severe injuries and you protected them when you felt you needed to. That's what a leader does," Logan reassured the girl, sitting back down near her as he played with the sleeves of his hoodie.
Victoria smiled lightly, comforted by the gentle boy. "Is Noah okay?" She asked for the second time that night.
"His shoulder was clipped, nothing severe," Logan answered the younger girl, but she shook her head.
"He seemed really fazed on the ride back, like something was bothering him," Victoria informed the eldest. Even though she was hurt herself, the girl cared about her team mates, even the newer ones. "I don't want to pry in his personal life, but I think someone should," she added with a suggestive tone. Logan stood up, smiling lightly.
"That's what makes you a better leader than I ever was, Tori. You care about people, you protect them, and you offer them hope. You're the best leader that this team could have, so don't begin doubting yourself," Logan hinted back at her earlier question, pushing the shutter doors open as he walked out, leaving Victoria to smile by herself.
Even though she was left by herself in the darkened room for the second time that night, she felt more assured and less anxious this time around. She smiled, closing her eyes to get some much deserved rest.
As always, I will ask you some parting questions.
1. Who do you think your OC's best friend would be?
2. How do you want their back story to be revealed?
3. If any team member would be kidnapped/tortured, which one do you feel would have the most devastating impact on the team? (I am lowkey revealing story ideas through questions, yikes)