Greetings everyone, and a very Happy New Year to everybody!
School has started anew for me, but I squeezed out another chapter for you folks, one I've been excited to do for a while. It's time for "Terrors".
This was one of my favourite episodes in the original show, and I was just so ready for this adaptation. All the character, all the quotable moments, all the exposition! It's absolutely perfect!
In other news, Young Justice season 3 has just released. Due to it being so new I will ask that you refrain from spoiling anything in the reviews for the readers who haven't watched it yet. I already got the show spoiled for me before I could see it, and I don't want you guys to suffer the same fate.
Also, we got the trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home. It looks fantastic, and I can already tell I'm gonna love Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio. it just looks so perfect in motion!
As always, we have some reviews to look at before we start this chapter:
CRUDEN: I guess he is at times. I like to think of him as an unsteady Terrier. Clumsy and new, with a lot of bite.
Spartan of Chaos: It'll happen... eventually.
rmarcano321: Waller does have a sense of humour. A sick one, but a sense nonetheless. I miss Cat too, she was fun. Lex and mercy is definitely one of my favourite ships. It just makes so much sense for both of their characters at this point. The relationship between Keemia and Ashley I would describe as unsure, but earnest, and very eager. it's new for both of them, and they're ready to give it a shot. What role will the Suicide Squad have? minimal. Expect them as occasional background characters or cameos. That's about it though. I'm always down for recommendations to other FanFics.
Guest from Dec 10, 2018: Indeed. A Happy Birthday to the late and great Stan the Man.
Zeo: Eh, I can't guarantee any crossovers like that, even in Tales from Earth 45, but it might happen. Emphasis on MIGHT. I wouldn't worry about Keemia and Ace regarding the mole. It'll turn out fine.
Dion ComicWiz: As always, it is fantastic to hear from you my friend. Yeah, Roy and Keemia definitely got some good banter here. Their past is something I want to layer in piece by piece, and there is certainly more to it than has been seen so far. And yeah, they're Kojima fans. I can guarantee that at some point they pulled an all-nighter to play Metal Gear Solid 3 at least. Being able to write Lex again was a real treat. I missed him from Sandman Unlimited, and I'm glad to have him back. Everything with Conner was always a part of the plan, including the adoption. It felt like a real accomplishment to get there. And of course, Waller and the Squad scaring the shit out of Keemia was as hilarious to write as it was to read. Unorthodox maybe, but definitely hilarious. Niuhi will be back soon. As in, a few paragraphs after this! As for the speedforce, only Wally knows at the moment, and even then it's a very passing awareness of it. That's coming from "Divided we Fall". And yes, Lobo will be appearing come season 2. I can't forget about the greatest bastitch in the galaxy.
Guest from Jan 6, 2019 (Chapter 3): Ace definitely deserved the happy ending.
Guest from Jan 6, 2019 (Chapter 9):Stan might get a cameo in the future. He's appeared in my stories in the past after all.
7-Eleventh: Again, the Thor moment with Mjolnir will probably only be an omake. But it will happen. Coldsnap will be back soon. And by soon, I mean in this chapter.
Malchior the Bad: There might be some redemption for them. But please, try to avoid the spoilers here my guy.
Thanks again for all the reviews, I love receiving them. I know I say that a lot, but it really does make my day to see the review count go up whenever I post a new chapter.
In any case. disclaimer!:
I own nothing but the original idea, and Niuhi Lincoln. Keemia Marko and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. Young Justice and all related characters are owned by Warner Bros. and DC. Please support the official releases.
And away we go!
New Orleans, Louisiana – September 14th, 16:53 CDT
"This is Cat Grant reporting live from New Orleans' historic French Quarter, where the Martian Manhunter and Superman are in mid-battle against the so-called Terror Twins, who have been on a three-state rampage through the South." The bubbly blonde reporter said with a grin before her cameraman moved to get a closer look at the battle behind them.
After their coverage of the Rhelasian peace accords the week prior, the reporting duo were eager for the next big news story. Once the battle had been reported they raced off to get there first, eventually catching up by the time they reached New Orleans.
For now, Martian Manhunter and Superman easily deflected several cars that were tossed their way by the twins. Another couple of vehicles were thrown. Which J'onn avoided by phasing through him, while Superman simply knocked them away into the water. The twins leapt up to them soon after, with Tuppence attacking Superman while her brother Tommy went after Martian Manhunter.
Their inexperience soon proved to be their own undoing as the two seasoned heroes easily caught the twins with little struggle, before tossing them away. Tommy and Tuppence flew through the air like limp ragdolls before crashing back down to earth inside of a warehouse on the edge of the harbour. They fell through the roof, slamming into the concrete floor before skidding to a stop in front of some Mardi Gras parade floats.
The two stood back up slowly, carefully taking stock of their surroundings before a figure suddenly leapt out from the shadows. They had little time to react before the figure fired ice from their hands, sealing the two siblings up to their shoulders in blocks of ice.
"The hell is this?" Tommy asked in surprise.
"It's called ice, dumbass," Coldsnap answered as she walked up to the two with a cocky smirk. "But it's also called an ambush." Coldsnap stood before the twins in her new field attire. On the top half of her body was a dark grey armour, similar to what her father wore when he broke into Arkham Asylum so many years ago. The back on the armour was cut away starting between her shoulders, exposing her back to just above her hips, displaying a large Polynesian tattoo of a Hammerhead shark. She wore black fingerless gloves while her arms and shoulders remained bare, and had heavy grey cargo pants with black combat boots. The entire outfit looked combat ready, and fit her slender 6'4" frame perfectly.
Tommy growled in frustration, struggling in the ice as his strength started to break it. However, before he could get too far, Red Tornado and Aqualad appeared before placing collars around the necks of Tommy and his sister. The collars were then activated as both twins suddenly felt themselves grow extremely weak.
"Hey… that don't feel right…" Tommy groaned before realizing what this meant. "My strength… but I done just gone toe to toe with Superman." He said in alarm.
"Congratulations. It's more quality time than he's ever given me." Superboy said, stepping into view in a perfect recreation of Tommy's appearance. Miss Martian looked at him, a little unsure while Coldsnap simply rolled her eyes at his statement. After a moment, M'Gann nodded, her face now determined as she stepped towards Tuppence, carefully examining the blonde.
Superboy smirked, before placing his hands on his hips. "Got yer inspiration, sister Tuppence?" Superboy asked, copying Tommy's Southern drawl with ease.
M'Gann transformed herself into a perfect duplicate of Tuppence before she turned to look at Superboy with her own smirk. "I believe I do, Brother Tommy."
"Somebody tell me what's goin' on?" the real Tommy asked, clearly alarmed by the turn of events as Coldsnap and M'Gann walked back towards Superboy. As they did, it was Batman's turn to step out of the shadows.
"It's simple." He said plainly, before pulling out three collars and placing one on each of the three teen heroes.
"They're under arrest."
Belle Reve Parish – September 16th, 21:55 CDT
M'Gann flexed her fists while looking at the cuffs she was currently being held in. They stretched up her forearm and were reinforced with several layers of titanium, designed to keep individuals with superhuman strength. At the moment, she could care less about their effectiveness. She was currently sitting in the back of a heavily-armoured prison van next to Superboy, the two of them in their Terror Twins disguises. Coldsnap sat across from them in similar restraints and wearing standard orange prison garb, while her head was merely leaned against the wall in disinterest.
The sound of the helicopters surrounding the convoy outside was muted by the thick steel, but the steady humming of their rotors was still easy to detect. Off to the front of the truck was a large African-American prison guard named Wilcox. He clutched his rifle with a determined glare, ready for any possible riot that the prisoners might cause. M'Gann gave him a blank stare before turning to look at the back of the truck.
Part of the vehicle had been altered to exhale large amounts of coolant gas, all for the safe transport of Victor Fries. The former German scientist had his usual sneer in full force, wearing an updated version of his usual cryosuit in order to ensure his survival. After giving him a sparing glance, M'Gann looked back in front of her before blinking in surprise.
Icicle Jr. was the other passenger with them. He sat next to Coldsnap, and while he ignored the taller girl, he was giving what he presumed to be charming winks to M'Gann. He clearly bought the disguise hook, line, and sinker.
M'Gann gave a disgusted grunt as the con made another suggestive face before looking down at her hands, remembering the events leading up to this mission clearly.
-Flashback-
"This past Fourth of July, five ice-villains staged simultaneous attacks." Batman began before showing six mugshots on the holoscreen. "Mr. Freeze, Icicle Jr., Chillblaine, Captain Cold, and Killer Frost, along with her husband King Shark, were all easily apprehended." He explained before pausing as his eyes narrowed. "Perhaps too easily."
M'Gann looked to the screen in suspicion. Superboy stood just beside her, while Djinn, Red Tornado, Red Hood, Martian Manhunter, and Aqualad stood behind her. Since Aqualad and Djinn were the team's current leaders, with Hood achieving a lieutenant rank below them, they were to be present for this briefing.
"Can't help but think ol' Chillblaine looks out of place among those heavy-hitters," Keemia muttered while Jason stifled a laugh and Aqualad shook his head slowly, trying not to crack a smile.
"Cold, Chillblaine, Frost, and Shark were all immediately sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary, a federal prison designed to house super-criminals." Batman continued before showing a picture of the eponymous prison. "The seventeen-year-old Icicle Jr. was sent to a juvenile facility. Mr. Freeze, to his usual cell at Arkham Asylum. But Freeze petitioned the court to be declared legally sane, and Jr. sued to be tried as an adult. As a result, both await transport to Belle Reve which seems to have been the goal all along." He said before walking towards Conner and M'Gann. "I'm sending the three of you in to find out why."
"The three of us?" M'Gann asked before Batman nodded. Almost immediately, Coldsnap stepped out from behind the two before standing on the other side of Conner.
"Yes. After an extensive review of her abilities, as well as careful training from Black Canary and Ice, both Dubbilex and I have seen fit to allow Niuhi into the field. Since she has no record of her existence outside, and therefore a clean slate, there will be no suspicion around her. You and Superboy, however, will be going in disguises."
"Who inside the prison will know their true identities?" Aqualad asked.
"No one," Batman said firmly. "We can't be certain the prison staff isn't compromised."
"Even Waller?" Keemia asked with a frown.
"While Waller is slowly working her way to an uneasy ally for us, she is still the paragon of suspicion. We can't be certain that she is above such things." Batman explained. "It will be her response to you three that will either make or break your cover. We cannot risk such a thing."
The three took a moment to drink in all the information, none of them really prepared to begin. After a moment, they moved to leave before Batman stopped them. "One more thing." He said, calling their attention as his face became even more serious as his glare narrowed. "There will be individuals within this prison that you recognize, some of which you will have history with. Under no circumstances are you to allow your own emotions to cloud your judgement while within those walls. Your life could be endangered just as much as the mission could be."
While he didn't direct this message to anyone, in particular, Niuhi could clearly tell the underlying threat made to her. In the short time that Batman had known her, he saw a catastrophic level of hatred, sorrow, abandonment, resentment, and anger in the girl whenever she thought of her parents. As far as she was concerned, they abandoned her to a laboratory. And as far as anyone knew, that's exactly what had happened to her.
-Flashback End-
"Dude… dude!" Icicle Jr.'s whispering broke M'Gann's train of thought as she saw the ten delinquent leaning over to whisper to her "Brother." However, given his volume, it was difficult for her to tell whether or not he wanted her to hear, or was just stupid.
"Your sister is sweet!" Jr. grinned before gazing longingly at M'Gann who simply huffed and rolled her eyes. "How about you put in a good word for me?" he asked before suddenly being struck across the face by the butt of Wilcox's gun.
"Sit down," the guard ordered with a heavy Southern drawl.
"Heh, first day of prison, cock-blocked by the guard. You're new to this aren't you?" Niuhi said snidely, flexing her fingers impatiently, while Icicle quietly growled at her.
"What would you know about prison life?" he demanded.
"More than you apparently," she laughed.
"Alright, enough of your teenage rebellion," Wilcox ordered before standing up straight. "We're here." He grinned before the helicopter convoy broke away, and the truck continued ahead into the prison.
"Welcome to Belle Reve."
The stories that the prisoners had heard about Belle Reve clearly didn't do any justice to the facility. The walls were incredibly tall and heavy set, with railguns mounted every ten feet, and along the support columns. There were dozens of cameras that they could see, and undoubtedly dozens that they couldn't see, with numerous guards stationed just to watch their truck alone. As the five were carefully herded off of the truck, they were marched along the floor of the prison before stopping beneath a balcony. That's when they heard her speak for the first time.
"I am the law of last resort. My name is Amanda Waller," the large woman greeted as she looked at the assembled group with a contemptuous glare. "I am not your mother, your maiden aunt, or your friend. I am your warden. And you are my prisoners. The proprietary collars you wear are custom designed to inhibit your specific meta-abilities. No strength, no ice." She said before holding up a remote in her hand. "In addition, the collars can and will be used to discipline inmates. A con who breaks the rules gets one warning."
And with that, she pressed the button on the remote. Any prior conceptions to Waller or the prison itself were immediately wiped away as all five of them suffered through an intensely painful electrical shock. After a few seconds, Waller relented and released the button.
"If order has not been restored, the next shock will render the offender unconscious. At the slightest hint of trouble, this facility goes into lockdown." She continued before motioning towards the large concrete and steel walls. "Belle Reve's walls are thick enough to hold Superman. We know, we checked. No one's ever escaped Belle Reve, no one ever will."
Before she could continue, she was interrupted by someone clearing their throat from behind her. She inwardly rolled her eyes before nodding. "Oh, this is Professor Hugo Strange. He is your maiden aunt." She introduced as the tall man stepped forward.
He was bald, with a thick grey chinstrap beard, and dressed in a grey suit with a black turtleneck. Despite his position in the prison, his eyes were still warm and jovial. "Actually I'm the prison psychiatrist, and I promise you a sincere attempt at rehabilitation." He greeted with a smile.
Waller gave a small smirk at this before turning to the prisoners. "Because we know you types are all about sincerity."
In the men's wing of the prison, the current residents were all yelling and calling out towards Icicle Jr. and "Tommy," trying to goad a reaction out of the new meat. Superboy was unfazed as he followed the guards along the trip to their cell.
'Conner, can you hear me?' M'Gann asked telepathically, from where she and Niuhi were being led by the female guards in their wing.
Conner blinked once in surprise before responding. 'Yeah, but I thought the collars…'
'Custom designed to inhibit Tuppence Terror's super-strength, not my telepathy. But your strength is…'
'Not at Superman's level. I get it.' Conner answered hastily.
'No, that's not what I was-'
'Whatever.' Conner sneered before the guards stopped and opened a cell door for the two of them.
"Home sweet home," one of the guards said before the other one shoved Superboy and Jr. inside, closing the door behind them. Superboy gave a brief glare to the guards before Jr. looked at him with a grin.
"I call top bunk!"
M'Gann was, meanwhile, shoved inside of her own cell but without Niuhi, as the guards closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bottom bunk slowly before someone could be heard stirring from the top bunk above her.
"Mmm, you're cutting into my beauty sleep little girl." Killer Frost said, her voice filled with venom. "And if I don't get my eight hours, I can be a real killer."
M'Gann frowned at the threat before the sound of someone grasping the bars of the door was clearly heard behind them.
"How you about you back off the fresh-meat mom? Your daughter might get jealous that she doesn't have your full attention." Niuhi sneered before being pulled away by the guards.
"Niuhi…. No, please god no!" Frost cried out in horror at the sight of her daughter, before leaping from the bunk and scrambling to the door. "You bring her back here now! Bring back my daughter, now!" she yelled before her collar gave her a warning shock forcing her away. She fell back, grasping the collar weakly before she fell to her knees, trying to hold back the tears. "No… why her… why this?" she begged in a hoarse whisper.
M'Gann stared at her in shock for a moment before slowly reaching out to her. "You okay?" she asked before Frost suddenly slapped her hand away.
"Don't touch me!" Frost yelled before returning to her bunk. M'Gann rubbed her hand gently before laying back on her bed and rolling to face the wall, trying as best she could to fall asleep.
The next morning, the prisoners were let out into what appeared to be a large indoor gymnasium for what was presumably their morning exercises. Or at the very least, some sort form of socializing. Frost entered the women's wing with M'Gann in tow, before looking ahead to see that Niuhi was already there. Without giving a second look to M'Gann, Frost hurried over to Niuhi before hugging her close, an action that stunned the girl.
"Niuhi… is that really you?" Frost asked quietly, desperate not to believe it.
"Yeah, it's me. I don't get why you're so choked up. I'm just following in your footsteps." Niuhi scoffed. "Look at you, you're so proud you're crying."
"No, I'm not proud at all. This isn't what I wanted for you!" Frost said adamantly. "This was what I wanted you to avoid. Your father and I wanted you to be able to avoid all this. To live outside of this!"
"Then why'd you leave me to them?" Niuhi asked with a scowl.
"We didn't leave you, they took you!" Frost said, surprising the girl further.
"What do you mean they took me...?" Niuhi asked carefully, her glare wavering ever so slightly. A hope long since forgotten was slowly starting to rise in her again, and she hated how vulnerable it made her feel in that moment. Frost sighed, before looking off to the side where Shimmer and Devastation were waiting for her.
"I can't explain right now… but please, just trust me." She pleaded, holding her daughter's shoulders as she looked into her eyes. "Come on. I have some stuff to take care of. Plans and all that, why don't you join me?"
Niuhi looked at her carefully, mulling it over. She had to admit, her curiosity was overwriting the anger she held for her parents. If what they said was true… maybe she did have a real family outside of her test tube. Besides, it might give her an insight as to what exactly the big plan was that required all the ice-villains being present. "Sure, why not? It's a little mother-daughter bonding time."
Frost smiled in relief before hugging her again. "Thank you for giving me this chance. We'll be out of here soon enough; you, me, and your father. And then we can be a family again. A real family." She said before leading Niuhi away to where Shimmer and Devastation were waiting.
While her teammate went off with Frost, M'Gann walked over to the large plate glass windows that divided the women from the men. While they couldn't get through, they could still hear each other from the other side. She scanned the crowd, looking for Superboy before he walked in with Icicle Jr.
"Stick with me cellmate, I'll show you the ropes," Jr. said with a confident smirk as he walked Superboy through the yard.
"Oh, who you kiddin'? You ain't been in Belle Reve before." Superboy countered. "You're liable to get me hanged with them ropes."
Jr. scowled a little before jabbing Superboy with an accusatory finger. "I may never have been incarcerated here Tommy, but trust me, I know whereof I speak." He said before pointing off to a set of bleachers. Mammoth, King Shark, and Blockbuster stood guard, while Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, and Chillblaine all sat huddled around another figure. This one had greying hair and a cocky smirk as he chewed on a toothpick, watching the yard with mild disinterest. "For starters, we pay homage to the top of the food chain, the big dog, the prison capo… my father."
"That's your… that's yer pa?" Superboy asked in genuine surprise, catching his accent before it could slip.
"Yup. Icicle Sr." Jr. nodded with a small smile before it soon gave way to a frown. "Reeks when your dad is the man, you know?"
Superboy looked down, genuinely affected by the question. Despite his best efforts, he could relate to the younger con more than he'd like to admit. "Believe me… I know."
Over where Sr. was sitting with his collected allies, another con walked over to them. This one had long blond hair, tied back into a ponytail. His face was scruffy, with a thin beard and moustache, and his eyes were a cold grey, clearly showing his fatigue. Still, the man had a confident grin as he strode over to the prison capo.
"So Sr., have you deciphered what my plan is yet? After all, I left you some clear clues." The man said before shrugging. "Then again, maybe you just need the master to help you out."
"Stuff it, Brown. No one wants your ego here." Sr. said snidely.
"Of course not. But I know you've got a big plan worked out. Figured maybe you could use another strategist to look over it. You know, in case any holes need to be patched?" he offered again, before Shark stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Just because Nygma's been missing for months doesn't mean we need a half-rate Riddler," Shark said as Mammoth and Blockbuster walked forward to back him up. "Beat it!"
Brown looked at the three towering villains with a frown before scoffing and walking away. Brick watched the man with mild interest before chuckling. "Get a load of Cluemaster trying to run with the big boys. Tell me doofus, who's the biggest joke in Belle Reve? Here's a clue for you, it ain't the Joker."
The other mooks around Brick chuckled at his joke before returning to their own activities. Sr. watched Brown as he retreated before turning back to the glass. Frost had finally arrived, and right next to her was a girl he didn't recognize. He was about to ask when Shark suddenly rushed to the glass, placing his hands on it gently. The heartbreak on his face was jarring in comparison to his usual cruel visage, as Frost simply gave one nod, before wrapping her arm around Niuhi.
"That's your daughter then?" Sr. asked as Shark gave a weak "yes" to confirm his suspicions. Sr. seemed to ponder that for a moment before giving a short, yet curt, nod. "Well if she came from you and Frost, she's gotta be okay. She can sit in on this."
Shark gave a small sigh of relief before leaning down to look at Niuhi. "Look at you, my little makani, you're as strong as the Aumakua… and you have your mother's eyes…" he said, whispering softly as he looked to Niuhi with longing. Niuhi looked at him in surprise and longing before placing her hand on the glass over his.
"Thanks dad… that means a lot." She answered, her voice threatening to break as tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes. She wouldn't allow herself to break her composure, not while the mission was happening. But the emotion she felt now, knowing that her parents loved her… that they wanted her… it was almost too much.
While Shark and Frost had their small reunion, Jr. looked to his father steeling himself for the interaction that was about to occur once he walked over. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before casting Superboy a smirk that was mostly just bravado. "Here goes nothing." He said before stepping forward.
He didn't get very far though, before Professor Ojo suddenly tackled him from behind, forcing him to the floor. Jr. whirled around, only for Ojo to grab his collar and pull back a fist, ready to strike. "Hello Junior. I warned you what would happen next time we crossed paths."
Jr. chuckled nervously as he knew full well he deserved what was coming. "Ojo, buddy, pal, mi amigo!" he stammered nervously before Ojo threw his fist forward. Before it could connect, however, Superboy suddenly pulled Ojo off of his cellmate.
"Get off o' him!" Superboy scowled, punching the con in the face and sending him crashing to the ground right at Brick's feet.
Brick took one look at the downed Professor and stared hard at Superboy. "Boy, that was not wise." He threatened, before cracking his knuckles and moving towards Superboy, his cronies close behind him.
Superboy helped Jr. up before the teen delinquent was pulled away by some of the other inmates. Superboy looked at the ones surrounding him, led by Brick, as he readied himself for a fight. Up above on the balcony, Wilcox was watching with one of the other guards, a half-eaten bagel clutched in his hand. The other guard took out his remote before Wilcox stopped him. "Uh-uh, new fish needs to learn."
Ojo rubbed his chin painfully before getting up and walking towards Superboy, who was being held in a headlock by Brick. "Free shot, Ojo." Brick grinned, as the scientist relished the chance for a revenge shot. However, before he could throw the punch, he suddenly straightened out as he frowned.
"Wait… I know him…" he said, recognizing Superboy for who he really was through the disguise. "He's-"
Ojo didn't have a chance to finish before Superboy grabbed Brick and threw him over his shoulders using a technique Black Canary had taught him. Brick crashed into Ojo, sending both villains to the ground before he looked up at the newcomer with a murderous scowl. "Not wise. Not wise at all!"
"Don't you understand?" Ojo asked, pointing to Superboy. "He's-"
'He's Tommy Terror!' M'Gann said telepathically, forcing her will into Ojo's mind to stop him blowing Superboy's cover.
"Ugh… he's Tommy Terror…" Ojo groaned, holding his head painfully.
"He's roadkill!" Brick said, rushing to his feet ready to pummel Superboy. Two of his cronies held Superboy still for their boss before Icicle Sr.'s voice stopped them all.
"Enough!" the capo said clearly, not leaving any room for question. "Kid's got guts. The kind of guts a father wouldn't mind seeing in his own son."
"Great to see you too dad," Jr. scowled as he was finally released from where he was being held.
Sr. looked at him impassively. "Get over here." He ordered as Jr. and Superboy walked over to the capo. "Not you Terror," he corrected as Brick held his arm out to stop Superboy. "Just Junior."
Once Jr. made it over, Sr. sat back down as Freeze, Chillblaine, Cold, Shark, Frost, Niuhi, Blockbuster, and Mammoth all gathered around him and his son. While he might not have been allowed to sit in on the meeting, Superboy still focused his hearing so he could hear what they were saying.
"Alright icicle, we're all here. Now what?" Freeze asked.
As he asked the question, Icicle looked to the assembled group with a confident grin. "Now we put the final pieces in place, to bust every single con out of Belle Reve."
Despite his best efforts to listen in on the conversation, there wasn't any revelation as to what the plan actually was. The villains must have made it beforehand and were simply confirming their coordination for it. Even Niuhi heard nothing of what the plan was supposed to be. The closest she got was her mother telling her to 'be patient and be ready.'
So, Superboy was left to ponder this in his cell, trying to eavesdrop around the prison for some sort of clue as to what the actual plan might be. He would soon be broken from his musings by Ivo, as the inventor was one of the few prisoners making deliveries of new uniforms with the clean laundry. Conner saw the two new uniforms fall into the cell he was sharing with Jr., looking at them curiously.
Jr. saw the delivery and grinned, swinging his legs over the top bunk as he leaned towards Conner with an excited expression. "Tommy boy, I'd advise putting the new rags on. Sooner than later." He advised as Conner gave a nod in response before complying.
'The break is coming, sooner than later.' He warned his teammates.
'Let me guess, you got the same advice with the laundry delivery?' Niuhi asked snidely.
'Yeah, I think there's something different about these uniforms.' Conner confirmed.
'Updating Aqualad now,' M'Gann said as she put her uniform on, making sure to keep a low profile with Frost behind her. She sent a telepathic signal outside the bounds of the prison, where it was picked up by Aqualad from inside the Bioship, which his under its cloaking device. He sat inside with Red Tornado, Djinn, and Red Hood, before moving to the controls as he received the information.
'Time to pull you out,' Aqualad replied. 'Call in the League.'
'Icicle would only postpone. We need to learn how they're busting out, or they'll just try again.' M'Gann countered.
'She's got a point Kal, we don't want to blow the operation like this.' Djinn nodded, agreeing with M'Gann's assessment.
'It's not ideal, but it's smarter than just rushing in now.' Jason nodded.
After a moment, Aqualad sighed. 'Agreed.' He answered before turning to Red Tornado, who couldn't join the telepathic link with the others. "We remain on alert."
Tornado gave Aqualad a brief, curious glance, before returning to his station on the ship.
Of all the things that Conner had expected to find uncomfortable while in prison, the trips to the psychiatrist were not among what he suspected to be the most painful. The moment he stepped into Hugo Strange's office, he immediately regretted his decisions up to that point as he was forced into what was to become an hour of dull, monotonous lecturing.
The entire office was set up to have a sort of meditative aesthetic. Tiny bonsai trees sat along the window sill, and there was a small fountain reminiscent of a waterfall off to the side. Hugo opened the session between "Tuppence and Tommy Terror" by introducing himself and explaining how exactly he intended to help them. It was his thought that through careful and compassionate dialogue, he would find a way to work through any reservations or insecurities the siblings might have, and hopefully help them to become more reasonable, well-adjusted individuals.
Conner found the whole thing to be a bunch of malarkey.
"Here's my concern," Strange drawled on, occasionally looking through some of the notes he had written down. "Your antisocial tendencies are a roadblock to rehabilitation and are often the result of a conflict with a mother figure. Hmm?"
Conner sighed and slumped further in his chair, his interest long since having left him. M'Gann meanwhile, was more reserved, sitting upright in her chair with her hands folded neatly on her lap. She cast a quick glance to Conner, worried for him. However, she thought that maybe she might have found an opportunity to help him with his own struggles while they were working, and she was going to take that opportunity.
"It's really more of a father figure thing." She said carefully, while Conner's eyes opened wide at full attention. After processing what she had said, he shot her a cold glare.
"Interesting, Tuppence. Expand on that." Strange implored.
"Or, don't." Conner countered, his voice having a harsh edge to it.
"Healing requires open dialogue Tommy," Strange chastised, his gentle smile never once leaving his face. "Go on, my dear."
M'Gann seemed to hesitate for a second, looking at Conner carefully, before she continued. "Well, he won't admit it, but Tommy really wants to be like his… our father. Be able to fill pa's shoes, y'know? But pa's distant at best, refuses to give Tommy the time of day." She paused before continuing. "It makes Tommy, feel unworthy of-"
"Well, maybe Tommy refuses to live in Tuppence's stupid fantasy world where every problem's solved in half an hour!" Conner suddenly yelled, cutting her off as he stood up and glared down at her. M'Gann immediately shrank under his gaze, turning away quickly. Seeing her suddenly fearful, his anger cooled a little and guilt started to replace it.
Strange took over before anything else could be said though, as the man clapped his hands together joyfully. "Excellent! I think we made a real breakthrough today."
Conner couldn't care less what Strange was saying. His thoughts were instead focused on M'Gann and how broken she looked when he yelled at her.
"I hope you realize I'm only doing this for Nora's sake," Freeze muttered disdainfully, as he followed Icicle Sr. through the laundry room, where several conflicts were working on cleaning the uniforms. Cold looked to the German scientist with some sympathy while Chillblaine rolled his eyes.
"It never changes for you, does it?" the small-time ice villain asked rhetorically before Icicle took over.
"Don't worry, Vic. By the end of this, you'll get the help you need for her." He assured his compatriot before the four villains arrived at a storeroom. Icicle slid the chain-link gate open before showing them a large crate set in the centre of the room. "These parts came in with the shipment of new prison orange."
Wilcox watched the three from the door, his brow quirked suspiciously. Cold set to work, grabbing a crowbar from the wall before looking to Wilcox, worried the guard would react. Wilcox showed the remote in his pocket, letting them know that they were to keep their funny business to a minimum. That was something that Leonard always hated about this prison; they treat all the convicts the same, no matter how they behave.
With the crowbar in hand, Cold easily opened the crate as the four villains peered inside, grinning in satisfaction at their findings.
"Exactly the parts we need." Freeze nodded, as Chillblaine rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"Oh, this is gonna be good."
"Cat Grant reporting from Chicago, where the Manhunter from Mars has defeated the Headmaster." The bubbly reported said on the newscast from the cafeteria TV. Icicle Sr. sat surrounded by his compatriots as they watched the news carefully, making sure to keep track of the names spoken.
"With the numerous heroes off-world, that accounts for every Leaguer except Red Tornado." Freeze mused.
"Probably on monitor duty, or whatever." Sr. dismissed.
"Heh, loser." Chillblaine snickered before Leonard elbowed him in the ribs.
"Like you're one to talk," the Central City rogue joked as Mammoth, Blockbuster, and King Shark all chuckled at Chillblaine's misfortune.
"At any rate, even if he does show, he can't handle all of us alone." Sr. continued before suddenly looking behind him, at the ponytailed figure who was approaching the table. "Don't even think about it, Brown."
"Tch, whatever." The former game show host sighed, rolled his eyes. "Cluemaster can sit wherever else he wants to."
"Heh, you think so? Cite some sources on that research Brown, it's looking a little out of date." Brick snickered, as Cluemaster attempted sitting at their table. "Beat it."
Brown gave one last glare to the gang-leader before walking off across the cafeteria to a relatively unoccupied table.
Just a few tables away, Conner sat down across from Jr., looking past his cellmate to the table where his father sat surrounded by his cronies. "So how come you ain't sitting with yer pa?"
"Because my pa is a jerk, who only wants me around when he needs me." He shrugged.
"Y'ever think of doing yer own thing? Like, I dunno, growing past him?"
"What, like being a hero? Ha, that's a laugh. Could you imagine that? Me, a hero." Jr. laughed before shovelling another mouthful of food in. "Probably not what you meant, but the answer's the same. I live by what I know, so I'm gonna stick to it for now. I just try not to live or die over getting his approval, you know?"
Conner looked away for a moment, all-too-familiar feelings coming back to him. He didn't have long to muse, however, as Jr. suddenly gave him a sly smirk. "So, tell me about your sister."
"What?" he asked in confusion before realizing what he meant. "Oh, she's a pain. Why?"
"Dude, she's hot!" his cellmate answered, punching his shoulder playfully. "You can't see it 'cause you're family, but I look at her, and I think, that chick gets me. And really that's all you need. Someone who sees the psycho that you are, and likes you anyway." He finished before having another mouthful of his potatoes.
Conner blinked once before giving a light chuckle, a smile coming to his face. "Yeah… you're like an evil genius."
Jr. shrugged at that before fist-bumping Conner, thinking he'd found himself a new friend for life. "Word."
"That's it old man, I'm done genuflecting!" Freeze suddenly yelled, before striking Icicle Sr. across the face with his lunch tray, sending the seasoned rogue to the ground. "Belle Reve needs a new capo!" he continued, kicking Sr. in the chin as the other prisoners suddenly sprang to their feet, ready to jump in. Jr. in particular was fixing Freeze with a look that demanded retribution.
Ultimately, it was Wilcox to the rescue as the guard drew his remote before activating the button, shocking Freeze into a series of violent spasm. "This ain't Arkham, Freeze." He said bluntly, as the villain collapsed on the ground unconscious. "We don't put up with prima donnas. Take him to Waller." He ordered, as two more guards grabbed the Gotham rogue and dragged him out of the cafeteria.
Shortly after the cafeteria incident, Conner and Jr. found themselves walking back to their cells, trying to make sense of Freeze's actions. The reasonable answer that Jr. came to was that it was part of his dad's plan. After all, the older man didn't seem particularly bothered by the apparent betrayal. Yet, there was still a nagging part of him that thought otherwise.
His father suddenly came up from behind, dragging Jr. off to the side while Conner watched from where he was left alone. Jr. soon found himself pushed against a wall as his father leaned in, his face dead serious. "There's a glitch. Can't reach Frost."
Conner, having overheard that decided to make his move. "Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing." He whispered, walking towards the father and son.
"That will happen when you eavesdrop," Sr. scowled.
Conner was unmoved by the villain's frustration as he leaned in confidently. "Yeah well, I can help. I got this mind link with my sister."
Sr. scoffed at that. "I know your stats, boy. Super strength only. No telepathy."
"It don't pay to advertise when they're slappin' collars 'round yer neck." Conner rebutted. "But, we're twins, see? Got the psychic thing in utero." He explained, seeming to garner some interest out of the older convict. "So you talk to me, I talk to sis, sis talks to Frost."
It ultimately proved to be Sr.'s own desperation that forced his hand. "Alright," he started, before looking around to make sure that no one else was listening in. "Send the message. It's going down, now!"
Waller sat behind her desk, suitably unimpressed with the Gotham native, while Strange stood behind her. His face was uneasy in comparison to her stoic mask. Freeze stepped forward, his hands bound by cuffs before he suddenly stopped in the middle of the floor.
The guard behind him nudged his shoulder to try and force him forward again. "Move." He ordered.
"Freeze!" the villain countered, before suddenly shoving his hands in the guard's face and firing a beam of ice at him, freezing the man in place. The smuggled tech had worked like a charm, and Victor Fries was once again fully powered up. He shot Waller a smirk before using his regained abilities to break the cuffs as he approached her.
Waller was quick, pressing the button on her remote to shock him. However, Freeze was faster, and he quickly opened his helmet to freeze the collar off, freeing himself, before reclosing the dome around his head. He panted a little in pain as he looked to Waller, shaking his head. "Too little, too late."
"We'll see." Waller sneered before standing up. "Voice activation, Waller-1! Lockdown!" she ordered as alarms suddenly started blaring all over the prison. Heavy steel blast doors slammed down in front of every opening as the numerous mounted turrets whirred to life, ready in case anyone attempted to make an escape.
With that taken care of, Waller drew her pistol on the villain, only for him to freeze it with a finger as she fired. The bullet stopped in its tracks, and the recoil travelled up her arm, sending her stumbling back in pain. Strange caught her carefully before looking at Freeze in fear. "Stop, stop!" he urged, trying to placate him to a peaceful resolution. "What do you want?"
"Master control for the collars." Freeze smirked before pressing the button on the desk that controlled every collar in the prison. Almost immediately, villains had their power back or were otherwise free to rampage.
Blockbuster immediately barrelled through his cell door, knocking a guard aside as he escaped, only for one of the turrets to start focusing fire on him. While this didn't harm the villain, it proved to be a potent distraction as he covered his face in an attempt to shield his eyes. He wouldn't have to wait long though, as Mammoth soon arrived, tearing the gun off the wall and crushing it in his hands. He then threw it through the door of the guards' reinforced monitor room, grasping the lone man inside and throwing him off the balcony.
The other villains ran free, yelling as one riotous mass while they easily took down the guards with their numbers alone. Conner ran alongside them before coming across Icicle Jr. and Sr. removing their collars; Sr. with his tech, and Jr. with his natural powers.
Jr. flexed his hands with a grin before looking to Conner. "Strength should be back, dude."
"Right, right." He nodded before tearing his collar off.
"How things going with Frost?" Sr. asked.
On the woman's side of the prison, the events were much the same as they were with the men. Niuhi ran among the villains, finding any guard she could and using the non-lethal takedowns Batman had taught her to incapacitate them. Luckily for her, in all the confusion, it merely looked like she'd beaten them in a single move.
She began moving them off into cells and locking them inside before she heard one of them cry out from behind her. As it turned out, her mother had corned one of them, with Devastation and Shimmer standing by as backup. M'Gann was there too, looking incredibly alarmed by all of the sudden violence.
The guard rolled over weakly, before looking to Frost with fear clear in her eyes. "Please… I have a family!"
"So do I. But please, cry some more. It's much sweeter that way." Frost smirked as she made a large spiked mace out of ice and raised it above her head. She didn't get the chance to swing it though before it suddenly exploded into pieces with a cry of "No!"
Frost stumbled back in surprise, before she turned around to see M'Gann staring her down, her arms extended.
She chuckled a little as she shook her head. "Well Tuppy, aren't you just full of hidden talents?" she asked, as Niuhi shot M'Gann an apologetic look, knowing that there was nothing she could do to help her teammate in this situation.
M'Gann simply narrowed her eyes at the villains as she attempted to fight back. 'Superboy, I think my covers- Augh!' She tried to warn him telepathically before she was suddenly cut off.
Superboy received his message as his eyes shot wide open in alarm. 'Miss Martian? M'Gann? M'Gann!' he called out, desperately trying to reach her.
As he stewed in his panic, Sr. had taken the liberty of rounding up all the guards he could find and forcing them into the cells that the villains once occupied. He finished by throwing Wilcox, Waller, and Strange into his old cell before closing the door with a laugh. "The prisoners now control the prison."
"That's not the same as escaping it." Waller scowled before standing. It was times like this she despised not having the Squad at her beck and call 24/7.
"Then we'd better get to work." Sr. concluded before walking to where Freeze, Cold, and Chillblaine were waiting for him. All the villains stood in a line in front of the main wall that lead to the entry courtyard. Then they raised their hands in unison and fired beams of ice to the wall, sending a massive blast of cold all throughout the prison. The chilling fog billowed throughout the hall, carrying a thick layer of frost covering nearly everything.
After a few seconds they relented, and then Mammoth walked over to the wall with Blockbuster and King Shark. The three giants immediately used their returned strength to throw powerful punches at the stone. They cracked through the ice first, and with the assistance of the cold having compromised the power of the concrete and steel, they made a decent size dent in the wall as well.
After a few strikes, they stepped away as the ice villains inspected their handiwork. "Excellent, at this rate, we'll have our exit in ten minutes." Freeze noted before the four villains once again fired blasts of cold at the wall.
"Genius, huh?" Jr. grinned, looking to Conner for approval.
"Oh, yeah." He nodded trying to keep both his calm and his composure now that his link to M'Gann had been severed. Despite the silence, he still tried to reach her through the telepathy. 'M'Gann please, can you hear me? I will reach you, somehow. I promise.'
"Hey kid." Sr. called, as Conner turned to see the older con looking at him expectantly. "Still in touch with your sister? Everything copacetic in chick central?"
"Uh, yeah. Copacetic." He nodded.
"Then why you both standing around?" Sr. demanded, raising his voice before Jr. nodded.
"Oh, we're on it dad." He assured his father before leading Conner away back into the laundry room. He went to the corner, just past the dryers before he blasted the wall with his own ice beams. "This wall adjoins the women's wing."
Conner nodded, understanding what Jr. meant by that. "Yeah, right." He nodded before stepping forward and punching away at the wall.
"We work it from our end, while Frost and her ladies work it from theirs," Jr. said, leaning against the wall. "Then the babes cross over into our wing, and we all walk free together."
Conner wasn't listening anymore at that point though. With a renewed determination, he wailed on the wall, desperate to reach M'Gann on the other side. 'I'm coming M'Gann, just hold on!'
"Look at 'em shiver 'n shake." Brick grinned as he and some of the other prisoners chuckled at the misfortune of Waller and her guards. With the repeated cold blasts from the villains, the temperature had dropped significantly within the prison. "Too bad you're not wearing the new orange we had smuggled in. Microtech thermal units sewn into the fabric keep us toasty." He bragged.
"Toasty?" Waller scoffed. "Before this is over, you'll be toast."
Brick snarled before reaching through the bars and grasping Waller by her tie. Once he had a grip, he pulled her forward, her head slamming into the bars painfully. "Before this is over, you'll be over!"
"Daniel, stop!" Strange suddenly urged, stepping forward with his hands raised in a placating gesture. "There are a hundred ways this could go down, and in all of them, a hostage like Waller is m-more valuable alive." He urged, occasionally stammering as he shivered from the cold.
Brick looked at the psychiatrist with an unreadable expression before he suddenly let Waller go, tossing her back to the prison shrink. Strange caught her gently as the two looked to the imprisoned drug-runner with differing levels of disdain.
"Thank him Wall." Brick spat out bluntly. "He just saved your life."
Despite the relatively quick effort that was breaking through the wall to the women's wing, Superboy still found it to be agonizingly slow. Every second that passed just allowed for his own fear and anxiety to build regarding what happened to M'Gann. He hoped that she was okay, as every blow he struck against the wall was fuelled by his desire to reach her in time.
'I'm getting closer M'Gann, but I can't save you if I have to fight every con in Belle Reve…' he inwardly sighed. He needed some sort of a way to take the cons out of the equation. Something that would stop them in their tracks.
But then he remembered, only those with powers had actually managed to get their collars off. And even then, that was a minimal number. He now had a plan.
"Jr. listen, I just got me a warnin' from Tup." He said, turning to look at his partner. "Collars are turnin' back on in the women's wing. Could happen this side any minute!"
Conner had to bite back a smirk when he saw the look of fear on Jr.'s face. "Oh man, we'd better tell dad." The younger rogue said in a small panic. Now that he had the con's interest, Superboy went in for the finisher.
"Or… you could show some initiative." Conner posed, with Jr. taking only a few seconds to think it over. Any opportunity he had to make his dad happy was one he wanted to take.
With the decision made, the two set off for Waller's office. Upon arrival, they found the doors being guarded by Ojo, Hook, and Abra Kadabra. The older villains looked at the two suspiciously as Ojo held out a hand to stop them. "Freeze said no one goes in."
"Dude, you want your collar to turn back on?" Jr. asked seriously, looking at the three as though they were crazy for stopping them.
Ojo folded his arms across his chest in response, entirely unmoved by the two teenagers. Superboy scowled, not wanting to waste any more time. Every second he didn't do this, was another second that M'Gann was without help.
"We don't have time for this!" Superboy scowled before suddenly punching Ojo, sending the professor into the wall behind him, cracking the plaster. Hook attempted to take a swipe at Superboy in response, only for Jr. to suddenly blast him with ice, freezing the assassin to the wall. Kadabra dodged the first ice blast but was too slow for a second as he soon found himself frozen in place, while Ojo struggled to get up.
"Keep an eye on 'em. I'll make sure them collars stay off." Superboy said before walking to the door.
"Fool, he's using you!" Ojo exclaimed, finally regaining his bearings as the fog in his mind cleared. "I remember him now, he's-"
Superboy suddenly cut him off by punching the con into unconsciousness. With all three taken care of, he entered the office with a satisfied smirk, closing the door behind him. Jr., meanwhile, looked at the three uneasy allies hey had to defeat before frowning. It was for the greater good of the plan, but it would still take some time to explain to his dad.
After a minute, he opened the door to look inside. "How's it going?"
"It's done," Conner said, running back to the door before the two teens went to return to the laundry room.
"Dad's gonna love this!" the adolescent rogue grinned, not noticing that the collar on Ojo reactivated just as they left.
While it took a while for the collars to activate again due to the sheer number of prisoners they had to attack, once they did the effect was instantaneous. Any villain who hadn't removed their own collars would suddenly cry out in pain as they were forcibly and painfully rendered unconscious.
Sr. and Freeze turned in alarm just as Cold, and Chillblaine fell unconscious from their own collars. He was now only left with Freeze, Mammoth, Shark, and Blockbuster as his plans now laid ruined at his feet.
"No, no, no, no, no! We're almost through! The greatest jailbreak in history!" He ranted madly while Freeze simply sighed in disappointment.
"Is history. What are we supposed to do now, carry them all out?" the Gotham rogue asked before the two suddenly ran to the cell where they'd left Waller. He opened the door before throwing Wilcox aside and grabbing Waller by her tie, his anger becoming dangerously apparent.
"Tell me how you did this or I swear, you won't thaw for millennia!" he threatened.
Waller was unmoved as she gave him a glare that was half fearless, half triumphant. "At which point you will still be in Belle Reve!"
Now while there was nothing on earth that could terrify the Wall, that didn't mean she was invulnerable. Sr. intended to test just how durable she could be as he threw a fist back only for Strange to tackle him away into a wall while exclaiming "no!"
The impact knocked the wind out of Sr. as he groaned before falling back on the floor, while Strange looked up at Freeze, worried for any retaliation the rogue would take. Freeze however simply took one look at the scene in front of him before giving them a look of disbelief and pity.
"You must be kidding me."
Conner and Jr. had redoubled their effort upon their return and were now almost done breaking through the wall into the women's wing. It was this scene that Mammoth, Blockbuster, and Freeze walked in on. Mammoth and Blockbuster stood to one side cutting off their exit, while Freeze came up from behind the two boys.
It didn't take long for the teens to notice as they stopped to look at the older rogue expectantly. "I went back to the warden's office." Freeze started, his suspicion in full force. "Hook and Abra were taken out by ice before their collars reactivated. Your father, Cold, and Chillblaine were with me the whole time. So…"
"What are you talking about? We stopped the collars from turning back on! Oh, and you're welcome!" Jr. replied indignantly at the insinuation Freeze was making.
Freeze's eyes narrowed, and Conner decided to take out just a few more villains as he leaned into Jr., whispering in his ear. "Don't you get it? You heard Freeze in the mess. This is his power play. He's taking what belongs to yer pa!"
For Jr., the pieces suddenly fell into place as the attempted coup earlier was no longer a part of the plan in his eyes. It was an actual take-over attempt. For Freeze, however, he heard every word that Conner had just said. The two ice rogues too on battle stances before exclaiming at the same time:
"Traitor!"
Conner stepped aside in time as the two villains suddenly fired their ice at each other, each trying to over-power their perceived traitor. Mammoth and Blockbuster then lurched forward to attack Conner. Mammoth started first, swinging a punch that Conner avoided before the teen ran towards the wall. He tried to throw another punch, thinking Conner was cornered, before the teen grasped the arm and swung him hard into the wall, pinning him there.
Blockbuster was next giving a roar before he ran at Conner. Conner was ready though, as he suddenly threw Mammoth into Blockbuster, sending both crashing into the wall adjoining the women's wing. It wasn't quite broken yet, but its integrity had taken a significant hit as a result.
Conner turned back to his cellmate, only to notice that Freeze was overpowering him with little trouble. Jr.'s whole body was being pushed back as he struggled to even hold Freeze off for much longer. Freeze noticed this and poured on even more power.
"Amateur. You can't possibly hope to beat me at my own game. Not while Nora is on the line!" Freeze exclaimed, while Mammoth and Blockbuster slowly stood up behind Conner, both ready for round two. Conner grimaced before getting an idea.
"How 'bout we trade dance partners?"
"Deal!" Jr. nodded as Superboy suddenly leapt over the younger rogue before Blockbuster and Mammoth could reach him. The sudden attack caused Freeze to let up on his assault, as he looked to Conner in shock, before the boy landed hard on the villain, punching through his glass dome. And sending him crashing to the ground.
Junior used his own ice to freeze Blockbuster and Mammoth in place, as Freeze looked in horror at his now breached suit. "No, no! My suit is breached! Can't survive unless…" he trailed off before making a quick decision. Saving his life was more important than saving the breakout as he suddenly used his own ice to Freeze himself solid.
"I got mine, but I don't know if that ice will hold them," Jr. said, casting wary looks at the snarling powerhouses he'd trapped.
"Just keep at it. Pile on the ice, I'll finish up!" Conner said before rushing at the wall and breaking through it with a powerful shoulder check and arriving on the other side.
"Well, well, well. It's the brother." Frost greeted him. Devastation stood right next to her, her arms folded, while Niuhi was a few feet behind. As soon as she saw Conner, she looked at him with guilt on her face.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, only loud enough for Conner's own enhanced hearing to pick up on as Frost continued.
"Care to share Tuppy's fate?" she asked, looking to the side before Conner followed her gaze. What he saw was a massive block of ice and in the centre frozen solid and trapped, was M'Gann. He gasped when he saw her before rage took over. An indescribable and deadly rage. With a roar of defiance, he ran at Frost, while Devastation tried to intercept him.
The two super-strong metahumans exchanged blows, each one delivering powerful punches to the other, while Frost attempted to get an aim at Conner. However, this was proving to be a little too difficult as she cried out in frustration.
"Get out of the way!" she yelled at Devastation before growling as she was ignored. "Ugh, fine! I'll ice you both." She said before blasting ice at the two of them. Conner quickly spun Devastation around, using her as a shield as she was frozen instead. Afterwards, he flung the now frozen villain at Frost.
Frost rolled out of the way, but only barely, before she cast another glare to Conner. "So you were in on it too?" she accused before a sudden beam of ice hit her from behind, freezing her up to her neck.
"So was I," Niuhi said before walking towards her mother with a blank face. "Good news mom, I'm not some criminal. I am getting that better life you wanted for me. Sorry you had to find out like this though…" she trailed off as Jr. entered the room before looking around in shock.
"Dude, what are you thinking?" he asked Conner before his cellmate let go of all his anger and slowly walked towards the large block of ice that held 'Tuppence.' "Oh, dude… I'm sorry." Jr. said in genuine sympathy as he and Niuhi both followed Conner towards the block.
Conner reached out, rubbing some of the fog off the ice as he looked at M'Gann's frozen face within. Seeing the frozen fear and pain on her was agonizing for him as he wrenched his eyes shut painfully, not wanting to have to see that expression on her.
"And she was such the total babe, too," Jr. whispered before his eyes widened when Conner threw a fist back to punch the ice. "Dude, stop! You'll shatter her! Assuming she's still alive in there at all…" he warned, holding back Conner's fist as his cellmate looked to him regretfully.
'M'Gann please… don't leave me…' he said telepathically, trying to reach her in one last desperate attempt.
At first, there was nothing, no reaction. But then a small crack appeared. From there, it spider-webbed and got bigger and bigger, the entire block shaking under the new stress before finally, it shattered outward. The shards crumbled to the ground, M'Gann falling with them before Conner carefully crouched down to help her up.
"Are you…?" he asked slowly.
"It's pretty cold where I come from..." M'Gann said, sitting up to look at Conner with a tired, yet relieved face. 'I'll be al-"
She was suddenly cut off as Conner grasped her face and kissed her. The effect was immediate as she melted into the kiss, happily returning it. Niuhi cooed softly before giving a laugh.
"It's about time. I could smell the tension on you two since we met." She smirked, while Jr. simply looked at them dumbfounded.
"What are you talking about?! Are you crazy? Dude, that's your sister!" he exclaimed, horrified at what he was seeing. Almost in response to his exclamation, M'Gann shifted back to her normal form, finally revealing that she was Miss Martian the whole time.
"What… Wait, is she…? And are you…?" Jr. stammered, finally putting the pieces together. Finally understanding what Ojo had meant. Tommy was actually Superboy. "Oh, dad's gonna kill me."
"It's not your fault genius. We fooled the entire prison. You think sting operations like this can have any inside help?" Niuhi scoffed before slowly turning to her mom. Frost was watching all of this unfold, her face unreadable and very clearly conflicted.
"So… they're actually heroes. They were here to stop the breakout?" she asked carefully, as Niuhi nodded, walking towards her.
"Yeah." Niuhi nodded.
"And you're with them?" she asked, her voice having the faintest trace of hope in it.
"Yeah, I'm a hero mom." She nodded. Frost looked at her carefully as small tears formed in her eyes.
"Oh Niuhi… I'm so proud of you…" she whispered before her shoulders shuddered a little while she started to cry. Niuhi looked at her, almost conflicted before she broke her mom free of the ice and captured her in a tight hug. It was this scene that Shark walked in on after fighting Mammoth, Blockbuster, and Freeze incapacitated outside.
"What's goin' on here?" the demigod asked as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him warily. It was Frost who answered.
"It's our little girl… She's a hero. She's free from this life." Frost said happily. Shark looked to his family before joining them in the hug.
"So… you're not upset with me?" Niuhi asked carefully. Despite the fact that they were her parents again, they were still villains. And they were still involved with the break-out to an extent. This apprehension was clear in her voice as Conner and M'Gann both prepared themselves for a potential fight. However, their own fatigue being apparent showed their own disadvantage.
"Well… the break out wasn't our plan. We were a part of it, and there are gonna be consequences for this failure… but no. We aren't mad. We're just happy that you've escaped the hole we dug for ourselves as criminals." Frost said carefully, while Shark nodded along with her.
"Your mother's right little makani, but we can survive the consequences. We always do." He added.
"Wait, the breakout wasn't your plan?" M'Gann asked, now confused. She and Conner stepped forward, listening intently. Jr. was well now had his own curiosity captured as he listened as well. As far as he knew, the plan was agreed upon by everyone involved.
"No. It didn't even come from Icicle, he was just the instrument for it. It came from someone else." Frost said.
"So you were hired?" Niuhi frowned.
"Not hired, forced." Shark corrected.
"This started about a year ago. Your father and I had decided to leave the spotlight after Darkseid's last invasion. At the time, I had just recently given birth to you, and we were attempting to make our way into Canada so we could lay low, give you a normal life growing up. Maybe even start over."
"But we were caught. Someone sabotaged the caravan we were in. We tried fighting back but… something took over our minds, stopped us before we could fight back. Before we could protect you." Shark continued before Frost took over again.
"When we came to, we were in a dark room. The only light we had was from seven screens showing us live video feeds. Each screen had a different silhouette, but we couldn't tell who any of them were. And in addition to this, you were missing." Frost sighed, shaking her head at the memory. "The figures on the screen said they wanted our help in a plan they had to take down Belle Reve in a massive breakout. They'd already mentioned getting Freeze, Cold, Chillblaine, and Icicle Sr. on board. Freeze was through coercion; they said they'd help his wife."
"Wait, I didn't know any of this," Jr. said in shock. "I just got a message from dad detailing the plan, but none of this."
"Then you were as blind as the rest of us," Shark replied.
"And you agreed to this?" Niuhi asked.
"Hell no. We wanted no part in it. We had you to look after, and these figures who captured us, they had you somewhere. We were being driven by anger at that point. But… then they used their last bargaining chip." Frost continued, choking back a sob as she remembered. "They showed us some scientist… I think his name was Desmond? But… he had our baby hostage. He had you!" Frost said, looking at Niuhi with a heartbroken face.
"They said if we went along… that we'd get you back unharmed." Shark sighed, continuing for his wife. "But in return, they postponed the plan until July, when our staged attacks would occur."
"How old was I when this happened?" Niuhi asked carefully, dreading the answer.
"You were born in the first week of October, and they'd captured us not long after. You were two weeks old when they had you." Frost said, horrifying the four teens. "Those… people decided to hold you and experiment on you for months! All because Shark and I ran before they could make their initial offer. But we played along, hoping, praying that you'd be returned to us safe. That we could have our little girl again. But look at you now… our baby girl is all grown up. They stole your childhood… they stole our chance to be your parents."
"Did you say the scientist's name was Desmond?" Conner asked.
"Yeah, we're pretty sure that was him." Shark sighed.
"Desmond was the guy who made me, cloned me from Superman. He grew me to the age I am now in sixteen weeks. He must have done the same thing to Niuhi." The clone frowned.
"He did. He kept me locked in a tube with G-gnomes in my head 24/7, all while advancing my ageing." Niuhi confirmed with a grimace.
"When I find that man, I'm going to kill him for doing that to you." Shark seethed as Frost nodded in agreement.
"Desmond will suffer for what he did to you." She said seriously.
"Well if you want Desmond, you might want to know that he turned into Blockbuster," Conner revealed, surprising the two villains. After looking at each other for a moment, they nodded in agreement for what they would do next.
"Thanks for the tip kid. That helps." Frost said. "It at least lets us take care of our own plans sooner."
"But, who were the seven people on the screens? You said you saw their silhouettes?" M'Gann asked.
"We did, but have no clue who they are," Frost admitted. "I wish we could tell you."
"It's fine mom… we can worry about that later." Niuhi assured her.
Frost nodded slowly, while Shark walked back into the men's wing ahead of her. The breakout was a failure, and the League would almost certainly be there soon, but they could at least get some sort of vengeance on the scientist for what he did. "Well… I guess this is it for now."
"I… I guess so…" Niuhi frowned. She finally had her family, and now she had to leave them again.
Frost saw her downcast face before cupping her chin gently. "Don't worry. Someday your father and I will get out. And then, we can be a family again. All three of us. But for now, head to this address." She said, slipping a small piece of paper in Niuhi's hand. "It's where my Uncle James lives. Your father and I were going to hide with him in Newfoundland before we were captured. Just tell him who you are, and he'll take care of you until your father and I can join you."
"Thanks mom… that means a lot." Niuhi smiled before hugging her. After a minute, Frost broke the hug and said her final goodbyes, before following after Shark.
"So… you're heroes, huh?" Jr. asked warily.
"Yeah, but don't worry. Our job here's done, the League will take over for us." Superboy nodded. "So what about you?"
"Me? What about me?" Jr. frowned.
"Are you gonna stay here in Belle Reve?" Conner asked.
"I… I guess so. It makes the most sense right? I mean, I'm still a villain." Jr. said.
"I guess. But you don't have to be." M'Gann offered.
"What, you mean join you?" Jr. scoffed before laughing. After a moment, he noticed that none of the three heroes were laughing with him. "Wait, you're serious?"
"Well, yeah." Superboy nodded. "I mean, it wouldn't be right away, but we might be able to get you out, get you some help. Who knows, you might like being a part of the team."
Jr. considered the offer for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, not right now. I think I gotta sort some things out with my dad first, figure out where I stand on my own. I'm tired of being in his shadow. Thanks for the offer though."
"Hey, it's no trouble. After all, ain't we friends?" Conner asked. Jr. blinked in surprise before nodding with a small laugh.
"Yeah, I guess so." He relented before extending an unsure hand to him. "My name's Cameron, Cameron Mahkent."
Superboy looked at his hand before shaking it. "Call me Conner."
"And I'm M'Gann." The Martian girl introduced. "And I guess you've met Niuhi."
"Yeah, I have." Cameron nodded before Niuhi punched his arm playfully.
"Lighten up ice boy. The day was saved, that means smile." She joked playfully.
Cameron rolled his eyes before relenting as the four teens found in each other an understanding. And perhaps, a new friendship.
"Belle Reve will be fully operational by tomorrow," Strange said as he threw out Waller's name tag before replacing it with his own that he set on the desk. It proudly displayed that he was the new warden after Waller had been dismissed in the wake of the breakout attempting involving so much inside subterfuge. "All prisoners are accounted for, except the Cluemaster. Who somehow did manage to escape during the confusion."
Strange had to laugh at that. Despite the usual jokes directed at Arthur B]rown, it couldn't be denied that the man was tactically brilliant. The only thing that had stopped him so fast was the fact that his daughter decided to put on her own cowl to stop him, calling herself Spoiler. Apparently, having your own flesh and blood stop you in your tracks as opposed to the Batman was worth laughing over.
He shook his head wistfully before standing behind his new desk. "Still, you must be disappointed."
"Me?" Icicle Sr. laughed. "After the risk you took smuggling our tech inside you had nearly as much invested in the break as we did." The man said before shrugging. "It's a shame we got beat, but the main objectives were all reached."
Strange conceded that before the two men shook hands, happy with the results.
"The Light should be quite pleased."
Dun-dun-dun! PLOT TWIST!
Not really. It's Hugo Strange, who the hell couldn't see this coming?
Niuhi has made her triumphant return and is now on the team. Her relationship to her parents, I hope, was suitably tragic. After all, she spent her entire life to that point without them. She thought they'd abandoned her for scientific experiments. Clearly, that was not the case. And the circumstances to this are just filled with way too many blackmail deals and criminal actions for anyone to come out unscathed. Hers is a broken family, but it's time for them to heal.
And it's already begun.
Jason has become a sort of lieutenant for Kaldur and Keemia. That should be fun to explore more.
Cameron Mahkent... I gotta say, I'm tempted t do a full redemption arc with him. It could be a lot of fun to play around with, but I'll wait and see how it works out. He is just a little misguided, not evil. Besides, he and Conner did form a legitimate sort of friendship almost. Granted, the circumstances weren't quite honest, but still.
Next time though, the team faces a siege from within. When robots attack, and suddenly only Artemis, Robin and Ace can save the others. But how exactly can something like that get any worse?
Find out next time, in "Homefront".
As always, be sure to read and review. I love every single one I get.
Ciao for now!
~WafflesTheApprentice