Guess whose back, my loyal fans?! I'm so sorry I took so long, but life- and finals- had gotten in my way. But now that those are over, I'M BACK IN THE SADDLE! So to speak.
Okay, so after the darkness of last chapter, things are going to be a lot lighter here. This chapter will be dealing with recovering from the events that took place in Adam's mind, from simple relaxation to meeting with both old and new faces.
Also, it may have happened a while ago, but it finally happened. One of my stories was taken down by a FanFiction administrator, due to someone reporting it for a non-story chapter I removed before the story was taken down. Because of that, I am preparing for the possibility that any MORE of my stories get taken down.
Don't fret, though. For those of you who liked that story (or want to read it), I have successfully posted it- along with many of my other stories- on the site known as Archive of Our Own, a fan fiction site that is safer to post stories on. That being said, I have also decided to take my chances and I reposted the story on FanFiction. Here's hoping it does better this time around.
Lastly, I wish to give thanks to both VindictiveDunc and BioshockerN7, my two favorite co-authors, for their help in this chapter. Without them, I don't think I would've been able to have done half as good as I did with their assistance.
And now for the disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM! YOUNG JUSTICE IS THE PROPERTY OF BRANDON VIETTI AND GREG WEISMAN CREATED FOR CARTOON NETWORK! IF I DID OWN YOUNG JUSTICE, HOWEVER, THERE WOULD BE A THIRD SEASON BY NOW!
Oh, one more thing: I've recently put up a poll on my profile concerning this story. Please be sure to leave your votes in it when you get the chance.
With that out of the way, let's begin...
Voice Cast (Including how I envision certain characters being voiced):
MAIN:
Michael Verser = Yuri Lowenthal (A/N: Think the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man from the 2018 "Spider-Man" video game.)
Kaldur'ahm/Aqualad = Khary Payton
Richard "Dick" Grayson/Robin = Jesse McCartney
Wally West/Kid Flash = Jason Spisaks
Conner Kent/Superboy = Nolan North
Rachel Roth/Raven = Taissa Farmiga
Koriand'r/Starfire = Kari Wahlgren
Victor Stone/Cyborg = Shemar Moore
M'gann M'orzz/Megan Morse/Miss Martian = Danica McKellar
Donna Troy/Wonder Girl = Emma Stone
Adam Verser = Christopher Daniel Barnes (A/N: Think the voice of Spider-Man Noir from "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions")
GUEST:
Architect = D. C. Douglas (A/N: Think the voice of Legion from the "Mass Effect" games)
Tula/Aquagirl = Cree Summers
Waylon Jones/Killer Croc = Aron Kincaid
Beatriz Da Costa/Fire = Grey DeLisle
Tora Olafsdotter/Ice = Jennifer Hale
Duncan Verser = Josh Keaton
Karen Starr/Power Girl = Allison Mack
Akima/Lambda = Lindsay Jones (A/N: Think her actual voice)
The Antiverser = Sam Witwer (A/N: Think the voice of Lord Starkiller from the bad end of "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed")
BGMs:
Get Psycho - Disturbed
Rockstar - Nickleback
Gangnam Style - PSY
Wanted: Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Why So Serious - The Dark Knight OST
Snake Eater - Metal Gear Solid 3 Guitar Cover (Feat. Adriana Figueroa) | FamilyJules
Michael's POV:
Happy Harbor, July 19, 06:47 EDT
It was a rather peaceful morning, with barely any activity to report. Something that was welcomed by all present, considering the events of yesterday.
I had woken up rather early in the morning, something that was rare for me. Forcing my eyes open, I found my face extremely close to the peaceful, sleeping face of one Megan Morse. Backing my face away as best as I could without waking her up, I wondered with wide eyes and a blush what the hell was going on.
Then the memories came flooding back. The fight against Mister Twister; encountering Lucifer; going into the horror that was Adam's security system; the trauma that Megan and Rachel endured in there; that monster, Satan, showing his face again; losing Masamune and Avalon- subsequently putting Masamune in a coma- again; and spending the night with Megan.
Smiling softly, I phased out of Megan's grasp, letting her sleep while I went to get something to eat. Since I was up so early (with no signs of going back to sleep soon), I might as well kill some time while waiting for the others to wake up. I cast a sideways glance to my broken companions on the table, a small frown etching on my face as I left the room.
One thing was for sure today: I was going to make this day one of relaxation. No Ifs, Ands, or Buts about it.
As I walked toward the kitchen, I heard the sounds of gunfire. "What the hell?" I said to myself.
Slowly walking toward the noise, I saw Adam with his jacket and shirt off, showing the multiple cuts on his arms and chest that had to be made to remove the Negatium. "You don't have to be silent," he called out, not even turning his head back.
I sighed and walked toward him. The recovering Multiverser had an Xbox 360 controller in his hands as I looked at the screen. He was playing Halo 4- coincidentally one of my favorite games- and was kicking serious ass in the Campaign.
"Mind if I sit?" I asked.
"Go ahead," Adam replied with a shrug. With that, the two of us sat together in silence. Adam continued on with shooting his way through Covenant Storm forces with a Scattershot shotgun, turning them into piles of digital ash.
"So," I began casually, "how long have you been up?"
"A few hours, now," the Aspect of Time replied. "I've got a clean bill of health, too. Of course, I'm going to have to stay here for a bit until I recover."
"Cool," I replied. "It'll be nice having another Multiverser to talk to here."
Then Adam paused the game, turning himself to face me. "Look Mikey, I want to tell you something," he said, his yellow eyes showing sadness.
"What?" I asked.
"I...I never meant for you to be caught up in that shit storm with Ruvik. I still don't know how we got there either. But it traumatized you, and now...it traumatized your team mates," he said. He closed his eyes, before opening them again.
"Adam, I-"
"When I became a Multiverser," he interrupted, "I swore to myself that I wouldn't let anyone be hurt because of me. And I failed that promise when we woke up in that reality. The double that existed there? He may not have looked like it, but he was so traumatized, he wanted me to kill him just so I could stop hearing the screams. Some Multiverser I am," he finished despondently.
...Damn.
When I first met Adam, he seemed like the kind of person you'd get along with immediately. But if there's one thing Duncan has taught me about Multiversers, it's that we all have our own quirks after going through eternity. Adam's being his secretive nature.
"Adam, I'm...I'm sorry I held a grudge against you for that. I wanted for so long to wish the highest amounts of pain among you after that day. I never tried to realize that Ruvik controlled the reality, so he could make us hate each other. And I trapped Satan inside your mind, not even giving a thought about what that might do to you. I never meant for that to happen. So, I'm sorry too," I said, lowering my head.
Then a controller slowly floated into my view. I looked to see Adam's eyes glowing slightly, a smile gracing his lips. "Wanna play?" he asked.
Sighing to myself, I thought 'How the hell can I pass this up?'
"Sure," I said, taking the controller and joining in...only to be immediately killed by an Elite. "The fuck?!"
"Hard mode, bro," Adam answered.
And so we played, having some laughs...
Michael: "DUDE, I FUCKING LASERED YOU! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Some MLG moments...
Adam: "Energy Sword Gravity Hammer COMBO!"
And some rage mode.
Adam: "WHAT THE FUCK, THAT PERSON IS CAMPING AND HACKING!"
Everything was peaceful until...
"What are you two doing?"
The two of us both screamed, jumping off the sofa to see Conner with a confused look on his face. Being the first to recover and try to act like he didn't scream like a little girl, Adam answered "Playing a video game called Halo 4. Wanna join?"
Eyebrow raised, he asked "What's it about?"
"It's a sci-fi first person shooter game, part of one of the most awesome video game series," I answered. "You in? It'll definitely be a good introduction to the grand world of video games."
With a shrug, he answered "Why not? What's the worst that could happen?"
My eyes widened in pure horror as I stared at the screen, Adam setting the game for Multiplayer. My hands went so slack that I nearly dropped my controller.
It was at that moment where I realized that we made a HUGE mistake.
Third Person's POV:
Thirty Minutes Later...
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
*CRASH!*
Upon hearing the resounding impact, everyone still asleep in the cave were wide awake. Getting dressed as quickly as possible, they all ran towards the living room, where a series of loud noises and whimpers were coming from. "What's going on?!" Kaldur exclaimed.
Only to duck just as a footstool nearly took his head off.
At that point, everyone stared in awe and horror at the sight before them: the entire room was in ruins, with furniture laying in pieces and some sections of the floor cracked. The TV was shattered, smoke and sparks flying from the screen. And at the center of the carnage was Conner, breathing heavily in rage.
Another whimper was heard, turning the Team's attention to Michael and Adam, who were cowering in terror behind the kitchen wall. They were also shaking in fear, praying that whatever happened had finally ended. "Do I even want to know?" Robin asked in slight trepidation.
"...Have you ever seen a Kryptonian experience Gamer's Rage before?" Adam asked.
Kory cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Gamer's Rage?"
"A state of being when one experiences a great amount of anger, due to being unable to win a part in a video game," Victor answered. Eye widening in understanding, he said "So that means..."
"...Never let Conner play another game again," Michael shakily said. "At least until he can get his anger under control."
Chapter 7: Inner Demons, Part 3 (I Need A Vacation)
Michael's POV:
Happy Harbor, July 19, 10:42 EDT
Hours later, after calming Conner down and cleaning up the living room, Adam and I were walking through Happy Harbor. It was nice and sunny out, with only a few clouds in the sky and a nice ocean breeze blowing through town.
Adam wasn't wearing his shades, but he made a pair of contact lens that would make his eyes appear normal if or when he couldn't wear his shades. Said contacts made his eyes look hazel with white sclera. He was also wearing a black fedora.
Now you wouldn't think something's up, but his eyes were always moving, looking around, as if he was analyzing his environment. From what he told me about himself, he was from a military family, and he had learned to always keep his eyes and ears open for anything wrong.
'He seems to be a bit on edge.'
{He's always on edge. I thought you knew that by now.}
'Well, Sterling, he's more on edge than usual,' I replied.
"You okay dude?" I asked, making him look at me. His face didn't show it, but I could tell something was eating at him.
"I don't know," he responded. "I should feel fine, but I feel like something is missing from my mind. Could be when Satan left, but it's like something else is missing."
I sighed in annoyance. "Great," I muttered. "Even in death, that bastard's finding a way to fuck with people's-"
"Michael!"
We both turned around to see who called me. My eyes widened in surprise and happiness as I saw the smiling, eternally lovely visage of my favorite red headed Atlantean. "Hey, Tula!" I said, giving her a big hug. Breaking apart, I asked "What brings you here?"
"Well, Garth wanted to come visit Kaldur," she began, "and I thought, well, since you're in the area, it would be a great way to catch up and just hang out."
I chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think I can remember the last time we just...hung out with each other. That didn't involve-"
Suddenly, I heard a certain someone clearing their throat. I looked back at Adam to see that he was smiling. "Soooo...introductions?" he asked.
I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling with embarrassment at forgetting he was still here. "Oh yeah, sorry. Tula, this is Adam Verser, the...I guess you could say the second eldest brother in my family. Adam, I'd like you to meet Tula. She's a...I believe the term is 'friend with benefits,' as well as one of my first friends from Atlantis," I said as the two of them shook hands, though Adam had a knowing look on his face.
He always seemed to know more than he was letting on, so that look is probably one of those moments. Which can be annoying as all get out, seeing as he never really shares that kind of stuff with me.
That's when I decided to drop a bombshell on him. Feeling a sweat drop forming on the back of my head in tandem with what I believed to be a blush, I added "We're also kind of...sort of...lovers."
...And the resulting shock on his face was so worth any potential embarrassment. Both to me, and to an equally blushing Tula.
"...Well...nice to...uh, nice t' meet you, Tula," Adam said, shock present in his voice and movements as he shook her hand mindlessly.
Tula nodded her head as she returned the handshake. "Same here. It's nice to meet another member of Michael's family as well," she said with an embarrassed smile, shooting me a look.
Adam's POV:
'...He really knows how to change shit up, I'll give him that.'
From the moment he introduced her- Hell, from the moment that I saw her face- I knew she had some sort of connection with Michael...I just didn't really expect it to be this close. Which was in itself surprising, seeing as from what I recall from Young Justice, she had a thing for Garth.
I always prided myself to know more than others. It gave me an advantage in the field, along with my experience in combat. And what I noticed right now, even a dead dog could notice: Tula and Michael really wanted some 'alone time' with each other, away from me... *sniff* I'm so proud of Mikey...he's usually so fucking dense to this stuff!
{Like you're one to talk, Adam. You never even figured out that Jean and Wanda liked you. They had to pretty much walk up and tell it to your dumb ass self.}
'Not now, Sam,' I shot back with annoyance. 'Just go back to playing cards with the others.'
Back to the matter at hand, I just want to say this: I love Mikey like a brother, I really do. But this thick headed, blind as fuck thing of him not noticing that a girl likes him in a majority of the worlds he goes to? It was giving me a tumor the size of my fist. Hence why I am crying mental tears of joy at him noticing something like this.
I decided to keep it to myself for now, and hope that this would stick to his being. If not, then he was going to get a MULTIVERSAL BITCH SLAP to the face. Personally from yours truly.
"So," I began politely, "how long've you two known each other?"
"A little over two years, actually," Tula answered. "Michael and Duncan showed up in Happy Harbor one day, met up with Kaldur, and the three of them- along with Garth- worked together to help King Orin fight off the Ocean-Master."
"Since then, Dunc and I spent most of our time living in Poseidonis, at least until we could get our operations set up on the surface," Michael continued. "During that time, Tula and I kinda...well...grew close to each other. Eventually, we came to agree that we held an attraction to each other, but we didn't know how serious it was."
"So we agreed for the time being that we'd be friends with benefits, so we'd be able to work out our feelings," Tula continued, discreetly glancing over at Michael. "That sorta changed when he and I went on an official date near Hawaii, and...well, we grew even closer as time went on. We'd still hang out with each other whenever we could, and with his powers- wait a minute," she trailed off, realization dawning on her face. "You're Michael and Duncan's brother...but they...oh my- are you a Multiverser too?!"
*BOOM!*
And that was the moment when I literally- I shit you not- fell to the ground in an anime styled fashion, face firmly planted into the sidewalk. Didn't help that the impact shook the ground a little. Shooting right back up, I reared my head at Michael and exclaimed "SHE KNOWS?!"
He chuckled nervously. "I, uh...I figured that she deserved to know the truth," he replied. "Wouldn't talk to me for a week, since she was angry that I lied to her about my origins (a bit), but we...well, managed to work things out."
"We also agreed that we wouldn't keep secrets from each other from now on," she added sternly. "I'll admit, though, it was kinda weird, finding out that you're lover is an omnipotent, reality-warping demigod, but I managed to get over it...I think it's a side effect of hanging around Duncan for too long," Tula finished with a visible migraine.
My jaw was hanging openly, still shocked over this turn of events. Snapping out of it, I asked "Does Duncan know about this?"
"He, uh...well, I kinda...forgot...to let him know I filled her in...I'm so totally boned, aren't I?"
"Big time."
All other thoughts were cut off as an explosion rocked the ground. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?!" I asked myself.
After teleporting to the scene of the explosion, we found ourselves looking at the destroyed entrance of the local bank. Standing at the entrance to the bank was a giant man-crocodile skinned person, yellow eyes full of insanity/hunger. The only visible clothing was a pair of prison pants. This idiotic bastard is Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc., one of Batman's most frequent rogues. And an absolutely perfect way for me to make my debut to the media.
But there were two other people there.
The first was a woman with long, luscious green hair, green eyes, and pale skin that seemed to catch the eyes of anyone who looked. She wore a pair of green skintight pants, a green crop top, a green bandana tied around her forehead, and a pair of green gloves. This burning beauty was Beatriz Da Costa, more commonly known as Fire.
The second was a woman with white hair in a bob cut, with blue eyes, and very pale skin. She wore a skintight blue and white costume, with a loose white tank top, white fingerless gloves that went up to her upper biceps, and a pair of white furry boots. This Norwegian cutie was the lovely Tora Olaffsdotter, a.k.a. Ice.
Their names clearly explain their powers, with Ice being able to manipulate ice and Fire being able to control fire. Despite their opposing powers, the two were the best of friends. And they were in danger of getting their asses kicked by Croc. A humiliation I would wish on no one.
"Let's go, bro!" I said, my suit appearing on my body with my hood up. I looked to see he was already in his suit. We then proceeded to charge forward along with Tula. "FAUGH A BALLAGH!" (A/N: Gaelic for "Clear the way!") I shouted, drawing Steeler and speeding towards the fight in progress. Ice and Fire were both shocked to see the two of us charging, especially how I was coming in hot, Braveheart Mel Gibson style.
"Jeez, you're insane," Mikey muttered.
"Somewhat," I responded. Coming to a stop, I noticed the stunned looks of the two super heroines at their unexpected allies. "Hi!" I said, using Steeler to cut a piece of debris in half.
"Hello?" Fire asked, her Brazilian accent sending shivers up my spine. "Not that we don't appreciate the help, but who are-?"
"Oh my God, you're Atlas!" Ice said, her Norwegian accent coming out clearly, Mikey nodded his head.
"And you're Ice, right?" he inquired, causing her to slightly blush as she nodded.
Dodging a piece of debris, she responded "J-Ja, Ja, I-I'm a big fan of your work, ever since you and Oberon came through Norway."
"Pleasure to meet you, snow angel," he said with a smile and a bow (which allowed him to dodge debris). His eyes were also closed at the time, so he didn't notice the bright red blush on her face (along with Fire sending a knowing smile my way- which I returned- or Tula's jealous frown and eye twitch). "This is Aquagirl," he gestured to Tula, who politely nodded as another piece of debris was thrown by Croc, "and this is my brother, Timeshifter," Mikey said, drawing Paragon and Renegade, blasting a big piece into oblivion. "This has happened a million times Croc, so just give up!" he said.
His response was to angrily throw another piece of debris. I simply drew Hunter and blew it up. I then sped toward Croc, sheathing Steeler and throwing a right cross to his face, sending him crashing right into someone's car. The explosion sent a tire flying into the distance, landing God knows where.
I then ducked as Mikey flew right over me, and I slowed time down just enough so that we high-fived mid-flight, before speeding it back up so that he knocked Croc to the ground with a kick. I then saw Fire and Ice blast Croc into a wall. When he got back up, he only got shot right back down. But none of us had fired the shot.
Smirking, I used my Omnipresence to see a familiar flashlight head fleeing the scene.
I then turned back to Croc. "Come on, Croc! You're outnumbered!" I said.
Unknown POV:
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...It's been ruined..." I whispered, death filling my voice. I was staring with absolute hatred at the tire that crashed through my window, into my bedroom, and crashing onto us as we were in the middle of getting lucky!
Someone was going to die for this.
Horribly.
Painfully.
BY MY HAND.
"N-now, Honey! Let's be reasonable here!" my companion began in an attempt to assuage my rage.
It wasn't working.
"No. Whoever did that ruined the mood for me!" I roared, startling her. My symbiote responded to my thoughts, and took on the shape of my normal attire. "And now, compensation must be paid!"
Like a bullet, I took off at high speeds toward my new torture toy.
My all-seeing gaze told me who it was: Killer Croc. Likely trying to find new stomping grounds after getting fed up with Batman's interference. He had a large bag of stolen money in his hand and had just kicked a tanker into a gas station, blowing both sky high. The police were surrounding the area in an attempt to contain him.
I noticed my minions- err, I mean- Michael and Adam, along with Fire, Ice, and Tula (oddly enough), had arrived to stop the Lizard Man. And save the people he was endangering.
Oh ho, but who's going to save him FROM ME?!
Michael's POV:
"You can't escape, Croc!" I shouted at the deformed villain while Tula hit him with geysers of water that Ice quickly froze solid. "Give up now, and there'll be no need for further violence!"
"Shut up!" Croc yelled back as soon as he broke out of his frozen prison, a Louisiana accent clear despite his rows of filed sharp teeth. "I'm through dealing wit de Bat! I'm through dealing with de cops! And I'm through wit dealing wit you!" he roared, before throwing another piece of rubble at us.
"Oh, for Christ's sake..." Adam moaned, blasting the rubble midair before it hit anyone. "Can we just beat him up already? I have a schedule to keep."
Before either any of us could answer his good question, the distinct sound of the sound barrier breaking came to our ears. Crashing into the earth, came a fellow superhero...well, super heroine.
She was blonde, with short cropped hair in a bob cut and striking blue eyes. She was *ahem* ridiculously well endowed (the jealousy in the eyes of Tula, Fire and Ice did not go unnoticed). Her figure was all the more emphasized by the white, legless leotard she wore that had an opening in the chest that slightly exposed...the twins. Along with a short red cape with gold straps. Blue gloves and boots.
Strangely enough, her outfit looked like it was thrown on in a hurry. Her hair was ruffled, lipstick was slightly smeared, and her outfit wasn't adjusted properly (though it kept her 'modest' enough). She was even panting.
"Power Girl?" I asked, recognizing the heroine in front of us.
"Hi!" she greeted, still panting. "I came as fast as I could. Trouble's on the way."
"Not that we're not happy to see a friendly face after having to look at his ugly mug for the past two minutes," Fire said, gesturing to Croc. Said villain growled, but stayed silent for reasons he himself probably didn't even know. "But, uh, why would Croc warrant your help?"
"I agree," Tula said, eyebrows raised in curiosity. "He's not exactly an A-List criminal."
"Fuck you, sea bitch!"
*BANG*
"HEY ASSHOLE!" I roared back at him, Paragon's barrel smoking from the shot embedded in the ground right in front of the surprised villain (as well as the girls and the cops). "SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN, AND THE NEXT ONE'S GOING IN A PLACE YOU WON'T LIKE!"
"You don't understand!" Power Girl urgently exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "Trouble's coming this way because of him," she said, gesturing to Croc.
"He called back up?!" Ice exclaimed, getting ready for a fight.
(Play "Get Psycho - Disturbed")
*STOMP*
"...What da fuck was dat?" Croc whispered is morbid curiosity.
*STOMP*
"Worse," Power Girl clarified. "He pissed off my boyfriend."
*STOMP*
Down the street, all of our eyes looked to see the most terrifying thing we could imagine.
Duncan.
A very, very, very, very, VERY pissed off Duncan.
"Is...Is that Oberon?" Ice whispered in an equally morbid curiosity. Sure enough, he was all dressed up in his Multiverser outfit, his hood hiding his identity.
*STOMP*
"Yep."
*STOMP*
"Wait...WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL HIM?!" Adam, Tula, Ice, Fire, Croc and I all exclaimed in horror after hearing what she said and seeing who was down the street.
"We were in the middle of...our date, and then the explosion happened, throwing a tire right through our window and into our room," Power Girl explained, as if there wasn't a sign of the apocalypse stomping its way down the road. "It ruined the mood for him. And he had been planning a perfect romantic day for the two of us for weeks. Croc...well, he ruined it." The deformed villain looked as though he had realized he had signed his own death warrant. Adam also nervously looked away, as he played a role in that event.
"TICK! TOCK! CROC!" Duncan's booming voice called from down the street. We could see from our location that his eyes turned into blood red, draconian slits, his teeth turned into fangs, and [Master Gear] was out on his left arm. Oh, and who couldn't notice the black-red flames surrounding the area he stood? "TICK! TOCK!"
And Prime is supposed to be the one that has all of Hell following him.
By this point, I had already jumped into Adam's arms out of fear, much like Scooby Doo and Shaggy; Tula was shaking like a leaf in Autumn; Fire was frozen stiff in fear, with Ice hiding behind her Brazilian friend; Croc nearly pissed himself; and Power Girl showed no signs of acknowledging her revealed boyfriend as a danger to her person.
"It was nice knowing you, Adam!" I squeaked.
"Right back at ya, man!" he replied. "Right back at ya!"
Duncan's approach was slow and steady. Despite his slow walk, none of us moved or made a getaway. Which would be the smart decision. Each step he made shook the earth. Each quake was a symbol of doom. And no one can predict what kind of doom Duncan would unleash on those foolish enough to invoke his wrath. He was a Chaos Entity!
Knowing all this just made it worse!
So, the next move made was the smartest one to make:
"...I SURRENDER!" Croc exclaimed, throwing his arms up. "I FREAKIN' SURRENDER! JUS KEEP ME AWAY FROM DAT...DAT THING!"
Power Girl, in an attempt to hold off Duncan while Fire and Ice helped the cops take Croc away, flew over to her beau to cool him off. "It's okay, hon," she said, holding him in place as best she could. "He's going to the slammer now. We can start where we left off."
"I can't ignore his sacrilege!" Duncan told her, staring at the terrified criminal going into the armored truck. "I wanna skin him alive and make a purse out of it as your birthday present!"
"Aw, that's sweet," Power Girl cooed, to our great disturbance. "...Against every moral I stand for, but sweet."
"Are we safe yet?!" Adam called out, grateful that Duncan had stopped his approach.
"...Fine," Duncan spat out, as the truck sped away. "I'll stop."
(End "Get Psycho - Disturbed")
"Good!" Adam exclaimed, throwing me out of his arms. "See you guys later!" He waved before teleporting far away.
"Mother fucker!" I cursed. "How could you leave us with him?!"
"Michael?" Tula said, shaking me while I was on the ground. "Maybe we can at least, I dunno, help keep him from going on a rampage?"
"Do you know how futile you sound right now?" I asked her with a deadpanned expression.
"Yes, but we're super heroes. Right?" she responded. "We have to at least try."
Damn her politically correct logic.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, but we gotta go. See you around. Ha det!" (A/N: Norwegian for "Bye!") Ice said in a hurry before she and Fire left the scene.
'Cowards...oh, who am I kidding? If I could, I'd be flying away with them.'
"Oh, I know!" Power Girl said, having overheard us. "How about a double date? You two along with us?"
"Uh, I don't know-" I began.
"No. Wait," Duncan said, a sadistic smile forming on his face as he sensed my terror. "That sounds like a great idea. Let's do that."
*Gulp*
'Fuck my immortal life.'
Happy Harbor, July 19, 12:36 EDT
To say that this was one of the more awkward moments of my life would be understating things immensely.
I mean, on one hand, I was eating at a five-star Italian restaurant, alongside one of my first friends I made since coming here, and said friend was one of the closest I've made (apart from Duncan and Adam). On the other hand, however, we were pretty much forced to accompany Karen Starr- a.k.a. Power Girl- and Duncan on this little outing.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Karen. She's a nice gal, once you get to know her (and once you manage to stop staring at her gigantic boobs...which I admittedly have some trouble doing. Don't judge me). It's the fact that Duncan had literally just been stopped from skinning Killer Croc alive half an hour ago that made this uncomfortable.
If there's one thing I've learned to fear, it is Duncan in the middle of calming down. Anything and everything could happen in between.
All in all, though, the restaurant was very nice. We were seated out in a cafe garden underneath an umbrella, with the area deserted except for the four of us. There was a running fountain to our left, along with bushes of beautiful flowers. The sounds of music from a live band could be heard from inside, which added to the ambiance.
"Well," I nervously started, "I have to admit this looks like a nice place. How'd you find it?"
"Oh, ya know," he shrugged. "I know a guy who knows a guy who knows another guy's cousin who pulled some favors from another guy-"
"You own the place, don't you?" I deadpanned.
"Bought it four days ago," he admitted with no same. "I love Italian food. Specifically pizza, of course, but damn do they do good."
"Oh, I agree," I said with a smile. "As our mutual friend Dante would say...'Pizza...is the food of the Gods...'"
"Amen."
"So...how'd you two meet?" Tula asked, glad that the tension was eased up significantly.
"It's kind of funny, actually," Karen chuckled. "I was chasing after these goons, I don't even remember what they did, but they were in a getaway car. When I was chasing them, they tried some risky maneuvers...one of which ended up crashing into some game store where a new game was being released, or some nonsense like that."
"I'd appreciate you respecting my time-honored hobby, Karen," Duncan coolly asked his girlfriend. I found myself agreeing with him.
"Oh, be quiet you," she chided him. "So, anyways, it turns out Duncan was there, having camped for the night to get his copy. When the store got trashed, he...well..."
"Did exactly what he would normally do and go nut shit on them?" I asked.
"Pretty much. The first guy almost exploded when Duncan punched him," she began telling us. "The other two were too scared to run. During that time, the two of us got into a massive argument. 15 minutes passed and the cops had already taken them away. Neither one of us gave so much as an inch.
"So we ended up agreeing to a brawl outside of the city. I was losing, but I'm a stubborn girl. Eventually, beating each other within an inch of the other's life turned into a hard make-out session," she told Tula and I, ignoring the intense blushes from such a picture. "After that, it was cliché opposites attract relationship stuff. And that's how I ended up dating a Multiverser."
"Well, that's great," I smiled in relief. "I'm glad to know someone can..." I stopped myself after her words registered. "Are you fuck-mothering kidding me?! You know?!"
"I told her a few weeks into our relationship," Duncan clarified, eating spaghetti. "She and I get along surprisingly well."
I instantly face-palmed at that, groaning at how nonchalant he was being about this. He was the one who said secrecy was key in these kinds of situations! But then, before I could say anything else, I felt a chill down my spine as Tula laid a hand on my shoulder.
"So...Michael..." Tula began, 'smiling'. I instantly began sweating bullets. "He told her a few weeks into their relationship. What do you make of that?"
No one was stupid enough to ignore the aura of death radiating off her right now.
"Well...you know..." I nervously laughed, fearing for my life.
"Karen..." Duncan smiled, watching his protégé get his just rewards. "You're awesome."
"I know," Karen smiled, finding just as much amusement as Duncan.
Third Person's POV:
Mount Justice, July 19, 13:39 EDT
'Well, this could probably be one of the stupidest ideas I could do,' Michael thought. 'However, it has to be done.'
Ever since getting out of Adam's head yesterday, Raven had been locked in her room for practically the entire day. It's an understandable action, what with the near death experience and all the other traumatizing shit that Ruvik left for us in there. Hell, a lesser person would've done the same thing.
'But she's my friend. I can't just sit back and watch her close herself off from others like this.' Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and prepared for the worst. "Raven? You still in there?" he asked nervously.
...
...
"...What do you want?"
"I was...I was wondering if I could come in and talk?" Michael was definitely taking a risk here. Odds were that he might end up making things worse.
However, luck seemed to be on his side, as her door slid open moments later to reveal his empathetic team mate in her civilian clothes. She looked a bit reluctant, but said "Sure. Not sure what there is to talk about, though".
The two of them walked in, with Raven closing the door behind them. The room was held a spiritual aura in its decorations, with a meditation mat in the middle of the room, a gothic mirror and dresser on the right-hand side, and a large bookcase on the left-hand side. In the middle of the room was Rachel, who was sitting on the mat in a meditative position.
"Uh, sorry to bother you," he began, "but I...well, I figured that you could use some company."
She simply looked at him, her face unreadable. "Well, I'm not stopping you," she said in a tone that could be mistaken as uncaring, but understood as friendly.
He walked over and sat down next to her, legs crossed as he said "Thanks."
The two of them sat in an awkward silence after that. Neither of them knew what to say, how to break the ice. It wasn't exactly like they could just ignore what needed to be said, though. A few minutes later, though, Raven decided to be the one to speak first. "You don't have to worry about me, you know," she said.
"Wha-? How did you-?"
"Empath, remember?"
A loud slap resounded in the room as he face-palmed himself, completely forgetting she could read emotions like a book. "Right. Forgot about that." A sigh. "Well, be that as it may, I'm not leaving you alone that easily."
"Michael-"
"What you went through in there," he interrupted, "what that...monster did in there...I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I know that you don't want to talk about it right now, and I'm okay with that. But when you are ready to talk about it...well, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," he finished with a smile.
She was silent for a moment, before asking "You're really not planning on leaving me be, are you?"
"Nope," Michael replied, putting emphasis on the 'p'.
"...Why?"
He smiled. "The answer's simple, really. You're my friend, Raven. And friends have each other's backs," he said, slightly nudging her shoulder. "Just like I'll have your back. Count on it."
Hearing that caused her to blink owlishly. Her whole life, she had repressed her emotions in order to control her powers, as well as to keep herself from being influenced by her so-called father. But at that moment, she felt relief...and happiness. Smiling softly, she said "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," he said. "On another note, I'm curious: do you really need to have your room be so gloomy?"
"...It's just temporary," she replied. "Your brother Duncan pre-arranged this room for me."
"Well, just let me know when you're ready to redecorate," he said. "I'll have this room the way you want it in no time at all."
"I'll keep that in mind," she chuckled. In response, a light bulb shattered overhead, sending the room into darkness.
"..."
"..."
"...You know, I think Duncan has some really durable light bulbs stashed away somewhere," Michael said as he broke the silence. "You wanna...?"
"...Why not?"
Meanwhile, at the same time...
"So, what did you say this was, again?" Michael asked Vic. The two of them- along with Adam- were in a workshop that the half-robot hero had made from a spare room in the cave. It had only been a week, and yet the whole place already looked like a high tech laboratory.
Currently, the two of them were standing in front of a screen displaying a set of blueprints. "This," Victor answered, "is a little project that I've been working on for a few months now. S.T.A.R. Labs has been helping it get through some beta testing, but it should be good to go in about a month or two."
"...Dude. We are so taking that out for a spin."
There was no argument to be found in Adam's tone. And when he used that tone, then he was going to do what he said he would. A trait he picked up from Duncan (one of a few).
"This thing is far from complete. It'll be likely a couple of months before it can be fully operational. Mainly cause of the parts, the number of testing I gotta do," Victor listed off, getting nods from us both.
"I've got a guy who could do it in about half the time," Adam responded. "With his help, we could have this baby finished in two months time. Though he'll probably make sure this doesn't end up like...Project MINUS," he finished, the last two words spoken coldly.
"What's Project MINUS?" Michael asked, genuinely curious about this 'incident' Adam refers to.
"I don't want to talk about it," Adam said with finality.
Feeling that it was in his best interest to drop the matter, Michael looked back at the blueprints labeled "Project: Cyberion" and said "I've gotta admit, Vic, that is going to be a thing of beauty."
"Thanks," the half-human hero nodded. "Main problem with it though is the synchronization rate. Every time I tested the damn thing, it would nearly fry my circuitry."
"I think we can work around that," Adam said. "However, first we'll need to run tests on your technology, in order to extrapolate how much control will be required to operate the device."
Victor shrugged. "Fair enough. Still, I can't help but feel like it's missing something..."
All of them stared at the board in silence. For five minutes. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Michael's head. "Elbow rockets," he said.
Everyone turned to stare at him. "Elbow rockets?" Adam inquired.
"Elbow rockets. With something built into the fists to increase the power of the punch."
Victor looked at the blueprints, visualizing how it would work. Then turned to look at Michael. He then moved Adam to the side, and bumps fists with his Multiverser friend. "Make it happen."
"Happen, it shall."
Michael's POV:
Happy Harbor, July 19, 17:55 EDT
So, after Tula and I finished our (unwilling) double date with Duncan and Karen (and after getting a talking of a lifetime from Tula), I received a brief, yet to the point, message from the Aspect of Time:
'Mikey,
I've got something I want to show you and Akima. Just came in today.
Adam'
I appeared in the Cave about a minute later as I looked around for Adam, who as usual, was almost very hard to find. As far as I could tell, there was almost nobody here. So whatever Adam called me about, he must not want people knowing yet.
Sighing in annoyance, I called out "Okay, Adam, where the fuck are you?!"
"I'm right here," I heard his voice, making me jump as I turned around.
"Jeez Louise, dude!" I exclaimed. "I get that shit enough from Batman, I don't need you doing it too!"
Chuckling, he replied "Sorry about that. Force of habit."
I sighed in slight annoyance, recalling that this is something I still had to get used to from the guy. "So, what did you call me for?" I asked, looking at Adam, who was standing in front of something that was hidden behind a tarp.
"What's that?" Akima asked, her holographic avatar appearing by my head.
"That is a gift for Akima," Adam said as he pulled the tarp.
"What do you mean by..." Whatever I was going to say next, instantly died in my mouth as I beheld what lay underneath the tarp. A clear glass case, about the size of a body. Inside...
It was a body.
An actual, organic-looking body, about an inch or two shorter than me. But this body had one distinct feature: the motionless body looked exactly like Akima. Dark pink hair- almost magenta- covered the top of her head, with light pink bangs framing the distinct Asian features on her face, trailing down past her shoulders. Light pink circuit patterns ran across her face, as well as the skin tight magenta bodysuit that covered and clung to her shapely body.
Akima continued to stare at the gift before her, digital eyes widened in awe. "Is...Is that...?"
"A bio-synthetic body," Adam confirmed with a smile. "Designed specifically for you, Akima. It has a port in the nape, so you can upload yourself into it. You'll possess all the senses of a human being, from Touch to Smell. The bio-synthetic circuitry within also allows you to retain access to your technological powers, your mind becoming a freaking super computer. As an added bonus, I uploaded a system of martial arts, so you can better defend yourself."
"Wh...When the hell did you come up with this thing?" I asked softly, finally finding my voice again.
"Well, to be honest, it wasn't my idea." Adam said, opening up the Zeta Tube terminal.
"Then whose idea was it?" I asked, confused at who else would suggest this.
"Access granted, Architect, B12. Authorization, Timeshifter, B11," the Zeta Tube announced as an easily recognizable being appeared.
It was a Geth unit from the Mass Effect series. Specifically, this one almost looked like a repaired version of Legion, only he was Matrix-themed in terms of his exterior shell. The single eye shone with a green light, but it wasn't like that of the Geth in Project Overlord. No,this eye shone with curiosity. It then turned to look at Adam.
"Creator, we received your message. The bio-synthetic platform is complete?" the monotonous voice of Adam's personal AI partner, Architect, asked in the same emotionless voice all Geth spoke with. I looked to see Akima had a look that screamed 'Dafuq?!'
"For fuck's sake, Architect, I've told you before: call me Adam!" Adam exclaimed, putting a palm on his face.
"Architect...you did this?" Akima asked.
Architect then focused his eye back on Akima as he slowly stepped toward her before stopping right in front of me. His eye then lowered to look at her. He then extended his left hand, his main index finger extended the farthest, almost as if offering a handshake. "We thought you would like it."
Silence. That was all that reigned in the cave as I stared at the being before me. Silence which was met with a smile from Akima, as she began to happily cry at the sight of her new body.
"HOLY CRAP!"
...And like that, the moment was ruined.
Turning around, we saw the surprised faces of the Team as they entered the room. Bearing the most shocked face of them was Wally, who was equally as excited. "You have an A.I.?!" he exclaimed, zooming over as he looked Architect over head to toe. "I heard that there hasn't been a successful attempt at making one yet! What kind of hardware does this use? Operating system? Holy crap, is this thing collapsible?! How did you manage to make this thing?! This is-"
"Your vocal processors are running faster than an average human being," Architect interrupted. "Addendum: Please shut the fuck up."
...
...
...
"...*pfft* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!" As I hit the ground laughing, everyone else began to join in as well. Except for Wally, who was frozen stiff at the blatant insult and frowned. "O-Oh man, Adam," I managed to get out. "Please tell me he's staying around!"
Adam's POV:
While Mikey and the others were busting a gut over the burn Architect delivered, I pulled Megan and Raven aside to talk with them. I simply stared at them at first, my eyes like those of a dead man's. "Look, I'm not going to beat around the bush, or act like this never happened," I said. "You two are horrified, and will most likely be forever traumatized by what happened in my head. And I called you both here to say...I'm sorry for I put you through," I finished, lowering my head in shame.
Then I felt a pat on my shoulder and looked to see Raven giving me a friendly smile. "It wasn't your fault, Adam. That...Ruvik you mentioned corrupted your security. As Michael said, he's a master of the mind. There wasn't anything you could've done to-"
"Yes, there was! I could've killed him, but if I did, then he'd be more powerful than ever! Then he'd be killing everyone in his path!" I said, my hands balling into fists.
"But if you did, you'd be no better than him," Megan said.
"I know, but..." I sighed. "My whole life, I've had trouble trusting people. Mainly cause if I did, they'd throw that trust away. One day, I told someone I thought was one of my friends a secret I've kept for years, the next day, I'm being laughed at by everyone in school!" I said, recalling a particularly bad memory from my past.
Not exactly my best day, there.
"So yeah, I created that system in case someone I didn't trust got in...they wouldn't come out the same person," I continued. "Hell, the only people I can probably completely trust are Michael and Duncan," I said, noticing their faces smile at the mention of Mikey's name.
"Not sure about Duncan, but I can definitely understand why you'd trust Michael," Raven said with a small smile. "I've only been with him for nearly two weeks, and I already feel comfortable around him. Plus, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would throw that trust away."
"And if how he treated us in your mind was any indication, he's more kind and understanding than the jerks you talked about," Megan added. As an afterthought, she added "Anyone would be lucky to have him as a friend." Hearing those words got me to mentally smile.
{Oooohohohoho! So, they want him, too, huh?} Sam said with interest. {He's really popular with the ladies...think his pheromone thing is as strong as your own?}
'I don't know, but I do know this: IF HE DOESN'T NOTICE THIS, I'M GOING TO MURDER HIM!' I thought as I held out my hands.
"So...we cool?" I asked.
Raven and Megan both looked at each other, then looked back at me and smiled as Megan grabbed my left hand and Rachel my right. "Definitely," they both said.
"So," a voice called out, revealing Victor to the rest of us, "I assume that you guys worked out your...uh, differences?"
The three of us smiled, nodding before I said "Yeah, we're okay. Nice to officially meet you, by the way. Adam Verser."
I extended my hand, which he accepted with a firm grim. "Victor Stone. So, is your pal really gonna be staying here?" he asked as we made our way to the others.
"Yep. Architect is pretty much my plus one wherever I go."
"Sweet!" he exclaimed. "Nice to have another techie I can talk to around here."
I raised an eyebrow at that. "What about Akima?"
"Who?" Megan, Raven and Victor asked simultaneously. Apparently, Mikey didn't tell them about her, yet.
With a sigh, I said "Sorry, that's Mikey's place to tell, not mine."
Entering the main hall, we saw everyone gathered around Mikey, staring down at something. "...It's...so small!" Robin stated.
"Hey, don't disrespect the size!" Mikey said. Before I could get weirded out any further, he continued "Trust me, she can work wonders." Realizing what was going on, the four of us walked over and saw what everyone was looking at. In his palm was a holographic figure about six inches in height. It was feminine in appearance, and was a light pink in color with long magenta hair going down to her waist and magenta lines on her body. She also seemed Asian in appearance, and had her hip cocked to the right with her hand on it.
"Trust me, he's not wrong," Akima added. "In about seven seconds, I could rewrite the security system for this cave and the Watchtower at the exact same time."
"...How long have you had her?" Wally asked.
"All my life," he answered with pride.
"This unit can change the security systems, though it would only take us five," Architect said in a slightly bragging tone. "Addendum: Technology here is child's play."
"Please don't let Batman hear you say that," Robin deadpanned. "He takes this kind of stuff very seriously."
"We shall make no promises."
"And on that note," I said, gaining everyone's attention, "I say we relax with one of my favorite pastimes."
"Which is?" Donna asked.
I simply grinned. "KARAOKE!" I exclaimed. I then disappeared, then reappeared on a stage with a microphone, wearing a cowboy hat without my shades or contact lens, showing my yellow eyes. I had an acoustic guitar in my hands.
It had been years since I played it, but I never told anyone, not even my fellow Multiversers, that I was KICK-ASS with an acoustic guitar! And because of that, I put up the act that I was terrible with instruments.
Here's hoping this shocks them.
The others were blinking owlishly. "What the- Where the hell did that come from?!" Donna exclaimed. "Where did he get all of-"
"Don't ask," Michael said with a sigh. "You'll get less of a headache that way. Just...Just accept that all of this stuff is here, and deal with it." Though the others were a bit unnerved by what just happened, they nonetheless did their best to do so.
Good for them.
Architect appeared next to me, holding an electric guitar, and also wearing a cowboy hat. Which, given his head's shape, made him look hilariously ADORABLE. I then positioned my pick in my hand, and began to strum.
(Play "Nickelback - Rockstar")
Adam:
I'm through with standing in line,
To clubs we'll never get in,
It's like the bottom of the ninth,
And I'm never gonna win,
This life hasn't turned out
Quite the way I want it to be
Architect:
(Tell me what you want)
Adam:
I want a brand new house
On an episode of Cribs,
And a bathroom I can play baseball in,
And a king size tub big enough
For ten plus me
Architect:
(So what you need?)
Adam:
I'll need a credit card that's got no limit,
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it,
Gonna join the mile high club at thirty-seven thousand feet
Architect:
(Been there, done that)
Adam:
I want a new tour bus full of old guitars,
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard,
Somewhere between Cher and James Dean is fine for me
Architect:
(So how you gonna do it?)
Adam:
I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame,
I'd even cut my hair and change my name,
Both:
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars,
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars,
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap,
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat,
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars,
In the VIP with the movie stars,
Every good gold digger's gonna wind up there,
Every Playboy Bunny with her bleached blond hair, and well
Adam:
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Architect:
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Adam:
I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels,
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes,
Sign a couple autographs so I can eat my meals for free
Architect:
(I'll have the quesadilla, ha, ha)
Adam:
I'm gonna dress my ass with the latest fashion,
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion,
Gonna date a centerfold that loves to blow my money for me
Architect:
(So how you gonna do it?)
Adam:
I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame,
I'd even cut my hair and change my name,
Adam:
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars,
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars,
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap,
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat,
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars,
In the VIP with the movie stars,
Every good gold digger's gonna wind up there,
Every Playboy Bunny with her bleached blond hair,
And we'll hide out in the private rooms,
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who,
They'll get you anything with that evil smile,
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Both:
I'm gonna sing those songs that offend the censors,
Gonna pop my pills from a pez dispenser,
I'll get washed-up singers writing all my songs,
Lip sync 'em every night so I don't get 'em wrong,
Well, we all just wanna be big rockstars,
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars,
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap,
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat,
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars,
In the VIP with the movie stars,
Every good gold digger's gonna wind up there,
Every Playboy Bunny with her bleached blond hair,
And we'll hide out in the private rooms,
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who,
They'll get you anything with that evil smile,
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
(End "Nickelback - Rockstar")
I then stopped, and looked at everyone's faces to see their reactions. Considering that most of their jaws were on the floor, and their eyes were wide in shock, I'd say that they were seriously not expecting me to be so good.
Mikey most of all.
"Holy...fucking...shit..." he breathed out.
"Dude! That was awesome!" Vic exclaimed. Everyone broke out into applause at that point, with me and Architect bowing in response.
"Thank you, thank you, you're all to kind. And next up on the list iiiiiisssss...MIKEY!"
Everyone was beginning to chant his name, egging him on to get up there and show them what he could do. After hearing such praise, he couldn't exactly back down from this, so he leaped onto the stage and grabbed the mic. "Akima!" he called out. "Play 'My Personal Jams', Track 07!"
(Play "PSY - Gangnam Style" at 1:09)
Everyone was staring in confusion at the music, with a few recognizing the language as Korean. While they didn't know what was being said, they couldn't deny that the beat was extremely catchy.
Blushing profusely with wide eyes, Mikey exclaimed "AKIMA! I SAID TRACK 07!"
(End "PSY - Gangnam Style")
"Sorry!" the A.I. apologized, a digital blush forming on her face. "I played 'Favorite Songs' instead of 'My Personal Jams'. Honest mistake." Looking through a holographic track list (he had some pretty good tunes in his list), she found the correct song. "Okay, and here we go."
"Now then," he began, "sit back and enjoy." With that said, Mikey pulled out his own cowboy hat as he picked up my guitar. Next to him, Akima materialized in an admittedly cowgirl outfit, a guitar strung across her shoulder.
(Play "Bon Jovi - Wanted: Dead or Alive")
As they began to play (which sounded pretty awesome), everyone except myself was left unaware of the presences of two familiar faces (at least to some of the Team) entering the cave, becoming unseen spectators. Not that I was really looking to see who it was.
Eh, I could check after the song.
Michael:
It's all the same, only the names will change,
Every day, it seems we're wasting away
Another place where the faces are so cold,
I'll travel all night, just to get back home
I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride,
I'm wanted, dead or alive,
I'm wanted, dead or alive
Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days,
The people I meet always go their separate ways,
Sometimes you tell the day by the bottle that you drink,
And times when you're alone when all you do is think,
I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride,
I'm wanted
Akima:
(Wanted)
Michael:
Dead or alive,
I'm wanted
Akima:
(Wanted!)
Michael:
Dead or alive,
Oh and I ride!
*insert epic guitar solo*
Oh I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride,
I'm wanted
Akima:
(Wanted!)
Michael:
Dead or alive
I walk these streets, a loaded six-string on my back,
I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back,
I've been everywhere, still I'm standing tall,
I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all!
'Cause I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride,
I'm wanted
Akima:
(Wanted)
Michael:
Dead or alive
I'm a cowboy, I've got the night on my side,
And I'm wanted
Akima:
(Wanted!)
Michael:
Dead or alive,
And I ride
Akima:
(And I ride!)
Both:
Dead or alive
Michael:
I still try
Akima:
(I still try!)
Both:
Dead or alive,
Dead or alive,
Dead or alive,
Dead or alive,
Dead or alive
*insert final guitar piece*
(End "Bon Jovi - Wanted: Dead or Alive")
Right as they ended their little number, it was now their turn to see our reactions. Honestly, I was surprised to learn that Mikey was so good at singing, but not surprised enough as to not join in on the loud cacophony of cheering and clapping.
As soon as the clapping died down, the sounds of two others clapping drew our attention.
To everyone's surprise, Tula and Aquaman were standing right behind us, smiles on their faces as they clapped. "Nice work, Michael," the latter congratulated. "I never would've taken you to be a musician."
Blushing from slight embarrassment, Mikey chucked the guitar (which, for some reason, created a cat screeching sound when it impacted) as he nervously chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Uh, yeah. Well, I don't really broadcast that sort of thing," he explained as Akima materialized her normal attire. "Though I kinda have Akima here to thank for that skill."
Chuckling, the king of Atlantis nodded in agreement. "My king," Kaldur began, "I mean no disrespect, but what are you and Tula doing here?"
"A valid question," he said. "Earlier today, Tula came to me with a request. One that, after some persuasion from her and Duncan, I consented to. Starting today, Tula will be living with you on the surface, as well as train in order to one day join you out on the field."
"I-I hope you'll treat me well," Tula said with a bow. Meanwhile, many of us (Kaldur, Mikey and I, especially) were surprised at our newest team mate.
'Adam,' Architect asked through our mind link, 'didn't you once inform us that Aquagirl was not supposed to join until after Season 1 ended?'
'...Yes, Architect. Yes I did.'
'Interesting. It appears that Michael's actions are changing more of canon than any of us anticipated.'
"Great to have you here, Tula," Michael said with a smile (a somewhat nervous one, might I add).
"Great to be here, Michael," she replied with a hug (which got Michael to freeze up a bit, Wally to drop his jaw in disbelief, Kaldur to look a bit uncomfortable, and some others to look surprised).
Side note: if he doesn't notice their feelings, I SERIOUSLY AM GOING TO GIVE HIM A BITCH SLAP SO HARD, HE'LL FEEL IT ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE!
"To be honest, today kinda showed me that there's a lot I could learn and do up on the surface. So I figured that the best way to be productive would be to work alongside you," Tula said as she broke away from the hug. With a wink, she added "Besides, you and Duncan are trouble magnets, so someone needs to keep you two in line."
Duncan's protege was sulking in the corner, a rain cloud hanging over his head as he fiddled his finger on the ground. "Oh good lord, I am becoming more and more like him. Someone wake me up from this nightmare."
"Nevertheless," Kaldur said as he chuckled at his friends' suffering, "it is great to have you here, Tula. But what about Garth?"
She looked away in slight shame at that. "I wanted him to come along, but he wanted to focus on his studies. I feel a bit guilty, coming here without him."
"Look on the bright side," Victor cut in. "You'll have a lot of stories to tell your friends now that you're part of a superhero team."
That got her to laugh a bit, realizing that he was right. "So, I know Michael, Adam, Robin, Akima, and Kaldur. But I don't know the rest of you, I'm afraid."
"Oh! I'm Wally, a.k.a. Kid Flash," the speedster introduced. "This is Conner, or Superboy; Vic, a.k.a. Cyborg; Megan, or Miss Martian; Kory/Starfire; Rachel/Raven; Donna/Wonder Girl; and this is Architect, Adam's artificial intelligence." Each of those mentioned nodded in response to their introductions, as Wally continued "So, what do you like to-?"
*K-CHAK*
*BZZZ*
Turning around slowly, Wally froze in fear as Mikey had Equinox primed and ready to pummel, while Kaldur had his water blades out and electrified. "Wally," the former began in an icy tone, "if you value your genitals, and wish to have kids one day: BACK. OFF."
The message was received (evidenced by how fast Wally sped out of the room), causing the rest of us to laugh at the wannabe Casanova. He'll never learn.
Michael's POV:
Happy Harbor, July 19, 21:47 EDT
A few hours later, we finally finished moving all of Tula's belongings into her new room, as well as helping her with arranging it to feel like home (as icing on the proverbial cake, I even added in a saltwater pool, which reached deep down and was fairly wide). After that, Adam decided to take up residence in the cave alongside us, something about how "things here were as interesting as they were in the universe he was inhabiting," or something along those lines.
After that, I decided to go and get some shut eye. Duncan called and said that he was planning something for me tomorrow, and I wanted to get a good night's rest so as to prepare for whatever laid ahead. I changed into my pajamas, which was a pair of blue silk pants and a matching top.
Hey, if you're a demigod and you're going to sleep, you might as well do so in style.
On my way to my room, I bumped into Megan, who was dressed in a pair of yellow pajamas. "Oh, hey Megan," I greeted. "What's up?"
"Oh, not much," she waved off. "Just getting ready for some sleep. Today was...well, an eventful day, all things considered."
I chuckled a bit. "Yeah, that's for sure. Well, I'll see ya in-" I was stopped in my tracks as I felt something pulling on my sleeve. Sure enough, it was Megan, gripping it as she looked a bit uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" I asked in concern.
"...I...I'm sorry to bother you like this," she began, her face gaining a noticeable blush. "But I was...I was wondering if..."
"If what?"
"...If you could...spend the night with me again?" she finished meekly.
I felt my eyes widen a bit at that. "You, uh...you sure?" She simply nodded in response. Deciding that I might as well, I followed her into her room as I did a bit of mind reading. Apparently, she was still really shaken up over the events in Adam's mind. Not that I blamed her, or anything. Anyone would've been traumatized by what happened in there.
Still, it didn't change the fact that she was still suffering from it (and, now that I thought about it, Rachel probably was, as well). I'd have to ask Dinah if she'd be willing to set up some therapy sessions for Megan and Rachel soon, so as to help them with what they experienced in there.
Sitting next to each other on the bed, I asked "You're still shaken up about yesterday, aren't you?"
Megan was silent for a bit, before slowly nodding. "I just...I just don't want to be alone right now."
I pulled her into a one-armed hug, smiling as I said "Don't worry about it. I promise, as long as I'm around, nothing's going to hurt you."
She smiled in return. "Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it." As we both started to drift off into sleep, those words resounded in my head.
I had no idea they would hold so much weight to me in the future.
Third Person's POV:
Unknown Location, Unknown Time
(Play "The Dark Knight OST - Why So Serious")
It was dark. Darker then the blackest void. The air was rank, smelling like decaying flesh. The only source of light came from a few small lamps on two tables, revealing two figures. One was wearing dark clothes and armor, sitting as he looked over a series of files; while the other was wearing tattered, burnt clothes as he worked on something whimpering.
"So, how goes the progress?" the dark figure asked.
"It's coming along quite nicely," the tattered man replied. "The subject is responding quite well to the treatment."
"How soon can you be finished? I have a meeting soon."
"Patience, my new friend. You can't rush something as delicate as this." As he said this, a clicking noise was heard as he placed something dark purple in color onto the human laying before him on the operating table. Next to him was a crate with various pieces of tech. One of the crates read "Project: Typhon."
"Well try to hurry," the dark figure stated. "If what you told me about your other friend is true, then we're going to need it up and running as soon as possible. Before the Multiversers catch wind of what we're doing, if possible, Ruvik."
The tattered figure- now revealed to be Ruvik- simply replied "Well, I'm sure he'll appreciate what we're doing for him. A word of warning, though: he'll need psychological treatment as soon as he gets here. He's a little..."
"I understand. I'll make the necessary arrangements."
The mental psychopath nodded before returning to work. "I still don't know why you wouldn't want to strike while they're weakened," Ruvik voiced. "Both Michael and...Adam are in a prime position, still recovering from their odyssey. Them and their female compatriots."
"Because he isn't ready to do so," a new voice stated. Stepping into the light, the familiar form of Lucifer revealed itself. "If there's anything I learned from him, it's that he only attacks when he wants to, and even then, it has strategic value. Besides, we agreed that we'd only be targeting the Multiversers. No one else."
"That kindness is going to bite you one day.
"Maybe," Lucifer shrugged. "But that's how we're operating here."
"Now, you see that?" the dark figure asked. "That is why he's-" A light blinked on his arm, a faint buzzing catching his attention. "That would be my meeting. Try to play nice, you two. And try to keep our guest quiet for right now."
The two of them nodded, though Lucifer made it a point to audibly scoff.
The dark figure moved through the blackened world and seamlessly into brightly lit, Spartan hallways before entering a room. There were seven holographic panels, each hiding the identity of the individuals in each screen.
"I'm glad we could finally have this meeting," he began, folding his arms behind his back. "I have need of services that only your organization can provide."
["That is under the assumption that we would actually help you,"] L-4 retorted. ["You acquired the information to contact us, but that does not make you our equal."]
["We have no true reason to aid you, as we know not whether it is detrimental to our goals, nor do we even know you, specifically,"] L-6 added.
["We have no reason to aid you,"] L-3 told him, though it was not final. ["But we assume that you will give us one now."]
"...You want reasons to help me? Fine," he nodded. "I'll give you several...Vandal Savage. Ra's al Ghul. Lex Luthor. Queen Bee. Ocean Master. Brain. Klarion."
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
"You...delude yourselves," the figure scoffed. "You mire yourselves in secrecy. You believe simply because you say you are in power, you know how the world should work. You don't want the world to change, you want it to change for you. And you are cliché enough to use your convoluted little group's name for a play on words. It's pathetic."
["...Why did you call us?"] L-1, a.k.a. Vandal Savage, asked.
"I care not for your schemes, your goals, or your enemies," he told them. "All I care for is the complete and utter destruction of my enemies. All of existence can burn for all I care. If I have to kill everyone in this universe in order to succeed, I will. Needless to say, however, I have not reached that point."
["And who exactly are your enemies?"] L-7- Klarion- inquired.
"Alexis Verser, LaTrell Verser, Adam Verser, Michael Verser, Prime Death...and Duncan Verser," he listed off. "Whether you know all of them or not, they are my enemies. I wish to see all of them crushed. Broken. Humiliated. Hated...and gone. Aid me in that, and I will aid you in return."
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["..."]
["...We'll be in touch,"] Vandal Savage answered before the meeting ended, leaving the black armored man alone.
Or so one would think.
"Dramatic, don't you think?" a mechanical voice asked from behind the figure, red lights blinking on in the shadows.
"Theatrics will always succeed in gaining allies," he snorted. "What people cannot ignore, they shall likely follow. You yourself gave those miracle twins quite the speech when you first met."
"Yes...and then the girl ended up ripping my 'heart' out, so to speak."
"To be fair, you did kill her brother."
"He did that to himself."
"Not like it matters now," he said, shaking his head. "We have bigger fish to fry...and these seven, while capable, likely think they can play puppet-master with me. Try to make me dance to their tune."
"Oh, you shouldn't mention that to me," the other occupant said, mechanical footsteps 'clunking' as he moved closer. "You know me and...strings..."
"...I've got no strings..." he quietly sang.
"But now...I am free..."
(End "The Dark Knight OST - Why So Serious")
"...There are no strings on me..."
(Play "Snake Eater - Metal Gear Solid 3 Guitar Cover (Feat. Adriana Figueroa) | FamilyJules")
...
YOUNG MULTIVERSER
...
...
...
...
...
Written by:
Hero of the Multiverse
...
Co-Written by:
VindictiveDunc
BioshockerN7
...
Starring:
Michael Verser/Atlas
...
Conner Kent/Superboy
...
Dick Grayson/Robin
...
Wally West/Kid Flash
...
Kaldur'ahm/Aqualad
...
Rachel Roth/Raven
...
Koriand'r/Starfire
...
Victor Stone/Cyborg
...
Megan Morse/Miss Martian
...
Co-Starring:
Akima/Lambda
Masamune
Duncan Verser/Oberon
Adam Verser/Timeshifter
...
Roy Harper/Speedy
Bruce Wayne/Batman
Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
John Smith/Red Tornado
J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter
Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
Barry Allen/The Flash
Orin/Aquaman
Clark Kent/Superman
Dinah Lance/Black Canary
...
The "Man in Black"
...
Special Guest Appearances:
Satan Verser
Ruvik
...
(End "Snake Eater - Metal Gear Solid 3 Guitar Cover (Feat. Adriana Figueroa) | FamilyJules")
HOLY SHIT! OVER 13,000 WORDS FOR THIS CHAPTER! I'd say they were well earned!
On one end of the spectrum in this little drama, Michael and the gang are getting themselves back to their best through relaxation, Adam, Architect and Tula have joined the Team, Duncan is revealed to be dating Power Girl (THE LUCKY BASTARD!), and Adam has made peace with Megan and Rachel. Plus, Conner discovered Gamer's Rage.
On the opposite end: forces are now in motion to conspire against the Team; the Light has gained new allies (somewhat), and new forces are coming into play.
What is this mysterious "Project: Typhon"? Who is this mysterious "friend" of Ruvik? What will happen next in Michael's complicated love life? And will he ever notice the feelings directed toward him?!
He better, or else Adam will be delivering one hell of a bitch slap.
Find out the answers to all of these questions...in later chapters.
Also, before I sign off here, I'd once again like to point out that I have a poll set up on my profile, and I would appreciate it if all of you wonderful readers would take part in it. Every vote counts!
Anyway, please leave a review and/or comment. BUT ANY FLAMES WILL BE IGNORED AND REPORTED!
Hero of the Multiverse, signing off!
