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Earth-16: Go!
Chapter 4: Squad Beta
Mount Justice, Happy Harbor
January 28th 2011, 08:05 EST
Dick Grayson stepped out of the Zeta-tube with a backpack slung over his shoulder and a rather amused smile on his face. Behind him, Batman stepped to his side, his gaze flicking around the room.
Giggles came from a side corridor and suddenly the bronze skinned form of Koriand'r shot from the corridor, pursued by a furiously speeding green swallow.
It had been two weeks since the skirmish with the Brain and his hired thugs. It had been two weeks, two weeks in which the newest members of the group referred to as simply 'the Team' to heal and train.
It was surprising just how far the Starfire and Garfield had come, as Raven reported that her internal injuries had finally healed a week earlier. Already the girl had shown that she'd been well trained even before her arrival in a series of alien martial arts.
That coupled with her strength roughly eight times that of the human norm, made her a fearsome opponent. Already she was a match for Conner in sparing matches, thanks in part due to how their skills aligned. Conner was still stronger, but Starfire was fast and used more martial training when she fought.
Even a simple karate kata could be painful when she delivered it, and apparently, the Okaaran martial artists that had trained her had shown her plenty of devastating and potentially lethal moves.
Which unfortunately meant that she needed retrained in less-lethal forms of martial arts.
Garfield had focused on expanding his repertoire of creatures and it wasn't uncommon for him to practice shifting beside Megan throughout the day. It was a bit of an oddity to watch, as Megan rarely did transformations into very different forms, while it seemed that was all that Garfield did.
The kid had recently started learning how to change into far larger or smaller creatures, and the sparrow he was now, chasing Koriand'r around the briefing room was his newest addition to the arsenal of creatures.
"Robin..." Batman grumbled as Starfire dove and sped through the air skimming just over them, the green swallow following her through the series of aerobatics.
"Umm... what?" Dick said with an arched eyebrow.
"What are they doing?" Batman asked as Starfire let out a surprised squeal of laughter as Garfield transformed mid air into himself and tackled her, knocking both of them from the air and sending them rolling across the floor.
Dick snorted. "I think they're playing."
"I so caught you Star!" Garfield said as he sat up and grinned. "You can't escape the beast master!"
"It is this location. There is not the room to maneuver." Starfire said before sitting up and giggling. "But yes, you did catch me... that little bird is very fast."
"I know... its so much fun!" Garfield said as he stood up and grinned.
Batman sighed. "These two are on your squad?"
"Starfire is... Garfield hasn't been given permission to go on missions yet." Dick shrugged. "What? There's nothing wrong with them acting their age."
Batman grumbled to himself before taking a deep breath. "Very well, just don't let them skimp out on training."
Dick rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "I don't... Plus, it's nearly an hour till we start training today." He walked over to Starfire and Garfield before offering a hand. "It's really too early for you to be horsing around like that though."
"What is this 'horsing around'?" Starfire asked before clasping his hand and letting him pull her to her feet.
"It means to rough house... umm... that doesn't work either. Umm... play rough?" Garfield said after scratching his head.
Dick chuckled. "Play roughly, that's a pretty good try Garfield." He sighed. "Black Canary is coming today for combat training. She really wants to see your moves Starfire."
She clapped her hands excitedly. "Oooh... I shall do the showing off?"
"Yes." Robin said with a slight snort before leading them to the corridor. "Batman will be watching too..."
"Can I go on a mission yet?" Garfield asked. "I've been practicing really hard..."
"I'm trying... but it's not just me and Batman that have to be convinced... the League isn't sure about a nine-year old going into the field." Dick rolled his eyes at that and sighed. "Despite the fact that I did it with Batman."
"Maybe... couldn't one of them take me as a side-kick or something?" Garfield asked with a pouting face. "I don't want to be cooped up here forever."
"I get it... have you settled on a name yet?" Robin asked with a smirk.
"Well... umm... I kind of like Beast Master, but it sounds like I'm controlling animals not turning into animals." Garfield sighed. "Man... who knew coming up with a name was so hard."
"You are the Beast Boy." Starfire said with a giggle. "There, I have done it..." She patted his head in amusement.
Then Megan's voice spoke through the mindlink. Beast Boy? That's a good one... what do you think Garfield?
I like it...
Okay, I got a nickname for him already. Cyborg's voice spoke up as they stepped into the common room and found the others scattered around the tables, before the television, or crowded in the kitchen like Megan and Conner were at that moment.
"A nickname?" Garfield asked.
"Yeah, BB, a nickname," Cyborg said with a grin and Garfield stared at him for a moment before breaking into a slight grin.
"Okay... Tin Man," Garfield said.
Kaldur stepped into the room and smiled. "Good morning... I believe you've already received your training schedules?"
"Oh yeah... We'll be getting our butt beat by the Song Bird in the morning, and you get her this afternoon." Cyborg said with a grin. "Man... that girl is tougher then she looks."
Raven peeked out from beneath her hood at the group and sighed. "Last time she beat me in about two seconds."
"She did the same to me the first time." Conner admitted. "I wonder how Starfire and Robin will do against her..."
"Yeah, the two that are actually trained to fight like that, I'll bring popcorn for me and BB." Cyborg said.
"What about me?" Wally whined before Artemis flicked his ear and grinned.
"You're just fast." Dick said.
"Fine... It's so nice to be appreciated." Wally muttered and laughs filled the small room. "Okay, fine... I'm not as good as you two."
Dick strolled over to the room that was assigned as 'his' in the base. He quickly changed into his uniform and walked out. He found Batman in a monitoring room, looking rather disgruntled.
"Alright, how can I make you gruntled..." Dick asked cheerily as Batman studied a rather washed out holographic image.
"You can learn to use the English language properly." Batman observed.
Dick rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "And..."
"There's a copycat in Gotham." Batman said flatly.
Dick scowled and stepped up to the display. He saw a girl clad in a dark grey uniform decorated with a black bat-logo. She also wore a utility belt. "So... some girl wants to be you? She's nice looking... Pretty hair."
Bruce cuffed him and rolled his eyes. "You know as well as I do that our reputation is important. Whoever this is could endanger it. I really don't want Commissioner Gordon pressured into chasing us all over the city."
"So... have you tried to catch her then?" Dick asked as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Of course... she's good, much better than I expected. I also picked up hacking traces in the Bat-Computer." Batman stated.
"Hacking... She hacked the Bat-Computer!" Dick started swearing and glanced up at his mentor. "Could she have gotten into the Justice League Network? Identified you? Identified me!" Dick did something he hadn't in over a year. He started to hyperventilate, to panic. "We're in so much trouble!"
"Dick!" Batman snapped and Dick gasped for breath. He had just started to regain control when a bronze face peeked around the corner and stared at the two of them looking confused.
"I do not see anyone else... is Dick some invisible new team mate?" Starfire asked with a curious expression.
"No, it's a colloquialism Star... I'll tell you later." Dick quickly said and Starfire made a face before floating off.
"A colloquialism?" Batman gave a very slight smirk and Dick growled up at him.
"What do you want me to say? Plus it's the truth!" Dick said.
"I suppose it is, well... back to our mystery girl..." Batman chewed his lip for a moment. "She shouldn't be out on the street, she has no training."
"She has to have some training... since she isn't getting caught by you." Dick suggested.
"You need to focus on your team, I'll handle this." Batman finally said.
Dick scowled. "My team is ready... If we sharpen much more we'll dull ourselves."
Gotham City
January 28th 2011, 09:05 EST
Every member but one of the Injustice League was held in Bell Reve Penitentiary. Every member but the one who had a specially padded cell, in a specially isolated ward, of an infamous Asylum all to himself.
This didn't mean he didn't have allies, oh no... The madman that was now imprisoned within Arkham Asylum had plenty of allies, after all, sometimes you need a completely insane man for some jobs.
Or you just needed someone to draw the Batman's attention, as there was no other surefire way that would make the old Bat scramble home in a hurry then to break the Joker out of Arkham.
"The money's been deposited..." The masked figure of Sportsmaster stated from the top of a building that overlooked the Asylum. "You understand, your toy is a secondary objective."
"Oh please... I'm paying you to get him out!" The blonde woman that sat beside the ledge said with a wicked grin toward the two of them. "You shan't get nothing if you don't get my card back!"
Cheshire rolled her eyes behind her mask. Then she snatched the blonde by the throat and shook her. "Listen... you trashy Romance novel, what you're paying is a pittance compared to what our other backers are willing to shell out."
"Ha... I'm used death threats, kitty... so don't mind if I say nothing." She said. "My Mr. Jay is counting on me to get him out..."
"So you miss your clown... maybe you should just go get arrested and join him." Cheshire pushed the blonde and she nearly toppled over the side of the roof top.
"Enough... we have a job to do." Sportsmaster said. "And she's giving us some extra muscle plus the pay... we'll get her clown out, and the goods we're contracted for."
Cheshire let go of the woman and grumbled before glancing at the team from the League of Shadows, which Sportsmaster had assembled. "Are you sure this isn't overkill?"
A man with a metallic mask with only one eye-hole stepped from the shadows. "Well... I guess you've never heard the saying... There is no overkill, only open fire, and I need to reload."
"I'm surprised you came." Sportsmaster said as he turned back toward the Asylum.
"And miss a chance with the Bat? No way in hell... I heard you lot hired my son not that long ago for a job." The figure said. He seemed to be an older man, probably around the same as her father's. The older man had long white hair that he seemed to have pulled back into a pony-tail.
"Oh... we've still got him on retainer."
"I'm sure..." The one eyed figure glanced between Cheshire and Sportsmaster. "She yours then?"
"One of... the other's gone a bit wild on me." Sportsmaster observed. "How about your other one..."
There was a click and a woman with dyed white hair and a facemask that looked like a mirror of the first man stepped up. She had a katana sheathed on her belt and a set of dark armor that covered her body, much like the man.
"Who are you?" Cheshire growled out.
"They're just some old friends of mine Jade... nothing to worry about." Sportsmaster said and Cheshire shivered as she felt the gaze of the two one-eyed figures on her.
Then she finally put the identity of the man together as she caught sight of the broadsword he had over one shoulder. Her breath caught... Deathstroke.
Mount Justice, Happy Harbor
January 28th 2011, 09:30 EST
Robin watched as Starfire set herself before Black Canary. The older woman smiled faintly and waited... then Starfire charged forward and lashed out with a pair of kata's aimed for her chest.
Black Canary simply stepped back, letting the blows catch nothing but air then pivoted out, swiping the girl's legs out from beneath her.
On anyone else that would have dropped them, but Starfire didn't fall instead she hovered in the air for an instant before somersaulting back to the ground and setting herself again.
"Nice trick." Black Canary said with a slight smile. "You're the first person I've fought that can fly... which actually could do that."
"It is a common enough move even on Tamaran for a counter to be beaten into one during training." Starfire stated before charging forward with a burst of speed. She lashed out with a high kick.
Black Canary grabbed the extended limb and redirected it, tossing Starfire into the air with a classic Judo move. But, like before, Starfire's ability to almost float through the air saved her again.
She tumbled through the air and landed in a crouch, almost like how Catwoman did when dropping from a building, Robin thought. The girl smiled as Black Canary kept up her guard. "You're pretty well trained. I have to give you that."
Starfire grinned before charging again and lashing out with a punch followed up by a leg swipe. As she moved, Black Canary grabbed her punch and pulled before swiping her leg out from under her. Starfire's eyes went wide as she was pulled over the top in a arm lock. The two of them went down on the floor simultaneously and everyone stared.
"I do not believe I can claim victory." Starfire said.
Black Canary laughed as she stood up. "You came much closer, but Judo is designed for bringing about the grapple."
"Perhaps I should do the learning of this... 'Judo'." Starfire muttered before she stood.
Dick laughed, "I'm sure we can work on that."
"Robin... it's your turn." Black Canary said and Dick sighed.
An alarm suddenly keened in the room and the holographic battle mat faded as Batman strode forward. A screen flickered to life and Dick scowled as Black Canary hurried over to the display.
"What's going on?" Garfield suddenly asked from the side of the room where he stood watching them.
"Prison break..." Batman stated, and Dick felt a chill run down his back as he saw the slight stiffening of his mentor's back and the hardening of his expression. "At Arkham, initial reports indicate multiple members of the League of Shadows are attacking the Asylum."
Dick's eyes widened. "Isn't Joker being held there!"
"Robin, gather your team... we'll be Zeta-tubing directly to Gotham-Beta. You know the drill."
Gotham City
January 28th 2011, 09:45 EST
Smoke billowed from the side of the Asylum that had blown in. Already, minions and thugs clad in clown masks were swarming through the breach, led by the blond, now decorated with white makeup and wearing a gaudy court jester's uniform.
Cheshire ignored them, climbing up the side of the building with practiced ease. At the top she found Deathstroke looking down at the smoking ruins. "Pity... I expected him to have arrived already."
She ignored the masked figure and scrambled across the rooftop and dove into the interior courtyard. She landed in a crouch and sent a pair of poisoned darts into the two guards that rushed her. As they dropped she ran to the first door with an electronic security lock. She lashed out and the wood door splintered with a crack.
Inside she found a laboratory, dozens of computer consoles sat along one wall, working to monitor a single subject. With a slight smirk she tapped one of the holographic displays and the image of a rather plain and ordinary man appeared, floating in a cylinder filled with fluid.
"Hello there..." Cheshire said before activating a set of controls. "The human bio-chemical bomb... I think we'll take you. Plasmus..."
The cell door exploded into the room and a burst of insane laughter filled the room. A high-pitched voice echoed from the walls and a familiar silhouette stepped inside, with an M16 assault rifle leaning against her hip. She grinned at the figure in the straightjacket that had been the source of the laughter.
"Hello toots... would you mind getting me out of this thing?" The cackling figure asked.
"Right away Mr. J!"
Deathstroke narrowed his eyes as he stood watch from the rooftop. It had been far longer than he expected for Batman to respond. Beside him, his daughter stirred nervously.
"Where is he... could he be out of town for something?" She finally asked.
Deathstroke nodded once. "If he is, he'll be here soon enough. Did you read the brief?"
"Ah... fast response time of the Justice League due to Zeta-Tubes... yes, I caught that." His daughter suddenly grew tense. "Is that...?"
The twang of a bow drew his attention and Deathstroke twisted out of the way before snatching an arrow with an explosive tip from the air. He glanced at his daughter as she stared down toward where the arrow had launched from. "Sportsmaster... your kid's here!"
The ski-mask wielding villain spun toward Deathstroke. "What Slade?"
"Rose... go!" Slade said and his daughter leapt from the roof, spinning through the air and charged toward the green clad heroine on the street below.
Then a bat-a-rang slashed through the air. He dodged the strike and squinted his eye toward the source. A familiar teen, with a rather carefree and amused expression dropped from the sky beside him, a pair of stun sticks in his hand and a smirk on his face.
"Huh... I thought you retired." The kid said.
"Robin... where's your mentor?" Slade asked before drawing his broadsword and preparing himself.
"Oh, he's around... did you really just come out of retirement for this?" Robin asked with a cocky smile.
"You're much more full of yourself then I remember." Slade said, then he charged.
"Shit!" Robin shouted as he dodged the slash of the broadsword and tumbled out of range. "I forgot... you're fast for a retiree!"
"Please... I'm still in my prime, Robin." Slade said.
Artemis swore as she saw the woman charging her knock an explosive arrow aside with her sword. Then she was atop her, slashing into the bow with the Katana, severing the drawstring and cleaving into the metal.
Then the woman stepped back and lifted the katana into an en guard position. "Please tell me that's not all your tricks right there. You archers are such one trick ponies."
Artemis swore as she stepped back from the threat when a blur of red and gold shot past and she heard the crack of a kick striking metal. The clatter of metal on pavement followed and Artemis saw the katana bounce across the street. Then Wally dropped between her and the threat. The woman smirked as she raised her fists.
"Your boyfriend?" The woman asked Artemis when Wally shot forward and lashed out with a punch. The woman grabbed his fist before it struck. "Please, speedsters are even more one-trick ponies then archers."
Wally's eyes went wide as the woman pulled him over her shoulder and flung him against a dumpster. He slid to the ground and groaned. "Damn... she's stronger then she looks."
"Uh... yeah, have we ever faced anyone with just... 'normal' levels of strength?" Artemis asked.
"Point..." Wally said as he staggered to his feet.
Robin was beginning to think, he'd finally done something that was now five years in the making. He'd gotten into a fight with someone he couldn't possibly beat. Sure there were times when he felt like he'd gone after someone a bit beyond his pay grade... or a bit more experienced.
He'd fought Superman even... but there was just a trick to that.
This felt like fighting a super-powered mirror. Armed with a broadsword, Deathstroke had reach on him, and despite the weighty weapon he was fast, almost as fast as Wally, and he was strong to.
The only person that he felt approached that combination was Starfire, and she wasn't a ruthless sort that was wielding a massive broadsword in a fight. Nor was she a professional with years of experience, at least not yet.
Deathstroke was someone for Bruce to fight, not him. But he wasn't here, and so it was him alone against the fucking terminator.
Dick dove beneath another sword swipe and leapt back, trying to keep out of range. He saw the single eye staring at him. "Impressive... most of my prey would be dead by now. I see Batman trained you well."
"Maybe I'm just lucky." Robin said before going for the explosive disks on his belt. Deathstroke rolled out of the way of the disks and laughed as they blew apart one of the spire tips of Arkham Asylum.
"I think you need to work on your aim..." Deathstroke said. "So... shall we continue this little dance?"
"Perhaps it is time to change partners." A familiar voice spoke from behind Dick and he felt a smile of relief. Deathstroke's gaze slowly lifted from Dick to a figure rising behind him.
"Together..." Dick said and set himself.
"Two on one... I guess you feel better with some help, who is this girl Robin, I don't think I've seen her before." Deathstroke said.
"My name in your language is Starfire. Now that you know it, we shall commence with the ass kicking!" Starfire said and hurled a starbolt straight at Deathstroke.
The nimble villain dodged it and pulled a black and red pistol from a hip holster. A lance of scarlet energy shot toward Starfire who dove out of the path of the beam.
Dick charged forward and swept the man's legs out from under him. Deathstroke hit the roof with a thump and his sword clattered across the tile. Then he rolled out of the path of two starbolts which burnt into the roofing.
"Most impressive..." Deathstroke said as he leapt to his feet and backed away from the two of them, his pistol twitching between them. "Sadly, I was hoping to fight someone else... Not you two... but I must admit, you've impressed me Robin... we'll have to do this again sometime." Then he dove backward off the roof as the two heroes charged to engage him, but he was gone.
Cheshire grunted as she rolled the cylinder holding the sleeping human across the floor. Then it stopped and she frowned, something solid had stopped it's progress. She turned to face the source of the resistance and froze as she saw a massive boot through the glass.
An African-American teen clad in cybernetics stood with one foot pinning the cylinder in place. Beside him was a pale girl in a black leotard and blue cape. Slowly Cheshire glanced between them.
"Going somewhere with him?" The African-American asked.
"Maybe." Cheshire said with a faint smile. "You got a problem with that?"
"I can't let you take him out of here." The cyborg said.
"Who said I was going to take him all the way out?" Cheshire said before grabbing the seal's lever in her hand and grinning beneath her mask. "Have fun with him!"
Then with wrench she opened the cylinder and there was a hiss. Cheshire somersaulted away and scrambled for the door.
"What's that mean?" The girl finally asked.
"No idea Rae..."
Then the man in the cylinder woke up and screamed.