Opening File: Living Bullet
The fastest man in the world, Living Bullet gained his powers when he was young. He was actually Major Glory's roommate in what would be considered the predecessor of Nevernest Academy. A brilliant young man who discovered a rare form of Dust colored orange he tested it and discovered it had the ability to endow whoever used it with super speed. Naming it Speed Dust he believed he could revolutionize travel, allowing for faster transportation and sought to test it.
He created special suit to harness the power of Speed Dust, planning to test it and on his first run he actually sped halfway across the country in under two seconds. However during his test he ran through a storm and due to his inexperience he was struck by lightning. He should have been killed but the lightning affected the suit and the Speed Dust that had been powering the suit. The electricity bonded the Speed Dust with his Aura and bio-electric field, granting him natural speed along with accelerated healing, enhanced brain activity and with the help of a new metallic suit he can travel at such speed he is labelled the Fastest Man in the World.
When the Justice Friends were formed he was among the founding members along with his roommate, Major Glory. What is very surprising is that he eventually married and had two boys he affectionately calls Little Leadheads. Due to this he sometimes takes leave to spend time with his wife and children which is completely understandable but he occasionally takes missions to support his family. Living Bullet is a valued member of the Justice Friends and is considered one of the strongest fighters in the world.
Close File
Xxx
"Have a need for speed? Running is one of the best outdoor exercises and it's a great way to stay in shape. If you run even just a bit each day it can really help out. Of course when you are jogging it's easier to go at a healthy pace instead of simply running as fast as you can." TOM said as the file closed. "I may be a robot but I've got to work to keep all my systems up and running and a good run around the ship lets me know if everything is still working properly. In fact, I'll probably having a bit of run right now. I am on a big ship, after all."
TOM stood up and walked off the bridge, taking a moment to stretch. "So, next time you have a bright and sunny day take a few moments and go on a run, even it's around the block it'll help feel you good and you'll probably look good for a long time if it becomes a habit. All right, see ya later." TOM immediately started jogging down the hall, starting a day long jog through the Absolution.
Xxx
"Well, it seems I slightly underestimated you."
Benedict Uno Sr. walked towards the door, followed by his son and both ignored the surrounding flames. The ghost behind him was on the ground, slowly standing back up to gather more power but the Unos had enough fun for tonight.
"You actually managed to slightly wound me after all. It appears I actually underestimated you and I salute you for that. For that I will leave you to continue your revenge." Benedict glanced at his left arm, hanging at his side and dripping a bit of blood. "Have your fun."
With a wave of his hand both Unos disappeared as the Lumberjack Ghost staggered to his feet, seething with rage.
"A CURSE ON THEE!" The ghost raged. "AFTER MY JUSTICE TONIGHT I WILL FEND THEE AND EXACT MY REVENGE!"
"Now, now, now. There's no need to throw a fit." A girl's voice spoke from behind.
The ghost spun around, watching as Pacifica casually strolled into the room, ignoring the flames and wooden statues. "A NORTHWEST!"
"Only by blood." Pacifica replied as she walked over the lever that controlled the outer gates. "Today's your lucky day. I've actually been given a reason to end your curse."
"You wish to prove yourself? Then pull the lever and open the grand gate to the town. Fulfill your ancestor's promise and right this wrong once and for all."
"Well, who am I to deny the townsfolk a good party?" Pacifica walked up the lever and grasped it with her hand. "I was getting bored anyways."
With that the lever was pulled and gates opened and soon enough the townsfolk flooded the mansion. Immediately the flames were extinguished, the taxidermized animals became still, the wild plants vanished and the wooden party guests returned to normal.
"YES, YES, IT'S HAPPENING! MY HEART, ONCE HARD AS OAK… now grows soft like more of a... birch, or something."
The guests and manor itself fade back from the wooden forms.
"Pacifica, you are not like the other Northwests. I feel... lumber justice." The ghost sighed in contentment as faded to nothing, the ax in his head falling to the floor and sinking into the ground.
"Well, you're not wrong about being different." Pacifica shrugged as she stepped aside and the doors of the manor burst open as the people of Gravity Falls entered the party.
"Aw, yes! Yeah!" Manly Dan jumped into the cider fountain.
"Oh, man, what happened?" Mabel groaned.
"Ahem!" Grenda said coldly to Mabel and Candy.
"Grenda! We are so sorry." Candy started, her voice thick with remorse.
"We shouldn't have left you behind." Mabel continued.
"It's okay. Maybe I do need to work on my flirting. Come on, let's go dunk our heads in some cheese and chocolate. Friends?" Grenda asked hopefully.
"Friends!" With that the girls had group hug.
"Wait! Don't go!" Marius called out after them, looking at Grenda with a longing smile. "Grenda, was it? I must speak with you. There is something about you, I can't get you out of my head. You're so bold and confident. I know you are probably out of my league, but, might I give you mein phone number?"
"I don't have a phone! Write it on my face!" Grenda exclaimed happily.
"Whoa-ho-ho! Go Grenda!" Mabel exclaimed.
"I guess we shouldn't have sold her short." Candy admitted. "I call bridesmaid!"
"What? I call co-bridesmaid!" Mabel replied before the both of them shared a laugh, their friendship repaired.
"What happened?" Lilo rubbed her head as she looked around.
"LILO!" The princess jumped as her older sister called out her name before running up and hugging her tight. "I was so worried!"
"FANNY!" The father of the red haired Huntress in training cried out as he held his daughter who rolled her eyes but hugged back.
Dipper sighed in relief, seeing everyone so happy. "Now this is a party."
"It sure is." The boy jumped when he heard Pacifica's voice behind him. "You are free to join in."
"So, what do you want from me?" Dipper asked carefully.
"Oh, don't worry about that." Pacifica giggled. "Tonight is about you and your friends having fun. I'll call in my favor at a later time."
Dipper wasn't sure to feel glad or terrified as Pacifica joined the party, actually playing the part of a normal girl having fun.
It was so hard to tell if it was an act or if she was showing genuine joy.
Juniper Lee made it to the mansion and snuck in, looking around and saw everyone was partying and having fun. "Okay…The magical disturbance here vanished."
This was kind of good and bad for her. Of course now she was not sure what she was supposed to do now.
"DIPPER! MABEL!" The doors were knocked open and in walked Grunkle Stan, wearing only a white muscle shirt and his boxer shorts. "WE'VE LOST THE HOUSE!"
"What?!" Dipper and Mabel exclaimed.
Xxx
"That was…an experience."
"It usually is but in the meantime welcome to GrimmFall."
The experience of being transported from Jade Academy in China to GrimmFall in America with Living Bullet was quite different when compared to Kid Flash's speed. For one his speed was a lot faster and both could barely perceive the world as it passed them by, be it ocean or land. Also, his powers lacked the same protection which Speedsters from their world could extend to anyone they carried, something which Artemis in particular had become acquainted with from Kid Flash.
By the time the journey had come to an end they were both shivering even through their coats, caused by the intense winds that buffeted them the whole way. Artemis was hit worse by this than Connor, and also felt her legs wobble beneath her when she finally was set down.
"Apologies for the cold journey." The Bullet apologized. "But we are here!"
"Finally." Artemis mumbled, fumbling to take off her coat and keep her stomach contents down. "So where can we find Sebben?"
"He should be waiting right inside." Bullet pointed to the building they were standing in front of.
The building was actually City Hall and Bullet led the two into the main lobby, greeting the receptionist at the desk. "Excuse me; I have an appointment with Mr. Sebben. I am Living Bullet."
"Ah, Mr. Sebben just informed me you would be coming here. Take the main elevator to his office."
"Thank you." Bullet said and led the two behind to the elevator. "Mr. Sebben was probably aware of our arrival before I even agreed to bring you here."
"How could he know about that?" Superboy asked as the doors closed.
"He is very good at predicting the future." Bullet simply said as the elevator brought them to the floor Sebben's office and the doors opened.
Artemis and Superboy were greeted with the sight of a large office that was well kept without any overly decorations. Mayor Sebben himself was seated behind his desk, idly looking at some paper work as he looked up. The two members of Young Justice took a second to carefully observe the mayor of GrimmFall, both easily able to see he was not just some politician. His very being radiated a commanding presence similar to their mentors who were members of the Justice League.
He wore a black suit that barely concealed a muscular build that rivaled Batman's and they both noticed the eye patch over his left eye, showing that he was veteran of battle.
"Mayor Sebben, I've brought the two guests from Jade Academy." Bullet said, gesturing to them.
Sebben motioned for them to sit. "Artemis Crock and Connor Kent, both dimensionally displaced guests of Tam Sung."
"You know us?" Superboy asked.
Sebben nodded. "And I know why you are here. Tam Sung told you about the Gem of Bond."
"He did and he said you would be able to find it." Artemis replied.
"I suppose he neglected to mention I have a reason for not attempting to locate it yet. The Gem of Bond is the most elusive of the Spiral Gems and its very nature has kept it out of the wrong hands, especially the hands of the very being who is responsible for you appearing in this universe." Sebben stated.
"Sammael." Superboy scowled. "I have a feeling we know who he is. We saw him in the lab we woke up in."
"The lab is owned by a scientist named Van Kleiss who is believed to be the head of a project aimed at locating and observing other dimensions filled with powerful warriors. We know that he managed to find several subjects, including you two and brought you here before his machine was damaged. Since then he's been at work repairing it but we believe he has not only repaired but resumed his research." Sebben explained.
"Then we have to stop him." Artemis said. "Before he kidnaps anyone else."
"There is a team being assembled for that as we speak. One of the team members is perhaps someone you would recognize." Sebben pressed a button and a monitor came down with the GrimmFall seal on it.
The two watched as an image of the team appeared on the screen and they recognized one of them.
"That's the girl who was knocked out in the lab." Superboy spoke. "She's all right?"
"She was found by Scotty Blake, leader of Team SEKR. Her name is Raven and she possesses abilities we have classified as magic. I assume she's from the same dimension as you." Sebben surmised.
"Never seen her before." Artemis answered honestly. "Though to be fair, we have a lot super powered people in our world. She could be someone we just never met until now. "
"Well, she is working with Scotty Blake to reassemble his team and then go after Van Kleiss." Sebben dismissed the monitor.
"Do you know about any of the others? Including a little girl named Danielle?" Artemis asked, remembering the ghost girl.
"Actually I do indeed know where she is. She is in Japan, under the protection of a good friend." Sebben nodded with a small smile before frowning. "Unfortunately she's suffered amnesia."
"Amnesia?" Artemis and Superboy echoed.
"Indeed. We can only surmise that to cope with the torture Moloch attempted to inflict on her Danielle forced herself to forget what had happened but she also forgot most of her life. She can only remember general parts of her past and how to use her powers but she remembers nothing about coming from another universe or what had happened before she woke up in the care of the Sanbans." Sebben explained. "So far she has been adjusting well on their care but given the circumstances of her origins they decided it was better that she be left with them, allowing her the chance to live as normally as one can hope to."
"Makes sense." Superboy conceded, knowing that Danielle's origins were quite similar to his so he understood that having a surrogate family would be what she needed.
Artemis agreed, given that Danielle's 'father' was perhaps as bad as hers, except Sportsmaster never tried to sacrifice her for his own ambitions. "As long she is safe."
"She will be but for now I believe we should best focus on you. Don't misunderstand me, I would like to help you return to your world but I wish to explore other options before deciding to track down the Gem of Bond." Sebben changed the subject.
"You don't want Sammael getting his hands on it, do you?" Superboy stated. "What if that gem is our only hope?"
"All options would be explored, including the Gem of Bond. However I have the feeling that you needing the Gem of Bond is what Sammael is hoping for. There are few locations in the world that can help you and unfortunately Sammael has been around for a long time so he would know of them and he is likely tracking you somehow. I believe he is trying to force us into locating the Gem of Bond so he can claim it at the right opportunity." Sebben continued.
"Then perhaps I can be of assistance." Bullet suggested, bringing all eyes on him. "Whether we choose to go after this Van Kleiss and reverse what he did to bring these two here or track down the Gem of Bond it's obvious neither will be easy. So with that in mind perhaps it would be best if I stick with these two. If we choose to track down the ones who brought them here I can lead them directly there and if we choose to track the Gem of Bond my speed may be best suited for helping to retrieve it quickly before any of Sammael's goons attempt to take it."
Sebben considered Bullet's proposal. "I believe this can work, if there are no objections."
"Sounds better than nothing." Artemis replied.
"We'll take anything if it can help us get home." Superboy said.
"Then we have ourselves a plan." Sebben nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "Bullet, you will assist Artemis and Superboy in tracking down Van Kleiss and his lab. We know its somewhere in the mountains of Nowhere and that Scotty Blake is assembling the last member of his team."
"Who is the last member?" Bullet asked.
"Rino."
Bullet sighed. "Of course, it had to be Rino. Knowing him he's bound to be sneaking into some ancient ruins and raiding them for any treasures."
"I am afraid so." Sebben nodded. "Scotty's following up on the latest lead and hopefully they will find him soon."
"This guy you're talking about. Is he a-" Artemis started.
"Thief." Sebben and Bullet finished at once.
"Oh." Artemis simply blinked.
"A thief and a very skilled one but he is also someone we can count on when there is trouble." Sebben finished. "He prides himself on infiltrating ruins that no one has ever been able to find and steal whatever treasures he finds."
"And you employ him?" Superboy asked.
"Not personally but after he joined Team SEKR we hired him for his skills." Sebben answered. "Scotty is convinced we will need his help."
"Where is he?" Artemis asked.
"Discordia."
Bullet shuddered. "He's actually gone there? Is he insane?"
"I believe that's already moot." Sebben replied. "It's likely he believes he can break into the tomb of Arthur Eld."
"Arthur Eld?" Artemis asked.
"The King of the Gilead before its destruction. Now it's nothing more than a land populated by monsters and a monument to the Fallen and their goals."
Xxx
"Legend has it that this king forged the first bullets with the help of the very Lady of the Lake who kept the legendary blade known as Excalibur."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "The Excalibur?"
"Aye." Scotty Blake nodded. "She allowed them to take pieces of the sword to be made as bullets and then reforged the sword with her magic."
"Reforging the most legendary sword into expendable bullets sounds like a bit of a waste." Raven deadpanned. "A sword doesn't need to be reloaded."
"Eh, tell that to the Gunslingers! They figured that swords weren't cutting it like they used to." Scotty shrugged. "And when it comes to killing Fallen: one bullet of enchanted steel for killing one of them with one shot is a fair trade."
"Scotty can we get back on focus here?" Da Samurai demanded. "They are in Discordia! Discordia! You don't just walk into that place! Ever!"
"Eh, we've been through worse-"
"No we haven't."
"Yes we have!"
"No we haven't!" Da Samurai argued.
"Yes we have!" Scotty barked as Raven fought down a migraine.
"Name one time we've been through worse than Discordia!"
"Puppet Dimension." Scotty crossed his arms.
Da Samurai held up a hand and opened his mouth to respond…and then simply nodded. "Yeah, that was worse."
"Puppet Dimension?" Raven asked.
"Ever watch the Muppets or Sesame Street?" Scotty asked. "Imagine that, only everyone's a puppet and you want nothin' more than to drink the whole experience down to the darkest corner of your mind."
"…this universe is weird." Raven murmured.
"Lassy, we live in a world full of big giant monsters, we all carry around crazy powers and stylish or oversized weapons…and I know a guy named Bow who carries a bow and arrow." Scotty replied. "Do you really think we're ignorant to how none of anythin' makes sense anymore?"
"Never did to begin with." Da Samurai added.
"This is indeed a rather disturbing world that we inhabit." Extor chimed in. "One must simply learn to adapt to it if they wish to survive in it. Although if I do recall mentions of your world, Raven, it isn't that much better than ours. In some cases I would argue that it was worse."
"How so?" Raven asked.
"Well for one, while both worlds have an excess of super powered beings, yours appears to be more heavily afflicted by super villains the likes of which are not typically encountered in our world, at least not in large numbers." Extor explained. "Secondly, many of those villains seem to break out of your prison system with such frequency that I question the level of competence vs the level of corruption along with a possible lack of funding. Thirdly, while you and your fellow heroes seem to succeed in curbing the worst of all meta-human attacks, your world remains far more divided compared to ours, politically speaking. The constant overall threat of the Grimm has made it nigh impossible for nations to war against one another in any prolonged fashion while also calling for higher quality of individuals in positions of leadership."
"And meanwhile in mine elections are basically a popularity contest with little if any consideration for competence and integrity." Raven sighed, realizing that the scientist had a point. "Okay, fair points."
"Thank you." Extor bowed in half gratitude and half dramatically. "Now, we should work on tracking Rino down. Who knows what kind of crazy monsters he'll run into."
Xxx
"This is it. This leads down to the underground lab."
Jack Spicer raised an eyebrow as Gideon showed him the vending machine. "Behind a vending machine?"
"And once we knock it down we'll find the lab." Gideon rubbed his hands eagerly. "So let's get to work and-AAH!"
There was a flash of light and both boys were suddenly thrown out of the Mystery Shack, slamming hard into the ground.
"Gideon, Gideon, Gideon." A familiar voice said mockingly. "Did you really think I wouldn't be prepared for this?"
Gideon spat dirt out of his mouth and looked up, watching as a…zombie approached him! "AAH! Zombie!"
The zombie did a zip motion with his hand and Gideon's mouth was zipped shut.
"I should thank you." Bill Cipher spoke through the zombie's mouth. "Getting the deed to the Mystery Shack and kicking the old man and his kids out. Now you've gone and completely secured everything for me."
Jack stood up, looking at the zombie. "You…"
"Hey, Jackie. How's it going?" The zombie laughed. "Got a little too curious for our own good did we?"
"You tricked me." Jack pointed at the zombie. "Gideon told me everything."
"I wasn't lying completely. The portal would have allowed you to see everything about the multi-verse. I just didn't mention it would help me more." The zombie shrugged. "Still, I would have paid you back big for doing me a huge favor but unfortunately I can't have you mucking things up for me at this delicate stage. So vamoose." The zombie snapped its fingers.
"What are you-AAAHHH!" Jack screamed out as he vanished.
Gideon was trembling now, trying to crawl away but the zombie fired a beam of light that grabbed him and slowly pulled him towards it.
"Relax, Gideon. I'm not going to send you away like little Jackie. I still got work for you." The zombie cackled. "Between the other red head and former sock head down in the lab fixing up my old buddy's portal and making sure no one finds out I got a lot of work for you."
Xxx
"Where am I?"
He found himself crawling through garbage as the sun shined down on his face.
"What happened? What the…" He wiped the garbage off his face and climbed up the lid of the dumpster he had somehow landed in. "Huh?"
Why was everything so strange looking?
Where was he?
And why did everyone look like…
"Oh no." He whispered in horror. "It can't be."
The people walking on the streets, they were not people. As they went about what should have been normal lives a bright, upbeat and strangely terrifying tune played even though there was no radio or speakers playing anything.
They were…
They were all…
They were puppets!
"Oh no."
He was not on Earth anymore.
"Oh no."
He was in the one place no ever wanted to go.
"Oh no!"
Walking puppets.
All of them.
He looked at his body and saw he was a puppet like the rest of them.
He was in the…
The Puppet Dimension.
"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hoss Delgado howled in absolute terror.
Xxx
"Delgado is in the Puppet Dimension."
Sammael actually chuckled. "Well, I guess it was to be expected. Still, he successfully tested the prototype weapon for our future exterminator."
With a snap of his fingers, the gauntlet known as Purgatory appeared on the table. "Jasmine Lee tried to banish in a void where it couldn't drain anymore magic. Unfortunately she had no idea of the summoning charm I placed on it."
"And all we need now is a candidate."
"I might have someone in mind…Once their mind has been properly broken beyond repair."