Welcome back guys! It's time for another chapter in this beautiful story! This one is going to be really fun. I might have hinted at who it would focus on in the previous chapter. You'll have to wait and see what I mean, right after we answer some reviews.
Omni-Trickery: Those are some interesting ideas you've got as to who Donell and Maria are. I didn't really think on having someone comment on Dick's closeness to the guild. I guess he did give out a lot of information there.
KRock_o: Well Maria was taken in by someone so you're not wrong. I don't mind questions, lol. Gives me more to answer.
Guipa: Getting a bit on the nose there. You'll just have to wait and see if it's as obvious as you believe. Interesting guess, nonetheless.
Valorous-Prime: While I did say that I fixed a mistake I made with the description of the siblings, I never said that you were right. Things will definitely be interesting if anything comes of this, lol. I hope you had a blessed day on the day you reviewed too, as well as when you get around to reading this chapter.
Fregreg: Ha! That's a funny idea man! That gave me a good laugh and a potential idea for much later.
Njistar: Again, you'll have to wait and see. I remember that scene! I can't believe I made that reference without noticing.
The_Keeper_of_Worlds: Yeah, the options are pretty wild. There are a lot of characters that it could be.
AgRoseCrystal: That is an interesting idea. I did mention to Valorous-Prime that I made a mistake in the description of the kids and fixed it. Still a neat fact though.
L_GS: You'll have to wait and see.
JAYSTER0125: Their names are indeed similar. It's a very good theory. You'll have to wait and see just like everyone else, lol.
Speedykitten1643: Yeah, I figured that was a good way to end the chapter. It really will be interesting to see if your theory is true or not, though no one that met through the guild has met up in person yet. One hot and ready chapter, coming up!
Classiccartoon27: I guess we'll see if you do or not (for all I know you probably do, lol). Glad you liked the chapter!
joekeybladeaura: I have no plans to have that relationship in the story.
Nicoleispurple: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.
Moiiracst: Thanks for the cats!
Ashley Young: I'm sorry that the "Time Out" chapter is not to your satisfaction. To be completely honest I've never actually seen gaslighting before, or at least never noticed it in anything. Now that I have an idea of what it looks like, I'll do my best not to use it unintentionally in a story again. I'll also do research into the topic in order to further my understanding. I hope you can continue to enjoy the rest of this story and that the previous chapter did help the situation somewhat.
Guest: Those are some interesting ideas for the outfits of Danny and Dick. I'll definitely think on those. That's an interesting idea for a username for Barbara.
That should be all of them for now. Let's get this chapter started! I don't own Miraculous, Danny Phantom, Marvel, DC, or any other series that show up here. I do own any original characters, concepts, creatures, and places that work their way into the story unless stated otherwise. Action!
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"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"YELLING!"
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, surprise at the end of a section."
"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"
"Whispering."
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."
Rand: Chat/text message
Rand: Chat/text message in irl sections
"Talking in game and out of character."
"YELLING IN GAME AND OUT OF CHARACTER!"
"Whispering in game and out of character."
Metropolis, USA
Ellie hummed to herself as she walked through the streets, hands behind her head. She was beginning to like Metropolis and all of its mysterious ways. There were awesome hero fights, lots of jerks to take food from, and plenty of spaces for a homeless ghost child to sleep. There was also one other thing in this city that made it one of the best by far that she had ever seen. She blushed a bit as she looked up with a sigh.
Ever since joining up with the Super Kids, Ellie found her crush on Jon growing bigger and bigger. He was a lovable little goofball, her Awkward Duckling. It helped a lot that he had superpowers, and he knew her secret, so she didn't have to hide too much about herself. They practically messaged every day over the server that they and Damian were in. The ghost girl chuckled as she looked to the side.
She remembered the time she happened to look at a magazine while on her way to one of her favorite nap spots. On the cover of a business magazine was an image of the Wayne Family. Lo and behold Damian was right in front of Bruce Wayne, looking incredibly bored by the experience. She had fun sending that picture over the chat and teasing the oh-so-secretive Robin about finding out his last name. She was kicked from the server for a bit, only for Jon to let her back in and talk Damian down from his position.
She looked up again, only to grin as she saw Jon flying in his Superboy suit. He waved at her, the girl waving in return. The half-Kryptonian gestured behind him, obviously hinting at a building that they usually meet on. She nodded her head as she moved seamlessly through the crowd. She walked into an alleyway, hiding behind a dumpster as she transformed.
Soon Geist was flying through the air, doing loop-de-loops from time to time. She finally reached the meeting spot, finding both Superboy and Robin there. The latter of the two boys tsked as he looked up from his communicator.
"If you are finished showboating, we have a potential situation." Grumbled the stuck-up boy. "Have you ever been to New York?" Ellie crossed her arms as she feigned hurt.
"What?" questioned the ghost girl. "No 'hey there Ellie' or 'hello Geist'? At least ask me about my day or something." Jon did his best not to laugh at the snark his crush was dealing to his best friend. Damian narrowed his eyes, seemingly not fond of the childishness this time.
Ellie decided to drop the joke as she lowered to the roof. "Delmar's Deli-Grocery. Best sandwiches in Queens. I flew to the top of the Empire State building to have my lunch there. Some poor guy got a pickle slice dropped on his head but that was before I got to the top so there was no real damage."
Jon couldn't help but let loose a chuckle at the short story. Damian seemed pleased with the information as he began to type into his communicator. Soon her own went off with a message, prompting her to open it. She hummed as there were many images of strange creatures, a few including what appeared to be a small dragon. She stopped on the clearest image of the dragon as Robin decided to continue.
"Recently there have been reports of magical creatures being seen in New York, a small portion of them causing trouble. The Justice League discussed the topic in a meeting, in which Father had to participate over video. The magic users and mythical members of the league mentioned how it was probably nothing to worry about, though the way they mentioned it didn't sit right with Batman. Seeing as the league is taking no actions in this regard, as well as Father being busy with a case, we should investigate the matter ourselves." Jon grinned as he nodded his head.
"Sounds like a pretty cool case to take." Agreed the son of Superman. "Best case we meet a new hero, and we can just spend a bit of time enjoying the New York sights. Worst case we fight some monsters and get some credit from the League for finding something big. While I would have trouble fighting anything magical, it's still good results either way." Ellie grinned as she put her communicator away.
"Sweet!" cheered the ghost girl. "Count me in. I wonder if we'll see any fairies or creepy monsters. Are we leaving right now or…?" Damian nodded as he pressed a button.
"If there are no last-minute requirements, we'll leave immediately." Informed the son of Batman. Two wings with small turbines popped out of the back of his suit, powering up as he turned in the direction of their destination. "It would be best if we save our energy for when we arrive, so I'll be using this jetpack for the duration of our trip." With the press of a button the boy went soaring into the air, leaving the actual kids with powers by themselves.
He looked back towards them with a small smirk. "Do try to keep up!" Jon and Ellie smiled at each other, the former gesturing towards their destination.
"Ladies first." Offered Superboy. Ellie grinned as she took a few steps forward. She rubbed her crush's hair playfully before taking off flying. Jon let out an indignant cry playfully before taking off after her. One way or another, this was going to be a long flight.
Later
Chinatown, New York
The trio finally arrived in New York, stopping just short of the city limits. They decided to be discreet in their travels, using Ellie's intangibility to remain unseen. They then made their way to Chinatown, where the majority of sightings took place. The trio took refuge in an empty alleyway. Damian looked back at his companions with his usual "mini-Bruce" stare.
"You two search the ground as civilians." Ordered the team leader. "Some creatures might attempt to hide in plain sight. I'll search the alleyways for anything that could be hiding. If you see anything, call me." He then disappeared into the shadows, only Jon being able to track him.
"Well, we've got our orders." Acknowledged the half-Kryptonian. "Let's get changed and take a walk. After that we can try searching from the air with your intangibility. I doubt anything can see us when that happens." Ellie shrugged with an uncertain smile.
"I mean magic is kind of a new thing for me." Revealed the halfa. "For all we know someone could have some 'eye glass of true sight' or something and spot me. In any case, it's still a solid plan. Besides, we haven't had a chance to just hang out by ourselves until now." The girl quickly looked to the side as she allowed herself to turn back.
She looked back Jon's way, only to blush as she watched him remove the torso part of his suit. There was a white sleeveless shirt on him, but it still was embarrassing to see a boy undressing right in front of her. "Um… Jon? Unless you've got some pants on under there, you might want to… you know…" Jon soon mimicked her blush as he looked over to another break in the alley.
"Um… right. Sorry." He moved there as fast as he could, Ellie looking away just in case he couldn't find a good spot. Soon the boy returned, wearing the same civilian outfit he wore at the restaurant. They both nodded to each other as they walked out into the streets, their faces now cooled down.
As they explored the streets, they couldn't help but take in the sights around them. The duo multitasked their objective as they journeyed across the area, enjoying the culture of the area. They even found a Chinese restaurant Ellie helped out one time, receiving a discounted appetizer from the normally stingy owner. They took a moment to enjoy it before returning to their task. When they found nothing amongst the crowded streets, they swapped to arial surveillance.
Back with Damian, he could practically be mistaken for a shadow as he swiftly moved along the alleys of the district. He saw a few signs of gang violence and even some signs of vigilantism, though that was not all he saw. There were signs of strange markings along certain walls, clearly in written a language he had yet to come across. He even found what looked to be strange bits of inhuman teeth on the ground. Whatever had been here, they had been involved in a tough battle.
The teeth seemed to have correlation with another set of markings, these appearing to be symbols accompanied by depictions of the strange teeth. He soon came upon one that appeared to have been burnt then washed away, as if something wanted this particular message erased. He felt the wall, surprised by the warmth the bricks were giving off.
"Still warm." Assessed Robin. "This was a recent instance. If magical creature rumors are to be believed, this could be signs of a group of said creatures practicing gang activity." The boy wonder turned as he heard a door suddenly open. He had been next to a casino of some sort, so it was no surprise that a rather buff looking blonde security guard had arrived to inspect the area.
"Is someone here?" questioned the man. He soon locked glares with Damian, the son of Batman doing his best to appear intimidating. The man quickly held up his hand, as if he had been through this before. "Where you go the Bat ain't far behind. I avoided a fight with him back in the day, and I'm gonna keep doing so by saying I saw nothing." (1)
Damian did not respond as the man shut the door he had come from, hopefully keeping his word. The current Boy Wonder decided to move on from the area, continuing to follow the signs of gang activity. Almost an hour passed by as he continued to follow the trail, at this point having a collection of these strange teeth. His persistence paid off as he soon heard the sounds of a scuffle. He jumped up onto a sturdy sign, his eyes widening at the sight before him.
Four massive ogre-like beasts were standing in the midst of the secluded area, four tiny fairy-like creatures also being present. The much larger beasts all had greyish skin, long black hair, and tusks popping out of their closed mouths. Said oral protrusions nearly identical to the teeth Damian had been collecting. The four wore what looked to be stolen sweat clothes, each one wearing a different color. These colors were burgundy, dark blue, dark green, and black. Three of the fay creatures were locked in a cage while the fourth was being squeezed by the one in black.
"Ya think yer clever don't ya, ya little twink!?" roared the ogre-like creature. "We let yous pixies flutter in our turf because yous promised us honeydew. Not only are ya not producing da good stuff, but ya have the au…auda… nerve ta say y'all was here foist! Oi should tear off yer wings!" The constrained fay grunted as she tried to break free.
"We were here first!" cried the little creature. "We only offered you trolls honeydew once to get you out of our home!" She was squeezed tighter by the brute, causing her to gasp in pain.
"Let Miriam go!" cried one of the pixies in the cage. She appeared to be the youngest, most likely a child. "Please!" The troll in burgundy bashed the cage, causing it to swing around in the air. He made it stop as he glared into it, watching as the pixies were still shaken by the sudden movement.
"Shush you!" roared the crooked beast. The troll in green appeared to be incapable of speech, letting loose a laugh that had barely any noise to it. The one in dark blue, apparently the leader by the fact that he had a crown tattoo on his forehead, walked forward as he held up his hand.
"Perhaps you didn't understand what I said when we first met." Reprimanded the troll, his voice sounding clearer than the others. "I am King Wump. This is now my territory, as will the rest of this city. If you want to live in my city, you have to trade something of worth or be made to work. For example…"
King Wump snapped his fingers, prompting the burgundy wearing troll to open the cage. He pulled out the child that cried out earlier, quickly shutting the cage back as he pulled her out. A male amongst the pixies banged on the bars, only to jerk back and hiss in pain as the metal apparently burned his hand.
"Let her go you brutes!" roared the tiny man. "Take me instead!" The burgundy wearing troll bashed the cage again.
"I said shush!" roared the villain. He held the child up in front of his boss, the youngling looking scared. The supposed king smirked as he gestured for the black wearing member of his crew to turn Miriam towards the scene.
"As you know, in the underworld pixie dust is seen as a rare seasoning for its energizing affects." Explained King Wump. "It became illegal to obtain when people started exploiting pixies and shaking them of their dust, drastically lessening their lifespans. Back in my tribe, we had a different way of having pixie dust." Miriam seemed to be clued in on the beast's meaning as she jerked around.
"Stop!" cried the pixie woman. "She's just a child! We can get you your honeydew! Release her, please!" Damian had a feeling he knew what was coming, quickly pressing a button on his belt.
Halfway across the district, Jon and Ellie had decided to take a rest on top of one of the buildings. They had found no traces of anything magical in the area, save for a few posters of Thor from the Avengers. With no luck, they decided to stop and wait for Damian to contact them. They sat back to back as they looked up at the sky. Jon watched some ducks flying overhead, making him furrow his brow in contemplation.
"Hey Ellie?" questioned the son of Superman. "Can I ask you something?" The ghost girl nodded as she tilted her head.
"You just did." Joked the halfa. She heard a low chuckle from her crush as she grinned. "Sorry. Danny's big on jokes and it kinda carried over. Anyway, what's up?" Jon tapped his toes together a few times as he thought over his question.
"Why do you keep calling me an Awkward Duckling? I mean, it kinda feels like it came from nowhere." Ellie's grin changed to a smirk as she continued to look up into the sky.
"Well when we first met you were kinda awkward. Your head was out of the game and you let your dorkiness shine through. There's nothing wrong with being awkward. At least your awkward in the cute way." Jon blushed as he turned his head to look at her.
"The c…cute way?" Ellie blushed as she realized what she just said. She poked her fingers together as she tried to find some way to recover.
"I… I mean cute like a duckling. I really like ducks, so the nickname kind of fit." She received no response as Jon suddenly stood up. "Is everything…?" Jon suddenly shushed her as he looked around.
"That sound…" Ellie stood up as she cupped one of her ears, trying to hear whatever her crush was hearing. Jon's eyes widened as he suddenly rose into the air. "Damian's hit the supersonic alarm! He's in trouble!"
The ghost girl's face hardened, quickly realizing the scenario. The duo suddenly took off flying, not caring if anyone saw them this time. Back at the scene of the crime, King Wump smirked deviously as he clenched his fist.
"Sorry, Doll, but I have to set an example for anyone else who messes with my rule." Denied the brute. "Eat up, Crush." The burgundy wearing troll chuckled as he brought the pixie child close to his face, the other pixies pleading for him to stop. The child began to let loose a whine as the monster began to open his mouth. At the sound of a piecing hit, a squeal rang through the air.
"MY EYE!" roared Crush. A birdarang was now lodged in his eye, forcing him to release the pixie child. Said little girl began to fly towards the rooftops as the troll brought his hand up to the wounded area. "IT'S IN MY EYE!" The green wearing troll's ear twitched, prompting him to turn towards where Damian was standing.
He began to let out a rather shrill roar, only for smoke bombs to go off in the area. King Wump looked around as the smoke began to obscure his view, coughing as the ash was getting in his lungs. Soon a slicing sound was heard, another troll yelling.
"MY ARM!" roared the black wearing troll. He clutched the offended area as Miriam flew out of his view. "WHO'S DOIN' DIS!? I WANNA SEE WHAT DEIR BRAINS LOOK LIKE ON DA GROUND!" Damian soon snuck over to the cage with the other pixies, using a small explosive disk to destroy the door.
"GO!" whispered the son of Batman. "GO NOW! I'LL KEEP THEIR ATTENTION!" The man of the group waited for his companion to fly out first. He then sent a nod to Damian as he floated into the air.
"Bless you child." Thanked the tiny creature. "Now run!" Damian did not have time to argue as he dodged out of the way of an attack. The male pixie flew off as the green wearing troll came into Damian's view. The beast let loose another shrill roar as he pounded his chest.
"Get this fool, Squeak!" roared king Wump. "It'll have to be our example!" The green wearing troll tried to grab Damian, only for the boy to slash at it with a sword. He popped another one of those pills before he leaped backwards in a flip. Hearing someone behind him, he waited for the perfect moment to strike.
"NO ONE CUTS BIG BOZ!" roared the black wearing troll. Damian turned around with a kick, sending the goon flying backwards. He crashed into Crush, both of them rolling out of the smoke. The hero had to dodge yet again as Squeak tried to squash him with a jumping stomp. He dodged a few punches before sending one of his own into the villain, sending him stumbling backwards.
"Oh no you don't!" Damian tried to move away, but he was suddenly grabbed up from behind. He was surprised to find that in spite of the pill's affects, this creature was able to hold him in his grasp.
"Magic." Mumbled Damian to himself. He heard a hearty chuckle as Squeak came back into view. The boy looked up to see King Wump grinning madly down at him.
"A human? Now this is rich! A human did all of this!? I hope it was worth it boy, 'cause you're on the menu tonight! Finish him Squeak!"
Damian looked forward as Squeak let loose another one of his wheezy laughs as he readied a punch. Damian was about to try and pull one of his flash-bangs out of a pouch when something grabbed the oncoming troll from behind. The creature pulled Squeak out of view, causing King Wump to stumble back a bit. "What the…"
"DRAGON!" cried Crush. The beast tried running into the smoke, only to be pulled out as well. There was a cry from Big Boz as a bright light seemed to pierce through the smoke. The debris began to dissipate, showing off more of the area. With none of his crew in sight, King Wump growled down at Damian.
"Looks like I'll have to snack and run." The villain moved to apparently take a bite, only for the sound of a loud thump to stop him in his tracks. His face swapped to a deadpanned look as he turned his attention to the space in front of him. "It's right behind me, isn't it?" He didn't even have a chance to turn around as a huge torrent of flames hit him in the back.
Damian suddenly found himself falling to the ground as the foe released him. He turned around, only to watch in shock as the supposed king actually began to shrink due to the fire. Spewing this flame was a European styled dragon with some rather odd features. It had raven colored eyes, pink scales, a pale underbelly, magenta wings, a magenta nose, purple spine scales running down its back, and black claws. The odd features of the reptilian consisted of elf-like ears in place of reptilian ones and raven colored hair that was styled into two long pigtails on top of its head.
What seemed stranger to Damian was that the creature had a modern hairstyle, usually feminine in nature. Soon the dragon stopped breathing fire as King Wump stopped shrinking. The little king growled as he shook one of his fists.
"NO FAIR!" cried the troll, his voice now squeakier. "If it wasn't for this stupid human, we could have ruled this world!" The dragon groaned with a feminine voice as she forced the "king" into a cage made of crystalized onyx, his three companions already being present inside.
"Give it a rest Wump!" cried the reptilian. "You won't be ruling anything when I kick you back to your plane." Wary of being attacked, Damian kept a hand close to his katana.
"I could have escaped that hold, but the assistance is appreciated." Thanked Robin in a rare sign of gratitude. The pink dragon looked his way, causing him to feel a pit form in his gut. Remembering the stories of real dragons from his grandfather's archives, the boy knew that he was directly in harm's way and unprepared if she ended up being hostile. It was to his relief and confusion that the reptilian looked at him in awe and surprise.
"Oh my gosh! You're the newest Robin! My first time meeting a superhero and it's you! Jake is so not gonna believe this." Seeing the dragon's excitement at the meeting, Damian reluctantly took his hand off of his sword.
"Jake? That's a modern human name. What's going on here?" The dragon looked like she was about to say something, only for her ears to twitch. She took a few deep breaths as her glare returned, causing the pit to form in Damian's stomach once again.
"You did good protecting those pixies but leave the magical creatures in this city to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some cobble trolls to banish back to the plane of permafrost." The dragon breathed fire at the ground, creating a smokescreen of her own. By the time the ashes dissipated, the dragon and the trolls were gone. Ellie and Jon quickly landed in the area as Damian began picking up some remains from the clothes that were burnt.
"Sorry we're late!" cried Jon. "I only just heard your alarm. We ended up going farther than we meant to. Is everything alright?" Damian kept his mini-Bruce glare as he stood up.
"I had a run-in with hostile magical creatures." Recounted the son of Batman. "They were extorting pixies for honeydew and were about to eat one of them to set an example. I fought with them when a pink dragon arrived. She took them out expertly and tactically, using her fire to shrink them."
Damian ignored the looks he was receiving as he put away the burnt cloth for evidence. "I believe that the shrinking was an aspect of the trolls when exposed to high heat. I am unsure whether the dragon was natural or a transformed human as there were inconsistent features present." Ellie and Jon blinked a few times, trying to process this information. Ellie cleared her throat as she shrugged.
"If the magic members of the JL didn't make such a big deal about leaving New York's magic creature case alone, I would have thought you hit your head or something." Joked the ghost girl. "In any case, what happened next?" Ignoring his teammate's humor, he indeed decided to continue.
"I tried to speak with her, but she reacted like a modern school girl when she realized who I was. Instead of answering my question as to what was going on, she told me to leave the city to her before disappearing." Jon raised a brow, a smirk popping up on his face.
"She?" questioned the son of Superman. "We're dealing with a girl dragon?" Ellie puffed her cheeks a bit, not liking that Jon was interested in this particular fact. Damian silently relished in the scene as Jon chuckled awkwardly at this look. The boy forced himself to get back on track as he nodded his head.
"She had the voice of a girl our age. She mentioned someone named Jake, quite possibly a friend or sibling. Whether this 'Jake' is also a dragon or not, I'm not sure. Regardless, we have to find her." Jon nodded as he rubbed his chin.
"We totally should. She could totally be a member of the Super Kids! Also, if she's actually a human with meta or magic abilities, we might have found you a girlfriend." Ellie's expression turned from one of jealousy to one of joy as she tried not to laugh. Damian tsked as he looked away.
"One, I am not looking for a romantic relationship. That is more your thing." Jon quickly made some shushing motions when Ellie turned to look at Damian. "Second, we are not calling ourselves the 'Super Kids.'" Ellie finally got herself under control as she shook her head.
"Well until you can come up with a name we all can agree on, we're gonna keep calling ourselves that." Informed the ghost girl. "Now, let's go find your pretty pink dragon." Jon couldn't help but laugh as the ghost girl ran off, quickly following after her. Damian grumbled under his breath about his teammates being immature before chasing after them. They needed to stick together in this scenario.
They looked all around China Town, trying to find the dragon. They soon had to swap back to civilian attire to blend in. They soon found themselves waiting at a crosswalk as they tried to think of where to look. They were lucky in finding the troll gang signs in the first place. Jon groaned as he stretched a bit.
"Well no signs of our dragon." Grumbled the half-Kryptonian. "We need to call it quits at some point soon. My folks are expecting me home for dinner. Once again they've invited you to come over, Ellie." The ghost girl giggled as she bopped her head back and forth.
"Maybe some other time. I'll need to take a catnap before I explore the Metropolis night life tonight. This whole thing is taking its toll on me. Think I should sleep in the subway system tonight or…" Damian's eyes widened as he looked towards the ghost girl.
"That's brilliant!" interrupted the Boy Wonder. "Danielle, you're a genius!" Ignoring the use of her full name, Ellie flipped her ponytail playfully.
"Of course I am. Though I don't see how sleeping in a subway could…" Damian quickly waved his hands in denial.
"Not the sleeping part. The subway system. Where better for a dragon or a society of magical creatures to hide than right under our very feet?" The goofy duo looked to each other, quickly coming to the same realization as their serious friend. Jon chuckled as he rubbed his nose.
"That's our Ellie for ya!" cheered Jon. "A certified genius if I ever did see one!" The ghost girl in question couldn't help but chuckle as a blush formed on her face. Damian rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore the obvious flirting as he walked ahead of the duo. They soon made their way down to the subway station, Damian using Bruce's card to pay for tickets.
The trio looked around for any signs magical creatures in the area. They found a few promising signs, only to turn up empty. Soon Jon decided to subtly use his powers as he checked around the area. He soon heard the sound of fluttering, causing him to motion for the others to come his way. Damian furrowed his brow as he recognized a floating creature.
"I recognize that creature. That's one of the pixies that I rescued." The trio followed behind the creature, using Ellie's powers to remain invisible. The tiny man flew into a hole in the wall, the sound of cheering people being heard. They tried to walk in, only to bump into the wall.
"I've… never met a material I couldn't phase through." Admitted Ellie. "Looks like we'll have to find another way." Damian was about to make a comment, only to notice something on the ground. He discretely picked it up, realizing that it was a broken sword. His eyes widened as he realized the markings on the hilt.
'These are…' Damian looked to his companions, quickly contemplating his next actions. "I'll go one way and you two go another. There's bound to be something we can use to get in." Jon looked his way as if to object, only to nod as he recognized his friend's expression.
"Alright." Agreed the son of Superman. "Come on Ellie. Let's check this way." The ghost girl looked between the duo in confusion, only to nod as she followed her crush. Damian hid the broken weapon away as he walked the opposite direction from his companions.
He recognized the markings on the hilt as a sign of the Huntsclan: a group of anti-magic fanatics that made it their mission to control or destroy anything magical. His grandfather had run ins with them on multiple occasions, mostly in the form of fighting over artifacts and stopping them from destroying Lazarus pits. If they were here, then even Ellie would be in danger of them. He couldn't let Jon's crush be blindsided by this organization, so he needed to act quickly. He used his hidden jetpack to move at high speed down the other side of the tunnel.
He soon found more signs of the organization's activity as he found himself at another stop. He disengaged the thrusters on his pack as he snuck into the area. He was about to explore when he saw a familiar pair of long pigtails. He tried to get a better view, making his way to a better vantage point. His eyes widened as he saw the owner of the hairstyle.
She was a Chinese-American girl with raven colored eyes and, as mentioned before, raven colored hair. She wore a white shirt with a black shadow of a raven on the front, a pink leather jacket with purple stripes running from one zipper to another, a black purse a purple jean skirt, black leggings, and white high-tops with purple soles and laces. While he would normally find this kind of person someone to look over, she seemed to have a general presence of authority mixed with a bit of chaos. With how much he was staring, Jon would make some snide remark of the Boy Wonder having his first crush. Pushing down this thought, as well as opting for a strategic approach, Damian decided to clear his throat as he approached the girl that caught his attention.
"Pardon me? I seem to have lost my way." The girl looked his way, immediately sending him a raised brow of recognition.
"Hey… aren't you one of Bruce Wayne's sons?" questioned the girl. "Damian, right?" Damian held in his irk about the girl identifying him as he nodded his head.
"That would be correct. It would be rude of me to not inquire your name." The girl sent a smirk his way before following it with a slight respectful bow.
"I'm Haley Long. The pleasure is all mine. Anyway, you said you were lost?" Damian nodded as he took a quick glance around. Upon confirming that no one was listening in, he decided to continue.
"Yes. I was to meet my companions in Chinatown, but I seem to have ended up at the wrong station." Haley nodded as she held a finger up.
"Well lucky for you I'm on my way there. If you don't mind traveling alone with a girl I could show you the way." Sensing a hint of playful sarcasm, Damian decided to flash one of his rare genuine smirks.
"I wouldn't mind." Haley was about to guide him along the way, only for the sound of terrified screams to fill the area. Men in purple shinobi uniforms bearing the mark of a flame that depicted the letter "H" ran into the room, apparently trying to scare people off with threat of weaponry. The men continued to run around the room in search of something, fighting back against security and forcing the people to run for the exit. Both Damian and Haley growled as they clenched their fists.
"The Huntsclan." Growled the duo. They looked to each other, Haley seemingly shocked by Daman's knowledge of newly arrived group. A few of the men looked their way, one raising his weapon towards them.
"There!" cried the hunter. "They'll make a good example! Get them!" The men around him aimed their weapons while others prepared nets. Realizing the sudden danger, Damian quickly grabbed Haley by the hand.
"Come on." Ordered the Boy Wonder. His newest companion had no time to react as they began to run, nearly avoiding a gunshot. They ran back in the tunnel from whence Damian came, the villains rushing after them. "I hate using this without the suit but…" The boy flicked his wrist a bit, revealing a button of sorts.
Haley watched before her eyes as Damian's backpack began to morph into his armored chest plate. His belt soon also clicked into place as the cloth part of the bag unfurled into his hooded cape. He used his free hand to attach his mask, fully revealing his identity to the girl.
"Y…you're Robin!?" cried Haley. Damian irked at being found out so soon, though there was a good reason for it. He grabbed some smoke bombs from his pouch before throwing them behind him, filling the area with a blinding mist.
"Yes. You would also be correct in saying that you're the dragon I met earlier this day." Haley quickly waved her hands in denial, her face betraying her with a look of shocked panic.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about! I'm just a normal teenage girl. How could I ever be a pink dragon of all things?" Damian quickly turned around as he pulled out some birdarangs. He threw them into the smoke, earning some cries of pain from the enemies.
"You have the same hair color, hair style, eye color, and voice as the pink dragon. Also, I never mentioned what color the dragon was." Haley jerked at the claims, feeling her nerves irk at her. "While I understand the importance of secret identities, now is not the time to hold onto them. You can either help, or let these brutes get to the hole a pixie flew into."
The local girl looked the way they were heading, as if she knew the spot well. "Please." Hearing the normally stoic boy's plea, as well as noticing how a few of the enemies' cries could be heard, Haley let out a groan as she ran forward.
"DRAGON UP!" Damian watched as the girl turned into the dragon from before, her outfit shifting into her scales much like how he had seen Beastboy transform into animals. The girl shot forth a torrent of flames, the force actually pushing the smoke away and forcing the ninjas to flip backwards a few times. "I have so got to come up with my own battle cry." Robin quickly pulled out more birdarangs as more enemies ran forward with guns.
"Imagine later. We need to stop them now." He threw the weapons at the oncoming enemies, the objects exploding upon contact with their weapons. Two of the villains tried to throw nets at the boy, only for him to dodge one and cut through the other with a draw of his sword. One man tried to get the jump on him, only for Haley to send him away with a whip of her tail.
She then fired some flames at a nearby trio of ninjas, forcing them to move out of the way. She followed that up with a fireball, the attack chasing one of the men around. She landed next to Damian as she prepared a martial arts stance.
"So… I take it you got lost looking for me, even after I told you to leave the city to me. This is the kind of trouble you get into doing that by the way." Damian growled as he ducked, allowing the girl to breathe more fire as a deterrent to some approaching ninjas.
"That was actually a lie on my part. I saw signs of the Huntsclan in the area and decided to split off from my companions to find them. One of them is supernatural in nature so I figured it best to avoid these brutes potentially exploiting her weaknesses. Being lost was an excuse for why a complete stranger wanted to speak with you." Damian quickly threw some beads to the side, causing some enemies that were about to try and hit Haley with a net to slip and net themselves.
"Heh. So you admit you just wanted an excuse to talk to me. Is that a rich person way of trying to pick up a girl?" Damian chose to ignore the comment as he tried to focus on the fight. Soon Haley had to pick him up, however, in order to avoid a blast from some form of laser weapon.
The dragon girl had to fly around a bit as she attempted to avoid more nets and blasts. She soon threw her companion at one of the enemies, the boy catching the crook off guard with a flying kick. "I thought you guys were going to attack a museum back in Manhattan. Why are you pulling this number here?" One of the ninjas, the obvious leader, growled as he pointed to the tunnel behind the dragon girl.
"We caught wind of a pixie hotspot somewhere in the subways." Revealed the man. "When one of our own returned flabbergasted and in a daze, we knew we had found it. The hostages would have been a reminder to this city why magical creatures and outsiders like Thor should not be supported. With the American Dragon distracted by our museum heist this would have been the perfect moment to acquire them, though we might just settle for bringing a dragon's pelt back to the Huntsman." He aimed his weapon at Haley, only to turn as he used it to block Damian's sword.
"Grandfather always talked about how pretentious the Huntsclan is." Mocked the boy. "Seems he forgot to mention your overinflated egos." He clashed weapons a few times with the particular ninja as Haley continued to take on the ninjas around her. The man brought out what looked to be some kind of energy blade from his wrist as he tried to stab Damian with it. The son of Batman quickly shifted his stance, using the momentum of his opponent to slice off the weapon.
He then skidded to a stop as the ninja looked to him in surprise. Feeling a strong gust of wind coming from the wrong side of the tracks, Damian sent a glare towards Haley. "Dodge!" He quickly cartwheeled towards the stairs, the dragon girl flying that way as well. Soon Jon came flying out of the tunnel, his fist reared back.
"Here comes the pain train!" cried the son of Superman. He punched one of the ninjas into a group of them, sending them all crashing against one of the walls. He used super breath to push some more out of the way before using his eye lasers to destroy their dropped weapons. He turned to Damian and Haley, only to falter slightly under their judgmental gaze. "It was all Geist's idea."
In his attempt to justify his actions, Jon failed to notice a few of the enemies beginning to stand back up. One of the men tried to fire off a beam weapon, only for his eyes to change green as he aimed his weapon at two of his companions. He fired the attack as his eyes returned to normal.
"What in the…?" He held his head in panic as he dropped his weapon, only to feel a tapping on his shoulder. He turned to see Geist staring him in the face.
"Yo dude." Greeted Ellie. She slugged the villain right in the face by the ghost girl. The awkward couple flew over to Damian and Haley, confident smirks on their faces.
"Looks like you found your dragon, Robin." Greeted Superboy. "Hope we're not too late." Damian smirked as he looked towards the moaning ninjas on the floor.
"On the contrary, you were right on time to end the fight." Corrected the son of Batman. "Unless, of course, they wish to try their luck combatting the four of us." He picked up the weapon he cut off the leader earlier as he sent a glare towards the men. The glare was returned as a stare down commenced. The lead Huntsclan ninja sighed as he looked to his men.
"Retreat." Ordered the man. "We must inform the others of this development." Every enemy ninja threw down a smoke bomb, also releasing a flash of light. The kids covered their eyes as they tried to protect their vision. Upon returning their gaze to the area, the men were gone.
"Oh yeah!" cried Haley. "You better run!" The sound of police sirens soon began to fill the air, causing the dragon to go from excited to panicked. "I gotta go!" Damian quickly pulled a paper out of his pocket, writing something down as fast as possible.
"Please come to this location if you can." Requested Robin. "If not today, then we'll return at the same time you and I first met." Not having time to refuse, Haley took the note and flew down the correct side of the tunnel. The heroic trio soon made their escape as well, Ellie's powers coming in clutch. The authorities were left with no clue on what exactly happened.
Later the Super Kids found themselves waiting on the rooftop where Ellie and Jon had stopped to rest. Damian paced back and forth, keeping a constant eye out for Haley. Jon smirked as he took a bite of a hotdog he bought.
"Not like you to be nervous, D." began the half-Kryptonian. "This girl really must be something for you to be pacing this much." Damian sent his companion a small glare before averting his eyes.
"I'm just interested in her skills, nothing more. She's a powerful combatant and seems to have a strong grasp of her powers." Ellie smirked as she floated upside down, something that reminded the serious boy of his brother's girlfriend.
"How come we don't believe you then?" questioned the ghost girl. "The way you looked elsewhere says a lot about the truth." Damian growled as he sent a glare her way.
"The reason you don't believe me is that you're both childish and naïve. If anything I say it makes you perfect for each other." The duo blushed as they tried not to look at each other. Damian smirked in success as there was finally blissful silence. This was interrupted by the anticipated sound of large wings flapping.
"Now that's both cute and funny." Commented Haley. She landed in front of the trio, remaining in her dragon form. "Should I take a photo of the happy couple? I can grab a camera." Ignoring the sputtering of his companions with a smirk on his face, Damian nodded to the dragon girl.
"You can turn back if you wish. Heroes like us have a code where we don't share secrets unless it's okayed or if it's for acceptable reasons. The acceptable reasons are determined by situation and the owner of said secret." Haley looked to the blushing duo, watching as Ellie sat down on the roof before changing back to her normal look. Seeing as Jon was already out of costume, Haley relented as she slowly turned back.
There was something about seeing the transformation in reverse that made Damian more interested than when it went around the first time. The scales uncovered her clothes as her body morphed back into its regular form. Jon was the first to react as he let loose a whistle.
"Nice jacket." Replied the boy. Ellie looked towards him, her jealousy frown returning. The boy looked her way, oblivious to the look this time. "We should get you a jacket like that, Ellie! You'd look good and you wouldn't have to worry about getting hot in the Summer."
The ghost girl suddenly blushed as she looked away, trying to hide the change in expression. Jon then mirrored this action as he realized what he just said. Haley sent the duo a teasing smirk before looking towards Damian.
"You better keep your word on this." Requested the dragon girl. "I'm not supposed to even let you guys know about the magical stuff, including my dragon status. If this gets back to the guys in charge or the Huntsclan catches wind of it, I'll be in serious trouble." Damian frowned at the notion, filing this bit of information away for later. He displays the broken blade he found before meeting her, dropping it on the ground.
"Let's just say I'm not fond of the Huntsclan either." Revealed the son of Batman. "Not to mention I and the other members of Batman's team forced him to agree to the status quo I explained to you." Haley nodded as she held her hands behind her back.
"Alright. I can respect that. Is saying hi all we have to talk about up here? I have to be home in time for dinner and to get in some studying." Damian nodded in return, understanding her predicament.
"As the next generation of heroes, we figured it would be beneficial to form a team of our own. In the unfortunate case that anything should befall the older heroes or should others be occupied, we would take up arms against criminals and other such villainous forces. After seeing you in combat, I believe you would be a perfect candidate to join this team. If you agree to join us, we will try to work around your schedule for team meetings." Haley sent the boy a raised brow as she crossed her arms.
"Really? What's this team called?" Damian looked like he had an actual response, but Ellie pushed him out of the way with a grin.
"We're the Super Kids!" cheered the girl. Damian growled as he pushed the girl back, though it wasn't hard enough to do any damage. Haley couldn't help but chuckle as the boy straightened his shirt.
"That is… a placeholder name I assure you. In any case, as a team we'll do our best to help each other when it's needed. We'll even provide you a protected account and a link to a server we're in." Haley hummed as she looked down. This was actually a tough decision to make.
On one hand, she had a lot of responsibilities and she'd probably be chewed out if the others ever found out. No telling what would happen to this group if she was found out. On the other hand, Jake was allowed to have his friends who were in the know. Not to mention Robin himself was giving her the invitation, and he was known as the cold and difficult one of Gotham's heroes from what rumor says. Finally finding her resolve and making a silent plea for nothing to go wrong, the girl allowed her arms to lower.
"Alright, but I gotta get a selfie with you or my brother is never gonna believe I met you."
That's a wrap! Haley Long joins the Super Kids and confirms the presence of American Dragon: Jake Long in this universe. It took me a while to decide on this but I actually enjoyed bringing this series into the story. I currently don't have many potential series to add in, though that could change further in this series' lifespan. All I can say is keep reading and keep an eye out.
Anyway, what did you think of the chapter? Did you like Haley's introduction into the story? How about that fight with the cobble trolls? Let me know what you think down below and I'll try to get back to you ASAP. This is Inkaliber, signing out.
(1) Batman: The Animated Series