Ch. 8
Here's a fact: 'Marty Flint has a keen memory for voices.'
We walked into the Cave proper and it was amazing, and huge, and did I say cool before? No? Well it was really damn cool.
Once the hangar doors shut behind us, Aqualad turned around from where he had led the way in. "Superboy, report to the med-bay. Red Tornado is on standby to assist with analysis of your new condition."
The black-shirted teen scowled but made for the med-bay taking a few steps before seemingly deciding to fly to it with a kick off the ground.
"Miss Martian, please accompany him so that our medical equipment survives him."
The green-skinned girl giggled and shifted her red 'X' shaped harness and blue cloak into just a white blouse and knee-length blue skirt, before following in Superboy's wake.
"I heard that!"
Aqualad shook his head in amusement, and addressed the two of us that remained. "Batman is waiting in the monitor room, he wishes to speak with both of you. As team leader, I shall accompany you."
Ho. Ly. Shit. In all the excitement, I totally forgot that they were bringing me here to meet Batman. This was a fantasy every little boy growing up in Gotham had held for the past decade. I had attended dozens of birthday parties in elementary school, where more often than not the theme was Batman.
Aqualad led the way and I followed closely beside him.
I glanced over at Artemis, who was noticeably dragging her feet. Oh right, she had said something earlier about how Batman didn't appreciate other heroes operating in his city without permission.
"Just blame it all on me," I whispered to her.
She looked at me confused. "What are you even talking about? You do know most people can't follow your train of thought on a whim right?"
I rolled my eyes. "Everything that happened tonight with Metallo, you can pin it on me, it is technically my fault for finding the secret lab, and asking you to look into all this in the first place."
"I found the secret lab. I scouted and found the building, I picked the locks," Artemis jabbed me in the chest. "You were just dumb enough to press the button before I checked it for traps."
I shrunk back from her onslaught of pokes. "You say dumb, I say brave. Besides, he should thank us, we found a problem in Gotham that not even he knew about."
"That," she pointed at me. "Say exactly that to Batman, he'll be too busy glaring a hole through you to deal with me."
"Whatever, I don't work for the guy like you seem to do. You know I thought you were some secret part of the Justice League, but having met some of your team it's like a bunch of the Justice Leaguers younger versions teamed up to form a junior team. Like, Aqualad, you said Robin is part of this team, right?" I pulled the stalwart teen into the discussion as we walked.
Aqualad nodded. "Yes."
"So that's Batman covered, then we have Artemis here as a mini-Green Arrow–"
She scowled at the diminutive. "I'll show you mini," she swiped at me and I dodged.
"You were Aquaman's partner, right?"
"Yes, I served as my king's aide in many battles."
"Miss Martian is Martian Manhunter's niece," I continued.
Aqualad paused and turned to me. "How do you know that?"
I shrugged. "She dropped it in the mental link when we were fighting Metallo. I assume Superboy has something to do with Superman."
"I would not advise confronting him with that comparison, Superboy's circumstances are…unique, and his to share."
"Right, gotcha. And so that leaves what?" I counted off on a few fingers. "You don't have a member for Wonder Woman, Flash, or Captain Marvel."
"Kid Flash is on the team as well," Aqualad shared.
"I thought he was called Flash Boy?"
Aqualad cracked a genuine smile. "I urge you to call him that when you meet, his reaction would be hilarious."
"10-4," I fired off a half-salute. "So am I right? A bunch of you broke off from your adult sidekicks and decided to make a team?"
Aqualad nodded. "That is an accurate conclusion." He smiled. "I have never heard the Justice League referred to as 'our adult sidekicks.' It is rather refreshing."
He stopped in front of an arch revealing a room with an entire wall practically covered in monitors, intercrossing wires neatly braided behind the backs of each setup, with dozens of smaller screens surrounding one massive one.
There was no sign of the Dark Knight. I thought we were meeting him. I glanced at the big screen, I guess we were doing it virtually then. That wasn't quite as exciting.
Aqualad pushed a button by the monitor and a dark figure appeared on screen.
Black cowl. Black cape. Dark gray suit. Black bat logo.
Yup, that was Batman alright. I couldn't see his eyes as the cowl had built in white lenses, but the cowl was remarkably expressive as the lenses shrunk beneath it when the hero's eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
"Aqualad."
"Batman, I have brought Artemis and the independent hero Influx to talk with you."
Independent hero Influx. I like that.
"Artemis, report on the events of tonight," he ordered, his eyes narrowed further. "Leave nothing out."
I could definitely see how everyone and their mothers were intimidated by this man. He was intense.
Artemis cleared her throat and took center-stage. "I was investigating Stagg Industry holding companies and found one active that should have been abandoned named Branchwater Solutions. I then called Influx in to assist in investigating."
"Why did you not immediately call the team?"
"It could have been nothing, I didn't want to inconvenience them," Artemis proclaimed.
"Yet you chose to bring in an unaffiliated person into your investigation," Batman's tone was accusatory.
"She was investigating for me," I interjected rapidly, shrinking back slightly when the cowled gaze settled on me. "I asked Artemis to help me look into the disappearance of…some family members that might be related to Stagg Industries."
"I see," Batman's gaze on me felt like I was being scrutinized by the sun. "Continue with the report, Influx."
Batman said my superhero name. This was the greatest day of my life!
I coughed. "Artemis and me—uh I, Artemis and I, entered from the rooftop and searched the top floor but we found no signs of any people having been there so we went to the bottom floor but we found that there were strange footprints in the dust that cut off abruptly. At first, I thought maybe it was someone who could fly or teleport," I rambled on.
Artemis put a hand on my shoulder.
"Um anyway, we found a secret button and I pushed it, opening a passageway to an uncharted underground level," I took a breath not particularly wanting to revisit what I'd found down there aloud so soon.
Artemis seemed to pick up on that and took over the retelling. "It was an enormous lab chamber filled with work tables and vats which held deceased…specimens. Influx had reason to believe that they were all human victims of Stagg Industries experimenting with a meta-human serum."
I glanced up, expecting to see Batman's furious gaze, but his face was placid. "Continue."
"Then we heard something moving and I demanded that whoever it was announced themselves. We were attacked from the shadows by a green energy based weapon. The attacker was a cyborg who claimed it was stabilized plasma and Influx identified him through a wallet he found on one of the tables as Stagg employee, Corbin Green."
"Corbin Green was declared missing several weeks ago pursuant to a break-in to Stagg Industries by unidentified specialist forces. Along with Henry Sutten, Yara Volansky, and Steven Flint," Batman mused.
I unintentionally flinched away from the final name.
"At this point did you call in your team?" Batman questioned.
"Yes, Green was insane and would not be reasoned with," Artemis nodded. "I asked Influx to buy me some time and I contacted the Cave. Aqualad answered my call and mobilized himself, Superboy, and Miss Martian."
"Influx, continue," the severe hero ordered.
"I tried to convince Dr. Corbin that he didn't need to fight us and that we could help him get justice for what he said Stagg Industries did to him, that his name was Metallo now and tore off the rest of his fake skin. Artemis said to target the green rock in his chest."
"Kryptonite," Artemis corrected.
"Yeah, that," I confirmed. "Oh and earlier when I asked if his condition was because of the break-in he said that the break-in was because of Luthor and that Luthor wouldn't hurt him because he needs him. Was he talking about Lex Luthor?"
Batman ignored my question, though his eyes were narrowed to the point of being nearly pinpoints. "Where is the kryptonite now?" Batman queried.
"I put it in a lead pouch after Superboy pulled it out of him," answered Artemis.
"And this is when Influx chose to alter Superboy's DNA?" Batman accused.
"I didn't!" I proclaimed, weak from the accusation. "He was sick from exposure to the kryptonite, I was just trying to heal him but his body kept needing more and more healing. So I kept giving it."
"I see." He turned to Artemis. "Artemis, you are dismissed. Write a report on the encounter with this Metallo and hand over the kryptonite to Red Tornado for disposal."
Artemis paused, hesitantly, glancing at me on her way out. I nodded thankfully and she shuffled out.
Batman's gaze bore into me with an intensity that made me feel like I was under a microscope. "Influx," he began, his voice low and commanding, "you have demonstrated a degree of resourcefulness tonight. The team could benefit from someone with your skills, should you wish to join," he stated bluntly.
My heart skipped a beat at the unexpected offer. I somehow thought that he would be trying to get rid of me in some way. But a recruitment?
But before I could even process the offer fully, Aqualad stepped forward, his posture tall and unwavering. "With respect, Batman," he said, his voice measured and composed, "while Influx has indeed proven himself capable tonight, it is the consensus of the team as a whole that we collectively evaluate any potential recruits."
Batman's expression tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line of disapproval. "I understand," he conceded, though his tone suggested severe reluctance in ceding the point. "Very well, Aqualad. I will leave the decision to you and your team."
With a nod of finality, Batman's image vanished from the screen, leaving Aqualad and me alone in the monitor room.
I stood awkwardly, did he not want me on the team? I knew that he thought I messed up with Superboy.
Aqualad turned to me, his gaze softening slightly. "Influx, I must apologize for the abruptness of Batman's offer. However, I do not wish to make such a decision for the entire team. They must all meet you and be comfortable with your inclusion."
I nodded, reluctantly. I guess that made sense, if I were them I wouldn't want some random guy dumped on me with no warning. "I get it."
"Given the late hour," Aqualad continued, "I invite you to spend the night here in the Cave, we have several unoccupied quarters to choose from. Tomorrow, I will ensure that the entire team convenes to discuss your potential role among our number."
A sleepover in a high-tech, possibly underground superhero base? Hell yes! Though I would have to get them to take me back to Gotham tomorrow as I couldn't leave Smudge alone that long.
When we exited the monitor room, I was led to an empty bedroom nearly twice the size of the office I'd slept in for the past two months.
"Rest here for the night."
I nodded to Aqualad in thanks and shut the door. I unwound my scarf, and basked in the cool air conditioned room on my sweaty face.
Despite my mind racing with recent events. I was asleep in minutes, physical and magical exhaustion catching up to me.
I exited from the first long shower I had taken in months, wearing a shirt and a pair of gym shorts Superboy had leant me. After every few days living in my warehouse, I would sneak past the front desk attendant at a gym nearby and take a quick shower before leaving but it was never that satisfying.
My scarf had been wiped down of dust and detritus and I had wound it around my lower face the way I usually did. It made for a strange image in combination with the casual wear. But I hadn't learnt any secret identities yet and didn't know what the protocol was exactly.
I wandered around the Cave, trying to find my way back to the kitchen and common area, everything was still very new to me. I hoped to be able to stick around and get used to it.
If they let me stick around, having roommates was going to take some getting used to, as I had learned Superboy and Miss Martian were permanent residents more or less. With Aqualad spending an occasional night.
But who knew if the rest of the team would even accept my presence?
Aqualad had told me that they were all going to be present at some point this afternoon.
Finally, I found the kitchen again. Miss Martian was present, mixing something in a bowl. "Hello Influx," she beamed at me. "If you'd like some cookies, the first batch just finished!" She pointed with her rubber spatula at a tray on the stovetop.
"Thanks, I'll definitely try some, but I was looking to make some breakfast. Uh, that is if you don't mind me using the kitchen?"
"Can you cook?" She questioned curiously.
I nodded. "Yeah, I can make a few dishes."
"This is great!" The bubbly alien girl exclaimed. "I'm the only one who ever makes food here, we have to compare recipes! Do you bake?"
"I can make pizza from scratch, but I don't know how to make cookies or cakes or anything like that."
"Oh you have to make us some pizza for dinner with the team tonight! Conner hasn't tried—"
She cut off suddenly. "Sorry, Superboy!" She called out to the teen sitting on the couch across the way.
"It's fine," he said dismissively. "Besides he let me fly, he can know my name," he waved his hand. "You're the one who gave it to me anyway," he finished.
What did that mean? Also Conner was a surprisingly normal name. Wasn't Superman an alien, so wouldn't that make Superboy one as well? I wisely did not ask that question, given Aqualad's advice the previous night.
"Sorry about that, Influx. I didn't mean to say his name, the secret identities are hard to remember sometimes when I'm in the Cave. On Mars our minds are open to each other all the time, so secret identities aren't possible," she confided. "But since I revealed his, then you can know mine too if you like!"
Well I wouldn't say no. "Sure."
"My name is M'gann M'orzz but here on Earth," her skin shifted to a pale white, the natural human tone of most redheads, "I go by Megan Morse."
I idly shifted from foot to foot, consideringly before I reached up and unwound my scarf, letting it fall to my shoulders. "Hello M'gann," I began, she giggled at that for some reason. "I'm Martin Flint, but I prefer Marty. Its good to actually meet you," I offered her a handshake.
Superboy had floated over some time during M'gann's talk of Mars. "M'gann already said, but my full name is Conner Kent."
I shook his hand as well. "Thanks again for the clothes."
He shrugged. "No problem."
We settled into a comfortable semi-awkward silence as I went around the kitchen tossing together a large omelet with green peppers and ham, making enough to share if anyone wanted.
They both accepted when I offered.
"You CAN cook!" M'gann exclaimed. "Oh this is wonderful!"
"Why do you make it sound as if this is the greatest thing that ever happened to you?" I questioned drily, surely a guy knowing how to make an omelet wasn't that groundbreaking.
M'gann grabbed my shoulders, shaking me lightly, her eyes wide. "Marty, you have no idea how much this team can eat! Kid Flash alone eats enough for five people!"
I blanched, and she wanted me to feed these people tonight? How many pizzas did she expect me to make?
I cleaned up the things I'd used when we were done eating.
There was still nearly the entire day to burn before the rest of the team arrived. I guess I'd get started on making those pizzas for later.
I took stock of what the kitchen had and what it lacked for the pizzas. There was a significant lack of cheese if we were going to make several pizzas, and there was no pizza sauce. The kitchen lacked pepperoni and a few other toppings as well.
"There's a bunch of stuff missing for pizza."
"Give me a list and I'll go get it," Conner offered.
"I'll go too!" M'gann immediately offered. "T-to help find the groceries, and there's a couple of things I need to pick up for cookies."
A few minutes later the two were gone and I started making and splitting the dough needed for four large pizzas. That ought to be enough.
I don't know if it was just me, but it seemed like, from my very limited interactions at least, M'gann had a crush on Conner.
I wonder what was up with Conner anyway? He said that she was the one who named him, was he an amnesiac or something?
Two hours later, Miss Martian telekinetically took the last of the pizzas out of the oven and held it up as Conner wrapped it in foil for later.
"So, what do you guys do for fun all day when you're not superheroing?"
"I watch human soap operas, and dramas," M'gann said.
"Training," Conner revealed.
Those both sounded…kind of boring actually. Though sometime down the line, if I got to stick around, I should get Conner to help me do some weight training. But for now…I didn't have my laptop at the moment, but my power wasn't tied to it. At least I didn't think it was.
"Do you guys mind if I use the monitor room to play video games?"
They both shrugged, uncaringly.
A few minutes later I had logged into my account and downloaded Warcraft 3. The internet speeds in this place were unreal.
After watching me for a little bit, M'gann walked off, uninterested. Conner remained, watching the story unfold with the gameplay.
I paused and made sure to save the game right before the killing blow. If I ever needed to reroll my choice of powers, that would make it easy to do so.
I resumed, and directed the three heroes I had control of in this mission to dispatch the final enemy.
"Father, why wouldn't you listen?" Jaina Proudmoore cried over her father's dead body in the game cinematic.
I leaned away from the keyboard and watched the emotional cinematic finale of the ninth and final campaign of Warcraft 3, on the massive screen of the main monitor in the Cave.
I have to admit to a certain level of anxiety in being informed that the rest of the team would be here today.
Every dude my age liked to pretend they were above insecurities like hoping people liked them, but here in my own mind I could at least admit that I hoped it went well and that they appreciated what I could do.
One might think that since I had a power that was constantly making me more powerful, I'd have nothing to worry about. But that was such a linear way of thinking, what if they thought I was too inexperienced? Or if I wasn't good enough in a fight? Or if my way of thinking was detrimental to theirs?
It was why I'd resolved to finish Warcraft 3 today, so I could have a new ability to showcase.
Speaking of, I focused back on the screen.
COLLATING…COLLATING…COLLATING
The word repeated again and again. This hadn't happened in a while.
Rather than worry about how long it was taking, I was excited. The last time this had occurred was with Skyrim, and it allowed me to choose two options rather than one from a large selection.
Maybe I'd have two new abilities after this.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity waiting in anticipation, different words formed on screen.
CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED "Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos" AND EARNED A BOON!
YOU MAY CHOOSE TWO ABILITIES IN TOTAL FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING RACES.
"Oh hell yeah!" I cheered, falling out of my chair. "Ok, ok. Calm down Marty," I muttered to myself forcing myself to read the words on screen.
Notably, there were no Human skill options. Probably because they were the race I spent the least time on. That kinda sucked, they had some real powerful abilities.
I read through what was offered.
ORC:
[Wind Walk: You become shrouded in winds which conceal you from sight and enhance your movement speed for 30 seconds. Undertaking any attack will dissipate the shroud early by putting the force of your wind shroud behind the strike. After Wind Walk ends it goes on cooldown for a duration of 10 seconds.]
[Feral Spirit: Summon a feral spirit to heed your will and attack your enemies. Size and endurance of the conjured spirit is dependent on mana spent. If mana of a specific nature is provided, a spirit may take on an additional attribute. The feral spirit's form destabilizes with damage it takes, until it is dispelled. Goes on cooldown for 120 seconds after the spirit is summoned.]
[Ethereal Form: Become ethereal, causing you to be untargetable by physical attacks, but unable to physically interact with anything until you turn back. Ethereal form lasts until canceled but no other magics may be cast while in Ethereal form. You may not enter Ethereal form again for 30 seconds after you have exited it.]
[Bloodlust: When cast on yourself or another target, enhances strength and movement speed, doubling each, at the cost of greatly increasing impulsiveness and carelessness. Lasts for 60 seconds. When cast it cannot be cast again for 5 seconds.]
Ugh! At a glance, I wanted all of the Orc options, except maybe Bloodlust, I didn't really need to be more impulsive.
NIGHT ELF:
[Owl Scout: Conjure an ethereal green owl capable of sharing images of its vision with you. Upon creation, the owl can be imbued with directives and intent to share specific imagery that it perceives. The scout is incapable of attack, and is vulnerable to physical disruption. Lasts 30 seconds and incurs a cooldown of 60 seconds upon destruction or duration lapse.]
[Immolation: Surround yourself in a burning blaze for 15 seconds, scorching any who draw near as well as reducing projectiles to molten slag. During Immolation any fire-natured spells are enhanced. Your Immolation cannot affect you detrimentally.]
[Tranquility: Changes the weather around you, forcing a pure rainfall imbued with restorative magics that heal wounds and cleanse minor sickness and disease. Mana cost of the ability is directly proportional to the humidity of the climate. Tranquility is easiest to cast in already rainy weather. Range is determined by mana used. The spell is channeled and has a maximum duration of 5 minutes, after which it shall go on cooldown for 30 minutes.]
[Cyclone: Conjure a towering cyclone of winds, capable of lifting targets up and disorienting them greatly. The conjured cyclone can be directed by your will. Size of the cyclone is determined by mana used. Lasts 30 seconds, after which it has a cooldown of 2 minutes.]
Woah. Tranquility. The single-most powerful group support ability in the game.
"This is how your powers work?" Questioned Conner.
I'd almost forgotten he was there, he'd been so quiet the past two hours.
"Yeah, you can see the options right?"
"Yes," he confirmed. "There are so many, how do you usually choose?"
"Well usually I don't get this many, but as a rule I debate each option, and try and see how it would apply to different situations. Like with…" I scanned the list. "Immolation, it lasts 15 seconds, and has no cooldown, so it would be good if I could keep on my target and they weren't just constantly running from me, so I could keep on using it whenever it ends but I'd rather not know how it feels to be surrounded in fire like that," I admitted. "Also though I do have a ranged fire spell that this could enhance, burning people to the extent this implies is a bit of an extreme option that I'd rather avoid."
"So you won't choose that one?"
"No, probably not," I admitted.
"Good. I don't think M'gann would like it."
Ooh, interesting that he'd bring her up. "Why is that?"
"Martians are vulnerable to fire, the heat saps their strength and will," he shared.
The info was interesting if I was ever in a fight against a Martian, but even more interesting was that Conner was looking out for her, what a big softie.
"You know," said a voice from right beside me. "That monitor is a high-tech piece of equipment, you probably shouldn't download games onto it," the cape-wearing figure leaned to avoid the mass of blue-purple I'd reflexively sent at him. It fizzled out against the far wall.
Robin tapped his chin. "Huh. Good reflexes, you could work on your situational awareness though."
"Why didn't you warn me?" I hissed to Conner, who only shrugged, that was his response to everything!
How embarrassing. My first meeting with Robin and I tried to turn him into a critter, good thing I failed. I opened my mouth to apologize before my brain caught up, because I recognized that voice.
Young. Slightly arrogant. Black side-swept hair. A demeanor that practically screamed suave.
I tended to be horrible at remembering the names of people who I didn't particularly care about, but I never forgot a voice, especially one which had annoyed me. "You're the kid with the sunglasses from the other day! The one who left the review; you said you fixed it to five stars but you didn't!" I accused him. "Wait," he'd asked all those questions about the sightings of me, stirring up my paranoia. "You knew who I was! You were spying on me!"
Robin took a seat leaning back to look at the entire monitor. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said with no hesitation. "So this is your power. You borrow skills from video games."
I let my indignation die down, for now at least, I was definitely going to get him back somehow. "Yeah that's pretty much it. I don't borrow though, I keep them," I corrected.
"I have fought a lot of people with weird powers, including a guy who's made of clay, and another who's literally just a giant moth. Somehow, this is even weirder," the boy wonder said with an eyebrow raised above his domino mask.
I took a page from Superboy's tactics and shrugged.
"So, don't keep us waiting," he gestured to the screen. "What are you going to pick? And why?"
This seemed like some sort of test.
Ok, I'd never done this in front of others before, but I'd just go through my thought process aloud as I went.
"So first up is Wind Walk. An invisibility and movement speed buff on a 30 second duration which can improve my melee strikes when hitting out of it. It has a 10 second cooldown in between uses which means I can't continually use it to cross great distances or to constantly enhance attacks. It would be useful for concealing myself and crossing shorter distances quickly or initiating surprise attacks." I nodded to myself, yeah this might be a good one. "This one is a strong contender as it has multiple uses."
I glanced at Robin, who nodded at me to continue.
"Feral Spirit seems to be the best scaling option as it can be enhanced by pouring in more mana. I intend to improve my mana capacity as soon as I get an option like that from a game, so this would be a powerful option in the long run. Also the sheer utility of having expendable backup that I can summon in a tight spot as a distraction for my attacker would be really beneficial. It doesn't have a duration either which is good, but the cooldown is a bit long for a fight if it is destroyed too quickly. Still, this one is also a very strong contender."
I took a breath and continued. "Ethereal Form seems flawed as it doesn't let me attack either physically nor magically while it's active, and while I could use it momentarily to evade attacks. The cooldown on re-entering the state would prevent me from doing so often, it seems like a good tool for escaping a fight more than anything else."
Robin nodded at my analysis. "Running away to fight again when you're more prepared is a good tactic, but it's always better to dodge or absorb a blow than rely on something you can't use consistently."
"Bloodlust is really strong as a strength multiplier but it also greatly increases carelessness and impulsiveness which would make it really dangerous to use unless you were naturally a very calm and level-headed, non-emotional person. I wouldn't use it on myself, to be honest, so I don't think I'll take it."
I surveyed the opinions of those around me.
Conner was frowning. Clearly, he thought the drawbacks to be worth it for straight up doubling his already great strength, but he didn't speak up, maybe realizing that Robin was testing me.
I looked at the two I had to choose between. Wind Walk or Feral Spirit. Wind Walk was strong, no doubt there, but it had no room for growth in its description. The only thing that would make it better is my own physique getting better. Conversely, Feral Spirit scales with power, and might be really useful down the line. "I think I should take Feral Spirit as it'll be the best option in the long run."
I glanced up at the ability, five feet above me. I could jump and tap it to lock it in, but why not see if someone else could do it for me?
"Superboy, do you mind tapping Feral Spirit for me?"
"Will that work?"
"I have no clue," I revealed. "Let's find out."
The super-teen floated up and tapped the option for Feral Spirit.
The other Orc options disappeared. Leaving only Feral Spirit at the top of the screen, beneath which lay a confirmation.
YOU HAVE CHOSEN YOUR FIRST ABILITY. ONE SELECTION REMAINING.
"Huh. It worked," I observed. "Good to know."
"It's strange, the surface of the screen with your power layered over it feels like a sort of firm gel," Superboy remarked. "I wonder what would happen if I were to punch through the screen."
"Please don't," Robin sighed.
Artemis spoke up by the archway, her arms crossed as she leaned against the stone walls. "I wanna feel it, let me tap the next one."
"How long have you been there?" I asked.
"Long enough to see you try and turn Robin here into a furry critter. What did you try to turn him into anyway?"
"That's what that does?" Robin demanded.
"I tried to turn him into a rooster," I admitted, smiling due to seeing the irony in it now.
Artemis laughed. "The colors would match him."
"And it would have been an improvement," sniped Superboy of all people.
Robin sniffed. "Roosters are very noble and protective creatures, so I'll take that as a compliment. Now are you going to get on with this or what?" He pointed at me accusatorially.
"All right, geez."
"Tranquility seems like a powerful option, you could help a lot of people with it if you cast it on a group," Conner pointed out before I could get back into it.
"Right," Artemis deadpanned. "And it has nothing to do with you wanting some more of Influx's healing juice," Artemis interjected.
Conner scowled. "If I wanted more healing, then I would ask."
"First of all," I turned to Artemis. "Don't call it healing juice that sounds gross. Second of all," I turned back to Conner. "I thought you were alright now. Why would you need more healing, is it because of your powers?"
Conner frowned at my question. "My powers are due to my being a partial clone of Superman."
And so clones were a thing now. "How can someone be a partial clone?"
"Superman's kryptonian genetics needed the versatility of the human genome to balance it," Robin explained.
And suddenly, M'gann having named him made some more sense.
"Yes. Before yesterday my genes were an even split, 50% human and 50% kryptonian, after you rid me of the effects of the kryptonite, Red Tornado believes your healing served as a buffer between my two sets of genes, allowing more of my kryptonian DNA to take over, and granting me the ability to fly like my–like Superman," Conner asserted.
"I didn't do too well in my Freshman biology class but that doesn't seem right."
Conner shrugged. What a surprise.
"It's superpower science," griped Robin. "It doesn't usually make sense."
Robin's summation was pretty accurate. My own powers were already so bizarre and unscientific, it almost felt hypocritical to question the feasibility of partial genetic cloning. After all, I was literally in the midst of gaining magical spells from a video game by tapping on a high-tech monitor.
"You're right," I conceded, acknowledging the absurdity of my own situation. "I guess this stuff really doesn't make sense," I gestured to the screen as proof.
Artemis chimed in, her tone laced with amusement. "Well, at least we're all on the same page now on how idiotic your power is."
I chuckled.
"Speaking of being on the same page," Artemis continued, "Miss Martian promised food tonight, and I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. Hurry up and finish so that we can eat."
"Let me just quickly go over all of these." I continued onto the other half of my options.
"Owl Scout. I was offered a similar power to this when I finished the game that came before in this series and I rejected it because I was concerned about seeing double whenever I used it. This one seems more refined as I can give the owl directives on what it should send me instead of seeing through it at all times. It has a lot of use in scouting ahead," I gestured to the spell. "Hence the name, but ultimately I think I'll pass on it, as I know there's better options."
Robin interjected. "Are you sure? Knowledge of enemy positions or actions without risking anyone could help a group stay whelmed."
Ignoring the more experienced hero's strange language, I nodded my head. "Yeah I'm sure, besides it would be easy to spot and shoot down a glowing green owl and then whoever I'm trying to watch would know I was there."
I scanned the list for the next in line.
"You already ruled out Immolation," Conner pointed out.
"Yeah, so onto the next one." I read through the description of Cyclone, it was much less complex than some of the other options but certainly didn't lack power. "Cyclone seems powerful as a tool to bog someone down, and since I can direct it I can also deny someone access to an area by moving it there."
"I wonder how badly it would affect a speedster like Kid Flash," Robin pondered.
He'd have to keep wondering, because truth be told I'd already decided here, I just had to justify my choice.
"It sounds pretty cool," Superboy admitted, his interest piqued. "If it's anything like Red Tornado's powers then it could drain the air from someone's lungs and knock them out."
Had he experienced that? That sounded horrifying.
I shuddered and moved on to the one I'd been waiting for. "Tranquility is probably the ability I'm going to take here," I admitted before I explained. "Healing others is always a plus, and being able to do it over such a wide area could only be beneficial. Plus, it's not just about combat; it could be invaluable in disaster relief efforts or even just in everyday situations where someone needs medical assistance."
I paused, considering the implications of the spell. "However, having to continuously channel it makes it counterintuitive for combat use. I doubt it's the kind of spell I'd be casting in a fight anyway. There's also the point of changing the weather to suit my needs as well, it says the water produced is pure so if it's drinkable, then that's even better."
"Potable," Robin corrected.
"What?"
"All water is drinkable, even if it's not healthy and filled with contaminants. The word you're looking for is potable, it means safe to drink water," Robin expanded.
I nodded at the impromptu vocab lesson. "Right then, potable water. It's what I think I'll be taking."
Robin nodded in understanding. "It's the humanitarian choice, prioritizing the well-being of others over combat prowess."
"Exactly," I affirmed, glad he understood me. "Besides, I can always pick up more combat-oriented abilities later on. But opportunities to positively impact others like this are rare and should be taken where possible." I couldn't help but compare the plight of others like me who had someone suffering from some sort of disease they could do nothing about. Tranquility wouldn't help with Alzheimers, but it would help with various other conditions. I resolved to find a way to cast it on as many sick people as I could.
Artemis nodded with a smirk. "Yeah and with controlled rain you could force all the rats out of their hidey holes."
"Stop bringing up the rat!" I exclaimed before getting a hold of myself. "Sorry, I hate rats…and their creepy little beady eyes," I muttered. "Anyway, you get why I'm picking it right?"
Artemis nodded thoughtfully, understanding the choice. "It's not an offensive option, but it makes sense. By the way you should see about getting a spear made. It might have helped you against Metallo to have a weapon you're familiar with."
I nodded at her second point. "Yeah, I was thinking that yesterday too."
"You can use a spear?" Robin sounded interested.
"I picked up a power to give me mastery over spears," I revealed.
"Your power can give you passive knowledge and skill too?!" He asked incredulously, before falling back to his seat. "We're going to have a spar later so I can see these spear skills," he ordered.
"No," interjected Superboy placidly. "I called first dibs."
"When did you call that?" Robin queried incredulously. "I've been here practically the whole time!"
"Just now. I have first dibs."
"That's not how—" he began to say before deciding otherwise. "Fine," the caped crusader sounded petulant. "I'll fight him second."
I don't know if I wanted to fight either of them, but it didn't sound like they were giving me a choice.
"What a riveting display of alpha male behavior," ridiculed Artemis in a dry tone. "By the way if he beats either of you, just know that I've already beaten him in a spar," she divulged smugly. "Now get a move on with deciding so we can eat."
I sighed at her further inviting them. I was going to get my ass beat later. I just knew it.
"Anyway Tranquility is what I'm picking, that's my final choice. You wanna press it?" I asked Artemis.
She nodded and stepped forward. She stood on tiptoes to reach the option, locking it in for me.
"Superboy's right, it is like a hard gel, like the tip of a gel pen," she compared curiously before stepping back to reveal how the screen had changed.
YOU HAVE CHOSEN YOUR FINAL SPELL.
CONFIRM YOUR SELECTION?
YES/NO
I tapped yes.
The rest of the words on screen faded out. The screen surged with blue light that built up until it was too bright for the others to look at. But I couldn't tear my eyes away from it, finally it faded and I blinked several times to clear my cloudy vision.
"You should've said it was going to get that bright," Artemis complained, rubbing her eyes. "I think the word 'yes' is burned into my retinas."
"Sorry, I forgot to mention that part," I admitted.
The trio that had been watching me grumbled with discomfort.
"Well, did the lightshow work at least?" Questioned Robin.
Upon considering the question, the knowledge on conjuring feral spirits sprung to the forefront of my mind. My fingers bent into a claw shape and pressed against each other, mana pooled in between my palms into an orb of smoky red. Once I hit the minimum threshold, which was roughly equal to three Incinerates, I tossed the orb to the floor, watching it explode out with a quick puff of foggy black smoke.
A ferocious beast manifested to do my will and attack my enemies.
A translucent black form with wispy fur. Glowing blue eyes. Large fangs. Long snout. Triangular ears. It was clearly canine in nature.
It was a bit on the small side, being barely up to my shin, but I had put in the minimum amount. I picked it up to observe it closer.
"You made a puppy," pointed out Robin.
"Yeah, I know," I sighed, putting it down and feeling a bit embarrassed by the underwhelming result. "I put in the minimum amount of power that I could, I didn't think the result would be so…"
"Great," interjected Superboy, who had lifted the pup up.
"I wouldn't–" I began.
'CHOMP.'
The spirit Conner was holding had bitten down on three of his fingers.
"Do that," I finished lamely. "They're supposed to be feral so they'll probably attack anyone who isn't me if I don't specifically indicate otherwise."
Conner tried to work his fingers out of the feral puppy's mouth. "It's got a good bite force, even at this size. If I were a normal human I'd probably have lost those fingers. Also it's not organic, the inside of its mouth just feels cold, there's no saliva."
"Interesting," Robin offered. "I wonder how much direction you can give them."
I stared at the small spirit yanking Conner's fingers back and forth and gave it a try. "Heel!"
Immediately the miniature beast's mouth slackened and it slipped away from Conner to stand before me. "Do not bite allies," I ordered.
Connor picked up the far more docile creature.
"Well it understands me at least, that's good."
"He." Conner commented. "And he's a good boy," he petted the spirit in the shape of a wolf pup behind his ears.
"It's an amalgamation of Influx's power that lacks gender," Robin protested.
"He's a good boy," Conner persevered.
"He is a good boy," I agreed, even if only to further irritate the caped boy.
"We should test how durable he is," Artemis pointed out.
Conner turned away from her with the wolf held in his arms looking at her as if she suggested we kick a puppy…which she kind of did.
We all stared awkwardly at the snarling spirit puppy In Superboy's arms who seemed to comprehend he'd been threatened in some way.
Aqualad stepped into the room, followed by M'gann.
"So this is where everyone's been," said Miss Martian, walking over to stand beside Artemis. They shared a glance, probably the archer informing her of all that had transpired so far.
M'gann floated over to Conner to observe the wolf pup still in his arms. "Aww. What's this little guy's name?"
Conner shrugged. "Wolf."
Nope. It was my conjuration spell spirit thing and it was not going to have such a basic name. "We're not calling him Wolf."
"But it's a good descriptor," Conner insisted.
"It's boring," I complained. "We can call him…" I searched for a good name. Calling back to the spell's description of how the spirit could be altered with different magical natures, changed like a blank slate, I decided on a name. "Slate."
"Slate, then," Conner nodded.
Artemis clapped her hands together. "So let's see the next one. I wanna see you conjure up some rain clouds."
"Are you truly capable of such severe weather transformation, Influx?" Aqualad queried. "And binding a spirit into a corporeal form as well it seems," He indicated the spirit still in Conner's arms. "I did not know you were such an accomplished sorcerer!"
Well that was flattering, but I'd better fix this misconception he had. "I'm not a sorcerer," I corrected. "Not really, anyway. My power just gives me knowledge of very specific spells." From video games, I added silently but I wasn't eager to explain that part again for what felt like the nth time.
Aqualad had taken on a thoughtful look. "How curious," he rubbed his chin. "And you just gained this capability to drastically alter the weather?"
"That's right," I confirmed.
"I presume you are going to test this spell now?"
Conjuring a rainstorm in the middle of a room full of high-tech equipment seemed like a bad idea. "Probably shouldn't do it here."
"You are right," the tan-skinned Atlantean agreed. "We shall reconvene outside on the beach to see you do so."
We were by a beach?! This place just got better and better it seemed.
Robin inserted himself. "Woah there! Hold your horses. Listen, no offense, Influx, but I don't know if we should be trusting you with this place's location yet."
The words 'no offense,' were probably the most useless words in the English language.
Aqualad eyed me, scrutinizing me suddenly in a way that made me feel a bit self-conscious. "I am told that you spent the day with Conner and M'gann and they chose to trust you with their identities. Regardless of whether you join this team or not, you will be required to keep their secret, as well as where this base is located," he commanded.
I nodded.
He continued. "And one other secret as well. When we are not in the field I am called Kaldur'ahm, but you may call me Kaldur, as all my friends do."
Well that was unexpected, but welcome. "Of course. I won't tell anyone," I swore. Not that I really had anyone to tell, who was I gonna tattle to? Smudge?
Oh god, Smudgie! I'd left her alone all day. I'd have to get them to take me to her after dinner, one way or another.
"My legal name is Martin. Martin Flint. Though call me Marty, I prefer that."
"Ok, Martin Martin Flint," needled Robin. "Who are you, James Bond?"
I grit my teeth. I was gonna do it when he least expected it. Somehow, someway, I'm going to catch him unaware, and turn him into a chicken and then we'll see how much smack he could talk.
The entire group moved outdoors.
As we stepped onto the sandy beach, I couldn't help but marvel at the natural beauty surrounding us, one thing was far sure. This wasn't Jersey. "Where are we?" I asked, genuinely curious about our location.
Robin's response came with a sigh, tinged with a hint of exasperation. "Welcome to Happy Harbor, Rhode Island," he said, his tone matter-of-fact.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a warm golden hue across the sand, Artemis's stomach growled audibly. "Hurry up, I'm starving," she urged, pushing me further onto the beach.
"Seems like you're more hangry than hungry," I teased, earning myself a playful punch to the shoulder from Artemis.
"Ow! Hey, no need for violence," I protested, feigning injury. "Now I don't even want to show you my cool new trick," I added with mock petulance.
Miss Martian chimed in, her voice filled with some urgency. "I've already put the pizzas in the oven to heat up, so if you don't want them to burn, you better hurry up," she said, adding an extra layer of motivation to our little demonstration.
I acquiesced, taking my place at the water's edge, and raised my hands, which I suffused with a pale blue light, towards the sky. Drawing on the mana within me, I began to cast the Tranquility spell.
I focused on channeling my magic, extending it invisibly upwards, and then rain started to pour from the heavens, forming a shimmering curtain of blue around us. I could tell that the rain extended to about the radius of a football field, and I could feel the connection between my magic and the weather, a sensation that was awe-inspiring in its magnitude.
"A most impressive display," Aqualad remarked, his voice carrying a note of admiration. He had drawn two stick-like tools, which glowed with his own power, drawing the falling water to them and forming into hammers, then swords, then chains, cycling rapidly. "Your control over the weather is quite remarkable, and my own skill with water manipulation seems far less taxing when using the waters you have infused."
Robin nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the sparkling blue rain. "The purity of his water from the spell might make the rain more malleable to your manipulation," he observed, addressing Aqualad.
As the rain fell around us, I couldn't help but notice Superboy basking in the downpour, his arms spread wide as if embracing the soothing cascade. His expression was serene and possibly hopeful.
Was he just enjoying the rain? Or was he assuming that Tranquility would have the same effect as Healing Hands? Because I doubted it would. What I'd done with Healing Hands was practically suffuse his body with healing mana, Tranquility was potent no doubt, but it didn't permeate as deeply.
My connection faltered for a moment and I returned my focus to the spell I needed to continuously channel.
Despite the fading light of the sunset, the rain continued to fall, casting a mesmerizing blue glow against the backdrop of the ocean.
It had been at least a minute or two since I began, that was long enough as I was starting to feel the draw of mana, even though maintaining it here was fairly cheap.
With a swift motion, I cut off the spell channeling, ending the effect and allowing the rain to gradually taper off after a few moments. The tranquil blue glow faded, leaving us standing on the beach, the only sound the gentle lapping of waves against the shore.
We were all seated in the kitchen of the cave.
The aroma of homemade pizza filled the kitchen as the team gathered around the table, plates piled high with slices.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing as I looked around at these people. They were a bit of a motley crew, no doubt, but there was something special about the bond they shared, and not to sound too sappy, but I wanted a part of that. I didn't want to be a loner anymore. I sometimes joke to myself about how I was a voluntary loner, but the truth was I just didn't find myself clicking with people too often, and I wasn't the type of person to fake my interests just to fit in. But here it felt like I might have a place.
As I took a bite of my pizza, I knew that there was something I still needed to ask, something that had been weighing on my mind since we returned to the Cave. Swallowing my food, I cleared my throat and spoke up.
"Hey, guys," I began, feeling a bit nervous under the collective gaze of the team. "I was just wondering... am I in? Like, am I part of the team now?"
Aqualad shared a glance with Robin before nodding in response. "In truth, we should wait for Kid Flash to be present for this discussion," he started, his voice calm and measured. "But considering his chronic tardiness, I suppose we can begin without him."
He paused for a moment, as if considering his words carefully. "Personally, I see no issue with Influx's inclusion on the team. Marty has proven himself to be resourceful and capable, as well as willing to put himself at risk to help others, something I believe we all could relate to. I believe he could fit in quite well with us."
Robin chimed in next, his tone slightly skeptical. "I still have my doubts," he admitted, his domino mask concealing his expression. "But you're an alright guy, so I suppose you can stick around for now."
Conner merely nodded in agreement, his expression curious as he regarded the food on his plate. Had he never had pizza before?
M'gann offered me a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with kindness. "As long as you cook for us every now and then, I think you can stay," she joked, her voice playful.
Artemis, who was casually devouring a slice of chicken and bacon pizza, offered me a thumbs up before speaking. "If it means you won't randomly show up at my house anymore, then I'm down for it," she said with a smirk.
I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me as I looked around at my new teammates. "Thank you, everyone," I said sincerely, feeling an actual sense of relief wash over him. "I really appreciate it," I paused as I went for another bite, realizing something. "Hey, this technically means I'm not homeless anymore!" I exclaimed, dropping that fact casually as I didn't really want a big deal made of it.
Most of those present looked shocked. But before anyone else could respond, an automated voice interrupted the moment. "Kid Flash, B-03," it announced, signaling the arrival of the one I'd yet to meet.
A yellow dressed figure blurred to the kitchen to stand before us all. "I am here and ready to evaluate the new guy!"
He spun to face me. "Hello new guy!"
"We just told Influx he's in," offered Robin. "Maybe if you weren't so late…"
"What?! But I thought we were gonna test him in all sorts of ways, not cool guys," complained the speedster as he grabbed a pair of slices.
"I made the pizza," I pointed out as he stuffed his face, chewing and swallowing at what had to be superspeed. Slice after slice of the pie no one had touched yet disappeared into him.
He blurred over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Alright, I like you already! You're in!"
When the food was all done, he introduced himself to me as Wally West. And just like that, I was now part of the team.
AN: Oh man this chapter was tough. The characterization of the team, the conversation with Batman. How the hell do you write Batman anyway? I really struggled to make him appear like a stern and scary figure and then also having him recruit Marty. In the end I think I decided to have him say as little as possible, and have Marty's brain draw conclusions on him. Less is better I think.
As for the rest of the chapter; I originally wrote it as gaining three abilities from Warcraft 3 but that felt like severe overkill when I was editing so I had to change large portions of the chapter to limit it to two. I feel like in a while I'd lose track of all Marty's abilities if I keep giving him spells willy nilly.
So going forward, Marty has a hard limit of two choices from a game, that's the restriction I'm setting for myself. No matter how much I wanted to give him pretty much all the abilities I wrote out here.
I don't want this to turn into a pseudo-magical, Gary Sue fantasy with all the overpowered spells I'd be giving him, or worse me handwaving away why he didn't significantly overpower someone because of plot reasons. Hell, I struggle to not make Marty's answer to every problem a clever use of Clairvoyance and that's not even an overpowered ability! I really need to back off a bit with all the spells I've been giving him and give him more passive options. I have an interesting game or two lined up for cool passive options, but I could definitely use more. Please suggest some, but do keep in mind that it can't be overpowered, I'm not going to give him super-enhanced reflexes to dodge bullets coming at him like its the Matrix for example, that's not the character development I have in mind for him.