Happy New Year, sorry for the delay but work has being killing me and I just got out of COVID isolation, hope you enjoy this one. I own nothing.
The Avengers, Australia.
Cat Grant stands in front of the camera as it shows Martian Manhunter and Superman dodging and blocking cars, the camera is showing the news.
"This is Cat Grant, reporting live from New Orleans, were we see the Martian Manhunter and Superman are in mid battle against the so called 'Terror Twins' who have been on a 3 state rampage though the south" Cat reports at the camera zooms in to see to blonde teenagers jumping a great distance to take on the Martian and kryptonian.
The twins both tried to attack the aliens but they were both grabbed and thrown around into a faraway building away from the cameras.
"And so the mission begins" Michael said watching the news in the Avengers bar, Michael knowing the mission as Batman already inform them about the mission as Superboy fits Tommy Terror build and Miss Martian can shapeshift to anyone, both of them are going to jail on the suspect of a prison break out.
Michael watches the News has they show the 'Terror Twins' get arrest and send to prison on the bus. Michael is really interested in those Inhibitor collars; they are special control collars designed to prevent the wearer from accessing their superhuman abilities, and also to apply electric shocks powerful enough to render a person unconscious.
Although Michael doesn't understand the design for it, looking like your collaring animals instead of human beings. Michael watches as Julian looks at the news with him.
"Those collars are very fascinating Commander, human collars that shock them when they misbehave" Julian sounds happy, seeing humans wearing collars like the animals they are.
"Their design is rather dehumanizing, and far too easy to take off, the fact that they can suppress super powers and yet they barely maximize the technologies potential" Michael said, thinking about the possibility of suppressing super powers, a watch or an impact to hide the device, perhaps bullets or injection to permanently get rid of superpowers.
"Such technologic would be better in more practical hands" Julian said, knowing the design and function of the collars are limited but if modified.
"I already have someone getting as much as he can carry," Michael said, turning off the TV as he stood.
Michael looks at one of the computers to see how Advent Burger is doing, seeing it slowly get more and more popular with social media and others trying the science made meat and loving it.
"I find it ironic that Advent would be the one to help us the most in this world despite being our enemy in our own world" Julian noted, as he saw the social media freely advertise the fast food service.
"Advent did bring out some good things from all the horror they did" Michael said, looking down at the fact that advent made many things on the back of billions of dead.
"Still I think we should start fully capitalizing on this" Michael said, looking at the income Advent burger is making is slowly increasing. They will soon have enough to cover another restaurant if they want to.
"You meatbags love you unhealthy food, slowly destroying your health and making yourselves weaker in the coming years" Julian said, finding the fast food industry funny for slowly destroying the health of the human race.
"Maybe you should have run the Advent burger back home" Michael said off handed.
"I really should have, with the right chemicals and advertisement I could have taken over the world by now" Julian said, thinking about it before looking at the Commander.
"Perhaps that's what we should do" Michael said looking at the data for Advent Burger with Julian following him.
LINE
Victoria, Melbourne
The people are all lining up to the new fast food store, all wanting to try the new food after hearing it from friends and social media.
The Advent Burger,
"Were here at the new restaurant, which has taken social media by storm with its tasty food and the first of its kind to make use of the revolutionary lab grown meat" Karl Stefan of Good Morning, reporting on the new kind of restaurant.
"As you can see, a line of people all want to try this new kind of meat" Karl Stefan said following the line of people before showing a picture of the new restaurant with a red A 'like symbol.
"This restaurant makes use of lab-grown meat, the process of taking the blood of your normal farm animal and adding the elements that is normally found in the meat" Karl Stefan explains to the viewers as he turns to see one of the employees handing someone the meal they order.
"I am here with David Belcher, the manager of Advent Burger, now David how is all this possible?" Karl asked David.
"Well Karl, Cultured meat was already in development, the studies and science were happening during the early 2000s, the science proved successful but testing it with others haven't worked out, but with this new investment and new restaurant selling good and cultured food without killing animals" David explained to the news reporter.
"And who's his new investor that helped start this new business?" Karl asked as David just shrugged.
"A scientist that invested some money in a new start up, and was surprised it worked so well, but asked to not be noticed" David explained the inventor that helped start the new business.
"And where is this scientist? David" Karl asked him but David shook his head.
"Sorry, he is camera shy and doesn't like the attention" David said as Karl smiles and continues to ask questions with pictures of people eating the new cultured meat burgers and other food.
LINE
Michael sits down across the Advent Burger as he looks at the familiar red symbol of Advent, now changed to a friendlier red A instead of an arrow.
Michael just chuckles to himself at the irony of using the enemy logo as their own, while it took time to set up the machines at the labs to make cultured meat in a large amount but it is the training and other things that give the meat its texture and taste.
And many people already love the taste of it and the support we do to animals by not killing them for food.
Best thing about it is he didn't even have to run it, while he owns the business David can run the business without needing help, he has experience working at many restaurants, serving and sometimes running them and giving him the opportunity to run it himself was a big offer he couldn't refuse.
Now David is running the new Advent Burger and is running it perfectly. It also helps that a certain AI is offering his help to slowly increase the popularity of Advent Burger and ensure it runs smoothly.
But that's for later as Michael takes a bite of the Advent Burger, the one made by the restaurant. Not as good at the one he made but good enough for something to eat.
"That is good food you got there man" A female voice said, causing Michael to turn to see a pretty woman with red hair holding her own Advent burger.
"Sorry man, but do you mind if I sit here, every other spot is taken" The redhead pointed out a Michael seeing many people sitting around and eating Advent burgers, not leaving much room for any more people. Michael just nods as the redhead smiles and sits next to him before unwrapping her burger.
"Thanks, I have been waiting for this all day" The redhead said as she took a big bite as she smiled while eating the burger.
"Mmm, this is good, have you tried this one?" She asked Michael seeing he got a different burger then her as Michael sees more salads in hers.
"No, prefer more protein" Michael said, with Michael's Gene Mods he has to eat more food than normal as the red-head looks at him funny.
"Then you shouldn't be eating Advent, the protein is artificial" the redhead explained as Michael smiled.
"Perhaps but food is food, not into meat?" Michael asked as he took a bite of his burger.
"Not really, I mean, no, what's the word people say that don't eat from animals?" She thinks about it as Michael raises her eye at her.
"Vegan" Michael answers as she snaps her fingers.
"Vegan, that's the word, thanks man but yeah I just prefer my greens over my reds, mph" The redhead chuckles to herself as Michael smiles at her.
"We all have our favorites" Michael smiles as they both eat their burgers.
"Michael Thrawn" Michael introduced himself.
"Sara Moore" Sara Moore introduced herself as well.
"Come here often Sara?" Michael asked her as they sat on the bench together.
"I just recently just came here, actually, my family didn't approve of me leaving but I didn't let that stop me so here I am" Sara explained.
"Do you have issues with your family?" Michael asked as she looked at him surprised.
"What no, not at all man, it's just my parents are busy and my older brother is trying to follow their footsteps and I love them all but they" Sara tried to explain as Michael looks at her.
"They have expectations of me, I was content to follow them but then I learned about how big this new world is" She waves her hand across presenting everything.
"The sky, the rain, the colours, the food, everything is so different, here it is amazing" Sara looks happy as Michael smiles at her.
"And where did you say you were from?" Michael asked as Sara closed her hand and looked sheepish.
"Oooo far away for here man, you wouldn't know it" Sara shrugs Michael question off.
"Well then I'm happy you're here, enjoy these advent burgers with me" Michael takes another bite of this burger.
"I know, I've seen how you people have to butcher animals to make this meat, it's some scary stuff man but this meat that only needs blood instead of cutting open cute animals is too ingenious" Sara said in awe at the burger she was eating.
"Yes that is one of the benefits to eating cultured meat and a few more" Michael explained as Sara nodded.
"What about you Michael, are you close with your family?" Sara asked as Michael smiled, turning into a sad frown before slowly looking at the Advent Burger sign. Sara notices the sad frown.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean too" "It ok" Michael cut her off before she said anything.
"My family recently passed away a long time ago, first my father when I was 14 then my Mother and sister when I was 17" Michael said sadly before finishing off his burger.
"I'm sorry to bring up bad memories" Sara said but Michael waves her off.
"You didn't know," Michael said as Sara nearly finished her burger.
"Well thank you for letting me sit and it's nice chatting with you, you're a cool dude, man" Sara said as she finished her burger and was about to stand up and leave.
"And you're an interesting Martian" Michael said, stopping her in her tracks as she slowly turned to look at Michael who didn't look at her.
"How did you know?" Sara said in surprise at Michael discovering her secret.
"Something your mention about being in a new world and how surprised you are was the first clue" Michael explained as Sara cursed herself.
"But I notice you trying to read my mind a few times" Michael explained as He felt Sara try to break this Mind shield.
"You're a telepath?" Sara was surprised to meet one of the Meta humans so early.
"That and more, so would you kindly stop trying to read my mind" Michael still feels her trying to read his mind, it is starting to get annoying.
"Sorry, Martians commutative through telepathy" Sara explains her reason as being the norm of mars.
"Well sadly, Earthlings aren't used to hearing voices in their head, well the sane ones at least" Michael said offhandedly.
"I've heard of those, surprise you keep them alive" Sara said about the insane humans in this world.
"It's a bit of a waste to kill someone that doesn't know any better or can't comprehend what they're doing is wrong" Michael said to Sara as she looked at him.
"What about the insane super powered ones" Sara explained as Michael just shrugs.
"It is different for each of them, while some need the right help in order to pay for their crimes but others won't change to matter what and need to me put down, but it is a complicated case for each of them." Michael explained his opinion on the matter.
"Your system of justice is rather flawed man" Sara said, not fully understanding the human justice system, hell Michael doesn't fully understand it either.
"How does justice work on Mars then?" Michael asked, seeing if the Martians can do better than humans.
"Well crimes are difficult to get away with everyone being psychic, but it has happened and the crimes normally come with the punishment, depending on your skin colour though" Sara explained as Michael looked at her.
"Skin colour?" Michael asked as Sara just sighed before sitting down next to him.
"Not all Martians are green like J'onn J'onzz, There are three skin colours for Martians, G'arrunn or Green, B'lahdenn or Red and A'ashenn or White. Green and White are common while the Red the royal, the White are what your people call a 'minority' in our caste system "Sara explained as Michael finds that surprising.
"Aren't Martians shapeshifters, can't you change your colour?" Michael asks the obvious question as Sara shakes her head.
"It doesn't work like that, Martians use psychics to tell each other apart" Sara explained as Michael just shakes his head at the stupidity of shapeshifters being racist.
But then again the Faceless back in his dimension wasn't any better. For a race of shape shifting infiltrators their huge asshole to everyone, even their own kind, apparently Faceless don't see others based on skin colour. Faceless basic their statist on body, fat and loose skin is considered the normal but more tough and fit body are the minority to Faceless. The Elders must have got rid of all the tough and fit to make the faceless easier to control.
Michael thinks it is more body shame then racism for Faceless but he is human, not a Faceless, or a Martian.
"So if you don't mind me asking, what's your colour?" Michael asks as Sara smiles.
"Why don't you guess?" Sara said as Michael looked at her and shook his head.
"You are not going to make it easy for me are you?" Michael said as Sara smiled.
"No but a fellow Martian could tell" Sara gave Michael a cheeky smile as Michael smiled as well.
"So if a Martian did commit a crime and got away with it your kind wouldn't be able to catch them" Michael said as Sara thought for a second.
"No Martians are psychic so if a crime was committed everyone would know" Sara said but Michael wasn't convinced.
"But if no one saw the crime then you wouldn't tell everyone and since Martians never actually investigate you wouldn't know who the criminal is, and your caste system would only cause a civil war" Michael said as Sara looked surprised before thinking about it.
"Thatttttts wow you totally blow my mind man" Sara has a look of wonder on her face that makes Michael chuckle.
"Well we should do this again, I need to be somewhere now" Michael said looking at his watch to see the time as Sara noticed the time as well.
"I should go as well, thank Michael you gave me a lot to think about. We should do this again" Sara said as Michael took to his phone.
"Do you have a phone?" Michael asks as Sara nodded and they both exchanged numbers. As Sara waves off and Michael watches her go off.
"This should be interesting," Michael said as he headed off looking at the phone while thinking about the Martian.
LINE
Amanda Waller's stuff is being thrown into the garbage as a new one is placed on Hugo Strange's desk. The man himself releases his hand from the items and moves behind the desk.
"Belle Reve will be fully operational by tomorrow." He tells someone. "All prisoners are accounted for, except the Riddler who did manage to escape during the confusion." He seems at least slightly impressed.
"Still, you must be disappointed."
Icicle Senior stands before him, unguarded, uncuffed, but the collar in place and turned off.
"Me? After the risk you took smuggling our tech inside you had nearly as much invested in the break as we did. It's a shame we got beat, but the main objectives were all reached." Senior asks with a small smirk as he holds his hand out to Strange. The man reaches across the table and shakes his hand.
"The Light should be quite pleased." He says with a small smile. Either of them notices the computer now has a beeping red light and a completed upload before closing itself.
LINE
The Riddler runs through the buildings, hiding from the cops and other heroes. Jumping over a fence and gets his back on the corner, looking around he checks no one around to see him.
He runs to an abandoned building, climbing into the second floor window he jumps in. looking around to see no one saw him.
"Your late" A voice called out to him, the Riddle turns to see Cold-Blood sitting on a table with SP-05 looking at her screen and his wrist computer.
"The Riddler is never late; it is you that is late Mr Cobra, too late to answer my riddle" The Riddler said as he went into a pose, Cold-Blood just rolled his eyes.
"I've seen the mission and you haven't said a single riddle since you were sent to Belle Reve" Cold-Blood said as a muffth voice can be heard as the Riddle turned to see someone tied up and gagged across from Cold-Blood.
The Riddle tied up and gagged sees another Riddle in a prisoner uniform.
"Forgive me but I'm terrible with riddles" The not tied up Riddle said as he takes out a cigar and lights it, the Riddle body turns into the Spy.
"You luckily you're sent to Belle Reve and not Arkham, they inspect more riddles than in prison" Cold-Blood said as the Spy put a few collars and prison clothes on the table.
"The Inhibitor collars like you asked and I even got these clothes that are designed to withstand extreme cold temperature, very useful" The Spy said as he put the items on the table as Cold-Blood looked at the items in question.
"Very good Spy, you're worth the money after all" Cold-Blood said as the Spy smiled and sat back down and smoked.
""The Light should be quite pleased." A voice said as Cold-Blood looks at the camera watching the new Warden Hugo Strange shaking the hand of Icicle Senior.
Cold-Blood sent the Spy to infiltrate Belle Reve, first he took out the Riddle, which wasn't hard to do and took his place in Belle Reve for a month to gather information, collect anything useful and plant the bugs in the computer to gain access to all the files and cameras. And what Cold-Blood found out was beyond what he imagined.
"That explains why the justice system is flawed," Cold-Blood said, ``if the criminals have access to jails then no wonder it's so easy for them to get out.
So the Light planned a breakout but was stopped by Miss Martian and Superboy, but seeing the results the breakout was irrelevant. The goal was to get rid of Amanda Waller and have her replaced with someone that would allow people that were of use to the Light to temporarily, and secretly, be put to use outside the prison.
"Did someone call you?" Cold-Blood asked as the Spy nodded.
"Someone wanted the Riddler to be of use," Spy said, pulling out a burner phone.
"Good, there's going to be more work for you" Cold-Blood said as the Spy grinned and smoked, but a muffed noise got their attention.
"mhthw,mwhm ewmh" The tied up Riddler tries to talk but both Cold-Blood and Spy just look at him.
"What about this one?" Spy asked as Cold-Blood just looked at Riddler.
"I don't know, sending him to jail won't help and he clearly can't return to society with him planting bombs because he has no friends, as far as I now" Cold-blood said as Riddler tries to talk,
"Everyone in prison saw me as a joke, there wasn't anything to do there" The spy said remembering this time as Riddler.
"Belle Reve doesn't have anything to offer to rehabilitate prisoners besides giving them a hole to stay in" Cold-Blood said, the prisons here don't have a rehabilitation program for inmates.
"My opinion, just kill him and be done with it" The spy pulls out a gun to shoot the Riddler as he screams and shakes his head loose to remove the gag.
"Wait wait, you can't kill me, that against the law the heroes won't let you go, Batman would get you" The Riddler tries to threaten them by using the heroes as a safety net.
"Little man I pretend to be you for a month with only a few basic riddles 5 years olds can answer and no one was none the wiser" The spy bringing up the point at the Riddle started to sweat.
"Wait,aaaa, I can be useful, you can make amazing use of my intellect" The Riddler bargains with them as Cold-Blood looks at him.
"For such a mighty intellect, why turn to crime?" Cold-Blood asked as the Riddler.
"Please my friend, I do it for the chase, the thrill, that's why I leave clues out for others to try and catch me" the Riddler explained this reason for crime is more thrill seeking then anything.
"Makes sense, your more than capability to commit a crime undetected but though your own need to feel challenged and desperate need of attention you purposely sabotage yourself and leave clues on your whereabouts in order to show off your intellect to whoever follow, you're just sad lonely man with no friends, using clues as a way to get people to acknowledge your pitiful existence" Cold-Blood said as Riddle is shocked at Cold-Blood words and felt a little hurt by them.
"Well that's not rights I have friends, and I don't sabotage myself, I just leave hints to gettt thhhe herrros to catch mee" The Riddle said realizing what he said as the Spy laughs.
"hahah You could've been a great spy, or mercenary or any job even, but to leave behind hints because you have nothing, I bet you haven't even been with a woman" The Spy laughs as the Riddle grits his teeth.
"Hey I too have been with woman, you tatty suit bandit" The Riddle tries to insult but it didn't work on Spy.
"Harlots don't count, especially when you pay for them" the Spy chuckles as Cold-Blood rolls his eyes at this.
"And why would I use someone who would rather waste their time on short thill instead of long term goals, no better than a druggie but worse as you destroy the lives of others and not just your own" Cold-Blood said as he goes back to the SP-5 and Spy pulls out a gun.
"Wait I have information, information you'll need" Riddle begs as the Spy checks his ammo.
"I already read your mind, and sorry but you have nothing I can get through simpler means" Cold-Blood said as the Spy clocked his gun.
"Wait"
POOOOOAAA
The Spy shoots the Riddler in the head, The bullet punches it's way through his head, causing a gaping hole in its wake that quickly filled with blood and gushed out. The Riddler fell back on the ground, a pool of blood forming around him and soaked into his clothes as his eyes showed a begging look for mercy.
But found none.
"Finally, he shut up" The Spy said as Cold-Blood turned to him.
"How do you feel about playing the Riddler a little more?" Cold-Blood asked the Spy, who smokes his cigar.
"I'm going to need more pay and more drinks for that role" The Spy said as Cold-Blood brought out glasses and a case of purple liquor.
"Consider this your bonus" Cold-Blood poured two glasses of the liquor as Spy took one and looked at it.
"What is this?" The Spy asked, taking a smell and swirling it around, to get a feel of its aroma.
"New type of Liquor only few people know, it's called Viper's Liquor" Cold-Blood said as he took a drink, with the Spy having a sip.
"mmmmmmm Very good, very good indeed. Using some kind of snake as an ingredient, very good" The Spy smiles as he takes another sip.
"I have something more for you" Cold-Blood said as he got up to pull out as case. The Spy looks at it with interest and Cold-Blood opens it to show the Spy what's inside.
The case showed a suit of white skin suit with big white plates on the arms, legs, chest and heat, the plates look like it was made of a hardened clay.
"This is the Soulless suit, made from the flesh of a very dangerous and intelligent monster that causes havoc wherever it goes. The suit can shapeshift into anything one without a limit, and shape melee weapons out of the flesh. While it works on people, but not on machines and psychic, but you are more than capable of dealing with it." Cold-Blood said as the Spy looked at the suit.
"So I will use this suit to infiltrate this 'illuminati' group of yours" The spy said with interest at the challenge and the suit abilities.
"You'll get support and I'll even add a bottle" Cold-Blood gave him the Liquor case as the Spy grabs it.
"Make it two bottles" the Spy poured another drink for them both as Cold-Blood smiled and they both clicked their glass for future missions.
The Light is gaining more and more influence, whatever plan they have XCOM would be more than ready for it.