The multiverse is more than just a prism…
It is ever expanding and ever growing…
A place where one choice, one fork on the road can lead to many opportunities…
But every spark of brilliance there is a spark of madness…
These are the stories of both…
Punchline had long learned to be the kind to roll with the punches before she started punching back. Even as she was bounced from dead end job to dead end job like everyone else in her world, she knew that the first rule of all fights is knowing where to hit and make the most damage. Regardless of the situation, you had to know where to hit and that was something she needed to learn fast with her new environment. For all intents and purposes, she was a prisoner with an explosive collar wrapped around her neck if she didn't do exactly what her new boss wanted her to do.
The thought of him meeting her on the same level and seeing the cosmic joke made her smile like a mad woman in an asylum. And the idea that he was scheming with her in mind made her giggle like a little girl in a candy store. Oh the fun she could have with him and all the other playthings they would be picking up on their way. But she needed to play along with the other boring squares that were tagging along. After all, every game had those pawns that needed to act as cannon fodder for the real players to work their magic. So she would play the part of a consultant while looking for the openings that she wanted to strike and hurt the most.
At least she could walk through the corridors of the House of Mystery… But she couldn't enter any room alone without supervision. At least, the pieces of the collection were fun to look at if not dangerous to touch.
"I bet I could do a lot of damage with these things." Punchline looked at a pair of swords crossing a shield that showed a rising sun with a green lantern-like symbol over it.
She looked back, making sure that no one was around. Reaching out to snatch the weapons, she tested how the new choker on her neck would react.
"Hands off the displays."
Punchline turned to see the most annoying babysitters she'd ever had to deal with.
Metamorpho and Sideways looked at her like a pair of guard dogs at a junkyard waiting for a reason to pounce on her. Their eyes were fixed on her, their bodies tensing and ready to attack if she gave them a reason to do so.
"Word to the wise, Cain hates when his pieces are touched by anyone that isn't him." Sideways remarked, crossing his arms. "I swear I saw him cast some curse on one of the plants to eat people's faces."
"Oh, I didn't know you cared so much~." Punchline walked towards Sideways, swaying her hips. "Don't tell me that you're a stickler for rules, Sidey. You could show me the best places in this house if you want me to keep my hands to myself. Or maybe I could show you some things~?" Punchline leaned forwards, letting the young hero catch a glimpse of her tight suit.
Sideways took a step back, inwardly thanking that he had a mask to cover his blush. What could he say? He was a young man with little experience in romance and a drop dead gorgeous femme fatale was just stirring up his hormones. There was something about the danger and the sexiness of her that made him putty in her hands. His mind tried to focus on the more pressing matters, like the fact she was a psychotic terrorist that would stab them all to death for a gag.
"Step back, lady." Metamorpho stepped between them.
"Aw~, big brother is here." Punchline pulled back with a smile like an innocent little girl. "Guess we will have to have fun some other time, bye bye, Sidey~!" She waved at him goodbye before walking away from them.
As soon as Punchline rounded the corner, Sideways let out a breath that he was holding.
"Damn, that woman is evil as sin." Sideways shook himself. "My mom always warned me about women like her. I thought she was kidding."
"Yeah, she's good at pushing buttons and that's one of the reasons she's dangerous." Metamorpho looked at Sideways. "I've met a few like her. Last thing you wanna give them is any information they can use against you. Or giving them free reign inside the place they're at."
"Still can't believe that we're working with a wanted terrorist or that Nite Owl convinced Cain to get her onboard," Sideways said. "Why couldn't we have asked Ms. Possible to come with us? Bet she would be a much cooler and less creepy company. Present company excluded, dude." He held up his hands in defense.
"Don't worry, kid. I share the feeling." Metamorpho looked at the direction Punchline had gone to. "Hopefully, this won't be a long term arrangement. It kinda feels that for every time we get close to Dr. Destiny, there is always something or someone that helps him slip away."
"Man must be crazy lucky." Sideways scratched his chin. "Ernie would say a little too lucky."
Cain looked through his many books to help him create a perfect trap for Dr. Destiny. Sadly, most of the information he was looking at was either too obvious or not meant to counter the Dream Stone. With the wounds he'd received, Dr. Destiny would be very careful with hsi next move. Plus there was a chance that he was still looking for a place with the resources to alter the Dream Stone to suit his needs. His thoughts were cut short when he noticed that he wasn't alone.
"Shouldn't you have a chaperone, Ms. Kaye?" Cain asked, calmly turning around to meet Punchline's smiling face.
"Nite Owl said to get used to my new surroundings," Punchline replied. "So, he told me to take a stroll through your little palace of relics. Must be tempting to use some of these things and have a confrontation with anyone that pisses you off." Punchline leaned on a glowing orb that showed an icy kingdom caught in a perpetual snowstorm.
"Now, why would I ever do that?" Cain asked. "I'm just a humble collector of stories and fables and one or two antiques. Starting wars and going for bloody vengeance is something I do in my spare time to those that have earned my ire." Cain towered over Punchline, making her move to her next object of interest.
"Does that mean that even you play games or prefer to make your own rules?" Punchline asked, leaning next to a bottle of size altering potions with the words 'Don't Drink' printed on the glass.
Cain kept his eyes on her, well aware of her cat and mouse game. He was not foolish enough to reveal information of vital importance to someone like Punchline with such ease. There were things his master wouldn't like to be revealed to common mortals. But he was tempted to tell her and then kill her for getting too close to some of his possessions. But he held his hand. If Nite Owl was right, she could be the key to solving this Dr. Destiny dilemma.
"Is there something you need, Ms. Kaye?" Cain asked, pulling her away from a singing trident he'd collected from Atlantis.
"I'm bored. Tell me one of your famous stories," Punchline said. "Like, what's the story of this thing?" She pointed to a bag of snacks across the room.
The bag looked exactly like any other normal snack bag one would find at their local supermarket, grocery store or convenience store or snack cart at the corner of the street. However, there was something odd about the snack bag in question. It was bright yellow, big enough to fit in one's palm and it had 'Proud Snacks' printed on the front with brown letters on top of the picture of a man that looked like a scarecrow. It definitely didn't look like something Cain would collect, let alone keep.
"Don't tell me that's just your snack, is it?" Punchline asked.
"As a matter of fact, my dear, I wouldn't force feed the contents of this bag to my most vile enemies. Nor any mongrel in fact. Not even I am that cruel." Cain watched as Punchline made her way to the snack bag.
"What? Why? Is it poisoned or something?" She innocently asked.
Cain forced back a giggle. If the contents of the bag were poisonous or contaminated in any manner that would be one thing. But those snacks were something much more. Which reminded him of a story-
"I think I've seen one before." Punchlines words
"Come again?" Cain asked. "You must be mistaken, Ms. Kaye. There are only so many worlds that have these… things and yours isn't one of them."
"Huh, must've been Dr. Destiny's thing then," Punchline shrugged.
"What? You saw Dr. Destiny picture the world this bag came from?" Cain looked like he was ready to bite her.
"I'm telling you what I saw," Punchline said. "Come on, give me one reason to lie about something so specific." She smirked, looking at Cain.
Cain wanted to find some flaw or call that the young woman was bluffing. But peering into the woman's mind was like taking a dip into the swamp while alligators were in heat. He couldn't trust a word she said to him but he could also not think of what she could win by tricking him. She knew the stakes of what was going on, and she knew that if she didn't cooperate with them she'd meet a most gruesome end. That was the problem with working with twisted madmen, and women, one could never see what scared them and what didn't. But, if playing her game got them results…
"It all started when I took a stroll through the California west coast," He sighed.
"OH, goodie! Where did the Devil go down to check the sights?" Punchline clapped like a little child.
"That's a different story," Cain quickly cut her off. "This is more a story of a man that thought he could trick his way to easy riches, a poor girl in search of a purpose, a deadly trio in search for power, and a young man that saw himself as the only one that could stand up against corruption. I call this story…"
"The Tiger's Shadow"
Earth -2202
What if Smithsville/Emilyville was protected by a fierce tiger?
Cain walked through the streets of Smithsville-now renamed Emilyville. He'd heard very few things about the city, mostly it resembled any other city that was next to the Pacific Ocean of the Western United States. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling like something was amiss. He looked around and wondered what it could be. He stroked his beard wondering what it could be. He saw all the usual signs of a normal city in California. There was a drought. There were jacked up prices for commodities. There were people of Latin descent explaining why 'Latinx' wasn't a thing in countries outside the U.S. There were young activists and social justice warriors spouting how unfair the world was.
Everything seemed to be rather normal. Which made Cain wonder why there was the strange stench of evil in the air. He looked into the shadows of the alleys and spotted some shadowy figures moving. With a raised eyebrow, he followed after the strange figures in silence.
"I had almost given up hope that this world was somewhat interesting, when I caught sight of something that made me smile."
Cain turned his head to peek into the alley and saw a bunch of men wearing large coats and dark hats talking about insidious businesses.
"You sure the bosses were cool with us doing this in broad daylight?"
"Call it whatever you want, Smithsville, Emilyville, Monkeyville, it don't matter. It's business as usual."
"Yeah, as long as we listen to the real masters of the city, we're going to be rolling in dough. So you got the stuff?"
"I got the stuff." The first man pulled up a briefcase. "I still think we should've met at night or some place more private."
"You wanna argue with the Trio?"
The man's face went pale before shaking it like crazy."
"Thought so. Let's see it."
The third man pulled up the briefcase, opening it to reveal large doses of glowing green drugs ready to be spread through the city. The other two men smiled at the pieces before them, wondering what they could do with all of it. The first one picked up one of the biles and watched it against the light of the sun with a smile. Every community and city had its own drug or substance problem and their bosses were upping the ante. Because what he had in his hand was not something so common as crack or heroin. The thing the third man had brought was something else.
"Venom." The first man smiled. "Looks legit."
"Straight from Santa Prisca's cartels." The third man answered. "They sent this package to see what can be done before establishing a major shipment of the stuff to the city and into the states."
"I know a few people that would love to have these super steroids pumped into their system," the second man said. "But the bosses will want a guinea pig before selling them to the major athletes. Anyone in mind?"
"Excuse me, gentlemen!"
The criminals scurried to hide their illegal loot, turning around to see a man accompanied by a monkey wearing an employee suit. The man was a skinny African American man with a smug smile, short black hair and a goofy aura of him. He wore a long white shirt with a light purple tie, blue pants and black shoes. He approached the criminals with a goofy grin while the monkey dragged a cart filled with what looked like snack bags.
"Good afternoon, Oscar Proud, owner and founder of the Proud brand of Snacks." Oscar shook the criminal's hand in a frantic manner. "Or Proud Snacks as you've obviously heard. And I'm here to give you the chance of a lifetime. Being the first to try my new, all-good, all natural, all delicious, Proud Snacks. Now with lemon and salt." Oscar handed the criminals three yellow bags of his snacks.
Cain had met and seen many different people over the course of his existence, and in most cases he could tell exactly who they were with a glance. And he could safely say that the man in question was a bit of a… dumbass. The classic fool that thought was the big cheese only for life to knock them down a peg. And he could see that the ne'er-do wells had arrived at the same conclusion.
"And you think we're interested in these snacks… because?" The first criminal asked, slowly reaching for his gun.
"Because my trained eyes can tell what you are." Oscar pointed to one of his eyes. "Fellow entrepreneurs!" He claimed as the criminals pulled back from their weapons.
The three criminals didn't know if the man was an idiot or simply didn't read the room at all.
"So, please, take a bite and tell me what you think." Oscar handed each of them a bag, much to their confusion and annoyance.
"This is why we do things at closed off places, we avoid the weirdos," the third criminal whispered.
"What was that?" Oscar asked.
The three criminals hid the briefcase before each opening their respective bags.
"Nothing, something caught in his throat." The first criminal said. "We'll take a bite of… of these and see if we can do… business with you." He did his best to keep himself cool and collected in front of the fool that could identify them.
Oscar smiled like he was about to win the lottery as the three criminals grabbed a hand of the snacks. They ate the contents of the bags, chewing like it was just any other snack. But then it happened. Their brains processed the flavor of the snacks inside their mouths. It was sour, incredibly sour. Almost like they were tasting pure concentrated bitter lemons. But that was only the beginning, the inside of the flavor was followed up by the intoxicating flavor of rotten fish after it had been marinated in the most bitter of vinegar. They tried to spit it out for the sake of their mouths, but the strange chewy consistency of the snacks got them stuck on their teeth. They were trapped with their mouths practically filled with a chemical poison that would leave them praying for cyanide.
All this however was not passing through Oscar's mind. All he saw were three men that couldn't stop enjoying his latest concoction. To him, this was a victory and a chance to beat his nemesis, Wizard Kelly. He let out a laugh as the three men looked at each other like they were loving the new snacks he'd given them. Although, in reality they were trying to find a way to spit out the foul concoction from their mouths and drink bleach to get rid of the flavor.
"Ha, ha, I knew you'd like it, fellas!" Oscar smacked one of them in the back, making him swallow the snacks. "Here's a few more with my card. Call me and we'll do business together. Let's go Mr. Chimp."
Oscar and Mr. Chimp walked away from the three criminals as they managed to spit out the horrible snacks with vomit.
"Oh my god, I can still taste it." The third criminal spat out.
"I'm never complaining about my mother-in-law's cooking ever again." The second criminal wiped his tongue with his sleeves.
"That wasn't cooking. That was a chemical attack." The first criminal pulled out his gun, aiming it at Oscar. "We're about to do our civil service, boys."
As the criminal was about to pull the trigger when a sharp kick came down on his arm, hitting his wrist. He screamed as the gun went off, missing Oscar by a few inches.
"Huh, someone's car must've backfired." Oscar shrugged before heading out of the alley.
The criminal looked at his hand, and broken wrist before he turned around to see what had attacked him. Only for him to get punched in the face with a hard fist covered in yellow gloves that were as tough as knuckle dusters. He felt his face bones crack and shatter before another punch cracked him across the face. He was sent back as a sharp kick to the stomach, courtesy of a bright yellow boot. The man fell to the ground before the other two looked at their attacker.
"You three should know better," a voice spoke. "The concrete jungle has its own predators."
The owner of the voice was a tall young African American man with tanned skin, black hair cut in a buzzed top style with bright yellow eyes. His face was covered with yellow stripes that made it look like he had the fangs of a tiger digging into his face. His body was sharpened by countless hours of training and looked like he could put martial artists to shame and snap people in half with one hand. He wore an orange leotard with a s-neck, a tiger skin harness around his chest connecting to a yellow diamond, a black belt around his waist. His hands and feet were covered with yellow gloves and boots with tiger printed borders.
"And this is the Bronze Tiger's jungle," He growled.
The other two criminals pulled out their own guns, but Bronze Tiger closed the distance between them. He punched the second criminal in the face before, smacking the third criminal's gun out of his hand. Grabbing the third criminal's arm, he kneed it from below, breaking it before spinning on his heel and kicking the second criminal in the face. He didn't stop. His fist punched and beat the criminals, without any mercy. He punched them in the jaws, kicked them in the knees, before flipping them against the brick walls, knocking them out with great pain. Each blow he had landed on them was a painful strike against them, much like how a tiger would dispose of a rival or a threat to its home.
Bronze Tiger picked up the briefcase from the ground, opening it up to see the biles of Venom. He closed it up before looking around for anyone else. Unbeknownst to him, Cain watched him from the shadows as he left the three badly beaten crooks in the ground.
"I had never seen such ferocity from one so young. I must say that the thought of seeing what he would do next intrigued me. This young tiger would lead me to something else entirely."
Cain picked up the leftover bag of snacks. Not like he needed to eat at all, but he was curious as to what these things were. He took a whiff of the bag's contents and quickly recoiled in horror and disgust.
"I've known poisons more inviting to the pallet than these snacks. Was he a serial poisoner or just a madman with no taste?" Cain put the bag in his pocket. "It'll be a good souvenir regardless." He walked after the young man for more of the story.
Penny groaned at her luck. Her boyfriend was out of the city for a recital, her 'friends' had left her hanging on their study group for a smoothie run, and her dad had forgotten to pick her up from the library. That's how she ended up carrying lots of books on a presentation she would have to do most of the work on. At least the Gross Sisters weren't around to get her money. They had told her that it wasn't worth kicking someone that was already down. It was sad when the school bullies were more considerate than her actual friends.
"I swear, I can't wait to get out of this city," Penny hissed. "If it's not dad's greed-fueled antics, it's Dijoney or Lasienega or Maya's nonsense." She carried the books from the library before tripping.
She fell forward, closing her eyes before hitting the floor. But she never touched it. A pair of strong arms pulled her up before snatching her books.
"I see that you're still surrounding yourself with poor company, Penn."
Penny turned around, recognizing the voice all too well. She saw Benjamin Turner, her old neighbor and older brother figure.
"Ben!" Penny hugged Benjamin as he held her books. "When did you came back?! It's been years, boy!"
"I came back about a week ago," Benjamin replied. "I've been getting used to the old stomping grounds. What have you been up to? Finally out of middle school?"
"I'm half way through high school, if you must know, Ben. As you can see, I'm a woman." Penny twirled, striking a pose. "But man, look at you. You look fierce, and quite sturdy. Where the heck have you been?"
"China for the most part, working my way from there through Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Had a lot of work from then on, mostly security and keeping folks from doing stupid things." Benjamin explained. "I take it things haven't been changing much here?" They walked down the street.
"Where do I start?" Penny groaned. "Dad is still chasing an easy get rich scheme, mom is practically keeping the family in one piece, I'm looking for a job, and my so-called girlfriends are flakier than a snowflake in the desert. Sometimes this place seems like it just isn't going anywhere. I'm saving to go to a good college and get far from here." She looked at the street, at the seemingly normal place where she was stuck in.
But Benjamin didn't see that. His eyes noted several crimes and actions that would affect everyone. He saw a waiter stealing from the cash register, a cheating husband going out with his mistress, a woman snatching a wallet, and a drug peddler giving their clients their fix. It was all under the surface, hidden in plain sight for any to see if they tried.
"You'd be surprised how some cities are a little too similar to each other regardless," Benjamin said.
The two of them continued walking until they reached the Proud Family home. It looked just like how Benjamin remembered it. Apart from the mobile pet hospital that was parked on the driveway.
"Hey, mom, guess who I ran into?" Penny opened the door, gesturing to Benjamin behind her.
"Hello, Mrs. Proud." Benjamin waved at Trudy.
"Oh my gosh! Benjamin Turner, is that really you?" Trudy went to hug the young man. "Look at you, you're a man now. I remember when you were babysitting Penny and used to chase after her."
"Not my fault she got into trouble," Benjamin replied, causing Penny to pout.
"So, you moving back here to Smith-I mean, Emilyville?" Trudy asked.
"Yeah, I got a job at the local gym I used to train in and I'm just trying to get reacquainted with the new normal around these parts," Benjamin said. "I bet a lot has happened to even rename the place."
Penny and Trudy looked at each other, remembering all the insanity and craziness that their family had gotten involved with. It had been trying and had left a lot of them both humbled and wiser in some cases. It didn't help that Oscar often got involved in some crazy schemes that ended up backfiring on him and the family big time because of his greed. But at least they still had each other.
"Yo, Trudy! Where's dinner at, baby?!" Oscar came into the house.
"Some things haven't really changed." Trudy got up from the table. "Oscar, we have a guest."
"If it's from the bank, I ain't here." Oscar then caught sight of Benjamin and how he was close to Penny. "Hey, who's this little punk, Penny? Don't tell me you're two-timing that Karim kid. He looks like he has a toothache or something." Oscar got in Benjamin's face.
"Nice to see some things haven't changed." Benjamin got up from his seat, letting Oscar see his full size.
Oscar's bravado died as soon as he saw Ben's full size. Not only was he almost as tall as him but he had more than enough muscle to snap him like a toothpick. Now that he stood eye to eye with the young man, he didn't see a mere boy but something dangerous. It was the same kind of feeling that a chihuahua dog had when they then stood face to face with a doberman dog as it growled. But Ben didn't do anything but look at Oscar before Trudy stepped in.
"Oscar! This is Benjamin Turner, our old neighbor." Trudy smacked Oscar over the head.
"Huh? This is little BT?" Oscar looked at Ben up and down not fully believing a little kid would look like this monster. "Dang son, what are they feeding you?! Ain't you a little big for a 16 year-old?"
"I'm in my twenties, Mr. Proud." Ben crossed his arms.
"Wait, really? My baby girl is too young to date you!" Oscar tried to puff up his chest, but Ben didn't budge.
"Daddy!" Penny snapped.
"I'm not asking her out, Mr. Proud. I just came by to say hello," Ben replied. "And from what Penny has told me, she's off the market as some would say."
Penny covered her face in embarrassment from her father. She saw Ben like an older brother and often looked up to him. And now she couldn't help but hope he didn't listen to her father. It seemed like her father just had to stick his foot in his mouth every time he spoke. Part of her wished that there was something, anything to get her away from this conversation.
The doorbell rang, and she quickly sprang to get it.
"I'll get it!" Penny opened the door, hoping it was something to get her mind off of the situation. "Oh… it's you." Her mood soured almost immediately.
"Girl, where have you been?" Asked a lady by the name of Dijoney Johns.
If Penny was the normal, responsible girl of the group, Dijoney was the loud trashy girl that made people run for the hills. It didn't help that the girl literally left Penny hanging for everything and she had to clean up afterwards. Penny sometimes wondered why she hung out with her at all.
"I don't know, Dijoney, maybe the library? Doing research for our journalism project?" Penny asked.
"Oh… that was today?" Dijoney asked innocently. "I could've sworn it was tomorrow. You should've texted, girl."
Penny pulled up her phone, showing Dijoney all the texts she'd sent her. It was a long list. And all the while, Penny had a sour look on her face.
"Um, oops," Dijoney said.
"'Oops'? That's all you have to say?" Penny asked.
"Sorry, but Lacienega offered us a ride in her new car and we all went for smoothies at Wizard Shake!" Dijoney took a selfie holding up her smoothie.
"I see there are things that really haven't changed." Ben walked up behind Penny.
Dijoney looked at Ben and suddenly dropped her smoothie. Hearts sprung from her eyes as she howled like a wolf before pushing Penny out of the way. If there was anything that would characterize Dijoney more than being a bad friend, it was thinking with what would be a woman's lower head. She salivated at the sight of Ben and all but was ready to jump his bones.
"Why hello there, baby~. What brings a hot thing like you to this neck of the woods~?" Dijoney asked with a sultry smile. "If you're looking for some fun, you can just call me-" Dijoney clung to Ben's shoulder, only for Ben to move out of the way to let her fall.
"Dijoney Johns. I know who you are," Ben said. "I've known you for ten years." He helped Penny up. "And I see your taste in friends hasn't improved."
"Hey, you're my friend too, Ben." Penny smiled.
"Hold up, hold up, hold up! Penny, girlfriend, you know this stud~?" Dijoney asked, practically drooling.
"Dijoney-It's Ben." Penny asked, but Dijoney was still in Lala Land. "Benjamin Turner. He lived a couple of houses next door. You called him cat face when we were five?"
"Don't ring a bell." Dijoney denied.
"Yeah, I guess that happens a lot, mayonnaise." Ben turned to Penny. "Gotta go, Penny. Hope to see you around. Stay safe."
Penny waved Ben goodbye as Dijoney drooled as he walked away.
"He already gave me a pet name~." Dijoney melted to the floor.
"You just ignored the part where he called you empty headed, huh?" Penny walked back inside her house, leaving Dijoney outside.
Unbeknownst to the entire neighborhood, Cain observed the whole thing with a curious cat-like grin.
"And that's how a young man set out to right the wrongs of the city…"
"So, please, pray tell, what would Dr. Destiny would want with him?" Cain asked.
Back in the present, Cain finished his story. Punchline, however, was not very into giving out easy answers for his questions.
"I didn't quite get it the first time, but it might've had something to do with Looney Tune physics, something, something, an ancient totem of power, something like that." She smiled at Cain, who did not look amused.
"Are you telling me that Dr. Destiny is going into that world for the possibility of gaining cartoonish physics on his side with twisted ramifications for the Dream Stone?" Cain asked, but only got a creepy smile for his troubles. "I suppose a world that brought forth the twisted mind of Oscar Proud would be invaluable to the machinations of Dr. Destiny." He sighed.
"Yuppie! Time for a field trip!" Punchline cheered.
Cain didn't doubt for a second that this was most likely a trick from Punchline to escape their captivity. Her mind was like a labyrinth of different possibilities, each more dangerous and deranged than the other. But that was the reason she was capable of escaping Dr. Destiny's influence and was therefore their best chance at getting one over him. Regardless, he was not about to let someone like her off her leash anytime soon. He summoned his allies to the room before calling forth the door to the next realm they were going to.
"Wow, back to work so soon, boss?" Sideways asked.
"Yes, as the saying goes, no rest for the wicked." Cain turned to Nite Owl. "You want her to be our consultant, you keep an eye on her. If she steps out of line, both of you will suffer."
"Understood." Nite Owl stood unflinching as Punchline popped from behind him.
"Don't worry, boss man. I know how to work with men in tight uniforms." Punchline dusted off Nite Owl's shoulder. "We could even try to find another color set that fits you better~."
Cain, Metamorpho and Sideways weren't sure what they were looking at. Part of their minds wondered if the crazy villainess was pulling a trick of some kind. While another part wondered if she was actually attracted to him. None of them wanted to get the answers to that question. Punchline was crazier than a bag of cats and quite frankly far more dangerous than any feline they had ever met. Probably best to keep a safe distance from her. And yet they had to make sure that she was held in a tight leash.
"I suppose you three want me to keep an eye on Punchline?" Nite Owl looked at the group.
"Yes," they all replied simultaneously.
"Now that's an idea I can get behind." Punchline licked her lips.
"But just to be on the safe side." Cain pulled out a black choker with white spikes. "This will help me track her. If she gets more than 10 meters away from you, she'll be brought back to the House of Mystery, and into a locked room full of hungry beasties."
"Kinky." Punchline lifted her hair as Nite Owl put the collar on her.
Cain summoned the door, wanting this conversation to be over fast. He was not a prune in any sense of the word. But Punchline's advances were just getting under his skin. And those that did that ended up skinned by his hand.
The door popped up before their eyes, cutting the mad display of dangerous courting short.
It looked like it was split in two by a pair of claws tearing it apart. The upper part of the door was colored purple while made out of leather. It had the picture of a happy family with parents, three children, an uncle, a grandma and a small white dog that was biting the father's ear. The lower part of the door looked like it had been shredded by a pair of claws and fangs. It showed a dark city with three tall buildings and the roaring face of a tiger baring its fangs at them.
"This one looks rather colorful," Sideways said.
"Yeah, hope we don't run into any tigers." Metamorpho remembered the incident in the zoo when he was young. "Those cats were very angry back then."
"Well, this should be interesting to say the least." Cain opened the door before they all walked into the next world.
The group followed after Cain, arriving at the city of Emilyville without much trouble or need to fight. Though their arrival did get them some weird looks from a few of the residents.
"Live your truth brother!"
"It's okay to be straight!"
"Down with the rich white man in power!"
"My truth?" Metamorpho asked. "I come from the future and it just sounds weird to me."
"I think it's probably best to keep to the shadows lest we get dragged into this…" Cain watched a LGBTQ+ pride parade with dancers, streamers, lots of boas, feathers painted like rainbows and drag queen carts passing by. "I want to say a representation of what the ancient Greeks and Roman would've believed Dionysis lived every day in his religion."
"Yeah, we should probably head out. Any idea where to start boss?" Metamorpho asked.
"Split up to cover more ground. Metamorpho, Sideways, head to the west and east side of the city, I'll check the north, Nite Owl-" Cain turned to see Nite Owl and Punchline missing. "Where are they?"
"Man, now that's rude." Sideways said.
Meanwhile, in a tall tower in the middle of the city, Wizard Kelly spun his signature basketball as he signed some papers on his desk. He was easily the tallest man in the city and he felt like the king of the world. He didn't care what was the point of some of the papers he was signing, all he knew was that he was getting richer with each signature. Sure he had to make a few changes here and there, but they were necessary evils that would bring in the mighty dollar to his pocket. All he needed was some hot piece of-
"Excuse me, Mr. Kelly." The pretty young blonde secretary popped out the door. "There are three individuals that need to speak to you. They said it's urgent."
"Oh, tell them to come later, and get in here to help me with some papers, baby." Wizard Kelly put his feet on his desk.
"Um, actually sir, they-"
"Get your feet off the desk, Kelly. Don't forget who paid for it." The door opened up to reveal three imposing people walking into the office without a second thought.
The first one was a large muscular man wearing a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a black tie. He gave off the intimidating air of a shark on land walking towards the desk. The second one was a slim woman wearing a black suit with a matching skirt and sharp talon-like high heels. She looked at Wizard Kelly with the sharp eyes of a bird of prey, almost aiming at the man's jugular. And the third one was a lean man wearing a brown suit with an orange tie and handkerchief in his coat pocket. He led the trio up to Wizard Kelly, who instantly dropped his basketball and fell on his ass.
Wizard Kelly looked at the three with fear in his heart. He knew who they were and every time they came over was not a good thing. Fear gripped his heart like when prey was surrounded by three predators. A fear he was reminded of by the masks all three wore. The first one wore a shark mask, the second one wore a vulture's mask and the last one wore a fox mask.
Fox turned to the young secretary, who shrank in fear.
"Leave, sweetheart, Kelly will be busy the rest of the day," Fox said. "And close the door."
The secretary closed the door before grabbing her stuff and running out of the building.
"Now, Kelly, we need to discuss a few irregularities with our numbers." Fox placed his hands on the table as Shark picked up Kelly by the arms.
"And don't try to weasel out." Vulture circled Kelly, lifting his chin up with one hand. "We know everything that passes for business in this little city."
"Y-Y-Yeah, sirs and madam." Kelly began to sweat. "If it's about the whole changing the city name and the statue business, I got rid of those brats just like you asked. I-I thought you'd be pleased."
"Don't get us wrong, Kelly. Putting those sheep and brats on a false trail was the best way for us to get all those nasty government secrets without anyone knowing. Now we have increased our fortunes by 15%." Fox leaned forward. "Afterall, give the sheep a flashy coin to chase after and well… How would you put it, Shark?"
"Go after it like a school of sharks after blood," Shark replied.
"Couldn't have put it better myself." Fox smiled a toothy grin. "Which brings us to how you managed to sneak something that didn't belong to you. In the middle of the chaos, you snatched a few of those documents from the CIvil War. Which pointed to the location of a secret underwater port. And you know how Shark feels about you dipping your feet in the water."
Shark growled at Kelly, making him shrink in fear.
"Our deal with the Santa Prisca Cartel requires silence and a smooth transportation of their illicit product into the United States." Vulture chimed in. "And when we hear that you take something in secret, we wonder if you're trying to screw us over."
Kelly began to sweat. He had thought of making the port into a tourist attraction for deep sea sightseeing with his name and face on it. It was a quick cash grab for him. Usually, his bosses were fine with him being the center of attention. But of course, he was now being brought back down to Earth for thinking too big.
They had picked him from the crowd and made him the face that would front for their control. And they were never above reminding him when he cost them.
"I-I didn't think you'd mind, is all," Kelly said. "I mean, no one knows about the Terrible Trio-"
"Shark." Fox growled.
Shark grabbed Kelly's tie, slamming him into his desk without blinking.
"What have we told you about that name?" Fox asked.
"N-Not to u-use it." Kelly held his nose, fearing it might be broken.
"Correct. Now, thanks to your little scheme, the cartels have been struck by a little problem," Vulture said. "A vigilante."
Kelly looked at Vulture like she'd told him something that didn't make sense. He turned to the other two members of the Terrible Trio expecting there to be a joke in there. But he already knew the answer. Everything was serious with them.
"Yes. Someone has been hitting our street businesses and stole all the product the Santa Prisca Cartel so graciously gave us." Fox leaned forward. "Had we known about the secret port, we would've arranged the dealers to spread out and sell it discreetly. But given we didn't know about it, we did everything in the middle of the day, which led to it being stolen. And now the cartel expects the earnings we promised them. So, either we get the product and sell it at twice the price or you cough up the dough."
"...Out of my pocket?" Kelly asked.
Fox pulled a small piece of paper, giving it to Kelly, who went white in the face.
"Hell no-!" Vulture placed a knife under Kelly's throat, shutting him up. "I-I-I mean, I'll get it back! I'll get the guy, promise!"
"Happy hunting then, Kelly," Fox said.
Nite Owl and Punchline watched the gym as Benjamin Turner sparred and practiced with another boxer.
"I'm surprised that you found him so easily, boss man," Punchline said.
"I merely looked for the biggest connections between crime and places where training could be done based on the information that you got from Cain." Nite Owl pulled out his phone, hacking the cameras inside the gym. "This Bronze Tiger shares many of my views on crime and injustice, yet he doesn't have the same resources that I do. He's gotten close to the information that I need for my plan."
"Want me to go down there and shake him up a bit?" Punchline drew one of her knives.
"No, that'll need to come later. But I can see him getting to where we want him in a few seconds." Nite Owl spotted Penny Proud walking into the gym with a sour look on her face.
Benjamin easily danced around the other boxer, dodging his attacks with ease and smacking him over the head like a teacher mentoring his pupil. He'd been up against some of the best and most dangerous fighters in the world, but this was far too easy for him. But, at least he was teaching these kids something useful for them to use if they ever needed it. It kept them off the streets and that was something he could work with.
"Don't swing wildly, look for an opening." Benjamin dodged. "And make sure you keep your stance when you throw a punch." He swatted away the punch of his partner as he fell down covered in sweat.
Benjamin helped the man up to his feet and out of the ring.
"Remember, you gotta work on your technique before going out to a big brawl." Ben spotted Penny growling at a punching bag. "Take a breather and some water. I'll be right back."
Penny muttered in anger and frustration as she glared holes at the punching bag.
"You know, most of the people that come here don't do it in skirts." Benjamin got Penny's attention. "Hey Penny, what's going on girl?"
"Hey, Ben. Sorry, I've just been stressed out is all. It seems like my friends are into some weird stuff as of late. Plus, Dijoney hasn't stopped asking for you since she saw you again." Penny growled. "Not to mention she's told Lacienega and Maya about you and all."
"You sound jealous," he said with a mocking smirk.
"Look, with all the weird and crazy stuff that sometimes happens here, I just want things to be normal. Would you like to meet them?" Penny asked.
"If they're anything like mayonaise, I'll pass," Benjamin said.
However, as soon as he said that, the doors busted open, revealing the rest of Penny's friends. With Dijoney leading the charge.
"There he is!" Dijoney rushed up to Ben knocking Penny out of the way. "I see you're all sweating for me~."
"D, how did you all get here?" Penny asked.
"I may have had Maya's bro hack your phone's location," Dijoney said offhandedly.
"Wait, what?" Penny pulled out her phone to see Maya's brother shrugging. "Unbelievable."
Benjamin sighed as it seemed there was nothing he could do. He might as well introduce himself.
"Fine, guys, this is Benjamin Turner. An old friend and neighbor that just came back." Penny introduced Ben to everyone. "Ben, these are Zoe, Michael, Dijoney you already know, Lacienega and Maya. Her family moved here at the beginning of the year."
Ben looked at the friend group and although he recognized Zoe, Michael, and Dijoney, sadly, he didn't know much about the last two. He tried not to assume anything, but he could tell that they weren't exactly 'friends' of Penny. Especially since Lacienega was giving him sultry eyes.
"So, where have you been keeping this man, Proud? Because he looks like he could use a guide around town~." Lacienega winked at him. "You look like a man that knows what he wants~."
"First off, good morning. Thanks for the offer but I know my way around the city just fine. And I would rather not get arrested because of your hormones," Ben said.
"Whoa, you did not just say that." Maya glared at Ben.
"Sorry if I was rude, but I'm working and the last thing I need is two underaged girls coming here and making assumptions with their flirts." He pointed to Dijoney, who looked about ready to pounce on him.
"Not that, I mean the other thing." Maya glared.
Ben looked at Penny who just gave him a confused look.
"Let me drop some knowledge about the word 'good', brother. Good is an ancient anglo-saxon word, go-od, meaning the absence of color. I.E. it's all good, which it could be, OR Good Will Huntin', meaning "I'm Hunting Brothas!" So when you say good morning, what you're telling me is "I'm gonna kill yo colored butt, first thing in the morning!"" Maya explained.
Ben and Penny looked at each other, wondering where the logic behind that came from. Ben wondered if the girl actually believed what she had just said. Penny for her part was deeply embarrassed about what most of her 'friends' were doing. One thing they could both agree on was that the three girls were bad news.
"...So, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite after work, my dad is celebrating getting a new deal with some investors for his snacks," Penny said.
"Your dad found investors for his… snacks?" Ben asked.
"I know, it's crazy. But they seem to be legit," Penny said. "Some big company called 'Big Three Shippers' wants to ship his snacks across the country. Guess that's a reason to celebrate."
Ben wasn't all that convinced. He'd tasted Oscar Proud's snacks before and based on what he'd seen the other day, the taste hadn't improved. If someone was willing to send out countless of those snacks across the country, there had to be another reason for it. But before his thoughts delved too deeply into those thoughts, he spotted something looking at him from across the street from the gym.
"Y-Yeah, I'll see what I can do, Penny. Gotta clear it with the boss first," Ben said. "It was… nice meeting you kids." He waved at them before heading out.
"He seemed nice." Zoe pointed out.
"I'll say," Michael said. "How come you never mentioned him, Pen?"
"He used to babysit me ten years ago, lived a block from my house before he moved," Penny explained. "He sent me a few cards and postcards over the years. He's like a big brother to me."
"In that case you won't mind someone else giving him a fun time~." Lacienega liked her lips at the thought of Ben.
"Move aside skinny, a man like that wants his girls with some meat on them!" Dijoney hip struck Lacienega. "This sister has plenty of that!"
"I think you're confusing meat with fat," Lacienega hissed.
"Well, he technically can't be with either since he is well over 18 and we're still in high school," Zoe pointed out, only to get glares from the girls. "But, um, there's nothing wrong with looking?"
Penny rolled her eyes as the two girls started fighting each other like a couple of hyenas over a piece of meat. Honestly, she could tell that Ben wasn't one for being surrounded by two horny girls and a bunch of kids. This also made her wonder if she should keep certain friendships. Lacienega was always mean to her and did her best to rub it in her face. Dijoney was flaky at best. And Maya was always ready to jump on someone's throat if they made any mistake. Maybe things would get better with Ben around and her daddy's new partners.
Back with Nite Owl and Punchline, they were waiting for Bronze Tiger to arrive and Punchline was having fun seeing the dysfunctional friend group.
"I bet those two girls end up marrying for sex and are penniless by the time they're thirty." Punchline pointed to Lacienega and Dijoney. "Ms. Woke, over there, will die bitter and alone because the world will break her down little by little. And BT's little bundle of joy will end up having to be basically a single mom working a job she may hate because the world will screw her over." Punchline giggled.
Nite Owl didn't care about her guesses, but from where he stood, he could see her being dangerously close. He heard something walking up behind him before ducking under a kick. He turned around, catching one of Bronze Tiger's punches. He pulled back before backhanding Nite Owl. Nite Owl ducked under the swing, only to be met with a knee heading his way. Nite Owl blocked the knee, lifting himself up with its momentum. He kicked Bronze Tiger in the stomach before exchanging blows with him once more. Bronze Tiger punched and jabbed, clawing at Nite Owl like a fierce tiger. But Nite Owl was just as much a trained warrior as him. Every punch was countered and returned. Bronze Tiger felt his opponent's punch grace his body slightly.
"Spying on kids on my turf, you must be stupid or have a death wish." Bronze Tiger jumped high and delivered a roundhouse kick to Nite Owl's head. "And you better stay away from them."
"Pretty words after two of them were trying to send you to jail." Punchline drew out her knives.
Bronze Tiger got cracked across the face by Nite Owl, before getting kicked in the stomach. He turned to block another punch with his forearm. He countered punching and kicking at Nite Owl who saw all his moves and countered with his own. Every blow he struck, he felt like he was punching steel. But this was not the first time he was up against an armored opponent. With a swift kick, he swiped under Nite Owl's feet, forcing him to jump. He jumped up, gracing Nite Owl's face with an uppercut. But instead, he received a palm strike to the face. Growling in pain, he stopped himself from reaching the edge.
"Enough, Bronze Tiger, we're not your enemies." Nite Owl walked up to him. "I'm here to offer you aid. You're outmatched and punching blindly. You're wasting your energy and you don't even know it."
"That's a lesson I've learned already." Bronze Tiger pulled out a pair of sharp clawed knuckle dusters, making them look like tiger claws. "When outmatched, cheat."
"Ooh, I like that lesson." Punchline twirled her knives.
Bronze Tiger launched to attack Nite Owl once more, only for Nite Owl to drop a smokebomb, blinding him. He coughed but kept his eyes open for anything.
"You've fought injustice and crime since you were young," Nite Owl spoke through the smoke. "You hardened and trained yourself with different masters because you know the truth of this world. Those in power keep the sheep in place and exploit them whenever they see fit."
Bronze Tiger spun around, punching at the smoke but missed. He closed his eyes as his opponent talked. He then heard a step behind him. He spun around, cutting Nite Owl's cheek before the vigilante tased him. He fell to the ground, growling.
"The company that's shipping Oscar Proud's snacks is a front run by Wizard Kelly." Bronze Tiger looked up at him in curiosity. "They are called the Terrible Trio and they're using Kelly as their front. They seek to use the snacks to transport Venom from Santa Prisca. The same kind you stole."
"W-Why are you telling me this?" Bronze Tiger asked.
"Because, I want to see the full extent of your commitment. Should this be discovered, Oscar Proud will be the fall guy, and his family would pay the price." Nite Owl reached out to Bronze Tiger. "Will you allow the cogs of the machine destroy them until they become part of it? Or will you break the machine and all those that control it? The world is rigged and you know it. Penny will end up following in her mother's footsteps. She's even the doormat for friends that don't really care for her. And you know where roads like that lead to. Join me, and I will grant you what you want more than anything."
Bronze Tiger knew that he shouldn't listen to this strange bird man. But he could tell that he was telling the truth. The world wasn't a fair place and as much of a fighter as he was, he could only hit the small fishes. He needed to find a way to hit the big ones. He also needed to find a way to help the Proud Family, he would not have them pay for someone else's crime. Feeling like he was making a deal with the devil, he reached out to the man above him. He took his hand in a firm grip, pulling himself up.
"Just remember, if you screw me, you'll learn what it's like to have a tiger's teeth in your throat." Bronze Tiger glared in threat.
"Now that's the fire I've been looking for." Nite Owl said.
Oscar felt like Scrooge McDuck, rich, filthy stinking rich. And he loved it. It turned out that those entrepreneurs he had run into contacted him after a little bit, and now he was set to receive the riches that he always deserved. His latest batch of salty lemon fish gummies were a hit and he couldn't wait to share it with the rest of the country. Though, it was a bit odd that they wanted to meet him in a crusty old hidden underwater port. And that Mr. Chimp kept trying to get them to leave and making strange faces about skulls and some junk. But what's important was that he-they were about to make enough money that would make Wizard Kelly shrink down a few notches.
"Quit it, Mr. Chimp. We're about to hit big money!" Oscar smirked as he dragged the monkey and the carts full of snacks. "This is the call we were waiting for to go to the big leagues. Ruffles, Lays, Beef jerky beware, Oscar Proud and his snacks are coming for you!" He walked deeper down through the secret passage until he came upon a hangar for ships.
The hanger looked big enough for three large ships or submarines to go in and out through a hidden entrance. It was being cleaned up by a crew of rough looking fellas as some worked on getting boxes out of one of the submarines. They were packing guns and others looked like they came out of a pirate movie. Many shot Oscar dirty looks, and most men would've taken that as a sign to run the other way. Not Oscar though.
"Oscar Proud, great to see ya here." Wizard Kelly walked up to him with a smile on his face.
"Back off, Kelly, this is my lifetime score, baby!" Oscar growled.
Kelly smiled like a comedian at his own joke. He could not believe that the Terrible Trio had actually put Oscar Proud in the line of fire. Now all he had to do was let him do the deal and they'd have their own scapegoat and then deal with the dumbass vigilante.
"Oh, don't worry, Oscar," Kelly said. "I'm only acting as a middle man. You're the one these fine gentlemen want. They're all yours." He stepped aside, letting Oscar see the men he'd be doing business with.
Oscar blinked twice at the sight of the men that were unloading the boxes. Wizard Kelly saying that he was free to do business with a major company and not get a slice? Too good to be true.
"About time all things went my way!" Oscar smirked, marching towards the men. "Get ready world, Oscar is going to the top!"
Kelly smiled, noticing the secret pictures being taken of Oscar talking to the members of the Santa Prisca Cartel. A little something that Fox called ensuring the deal would go according to plan. In case something went sideways they could always pin it on Oscar Proud. The man was the perfect stooge, walking blindly into hell if a stack of money was dangled in his face. If only he could get the vigilante that stole the Venom samples and he'd be a very happy man.
"So, gentlemen, do we have a deal or what?" Oscar asked.
"Este cabrón sabe que estamos manejando drogas, ¿no?" One of the members asked.
"¿No le vez la cara de idiota que tiene?" Another member asked. "Seguro que el chango es más listo que el."
"What they say?" Oscar asked.
"They said, you got yourself a deal." The lieutenant shook Oscar's hand with gusto.
Kelly could already feel the money pouring in and the Terrible Trio getting off his back. Nothing could make this day any better.
"Yo Kelly."
He turned around only to receive a hard punch to his stomach. He'd never been struck like that, the pain was excruciating. Bending over in pain, he set himself up for another punch across the face. He felt his teeth flying out of his mouth followed up by the bitter metallic taste of his own blood. He fell to the ground, completely knocked out and in pain. He only got the hazy look at his assailant, Bronze Tiger.
"I always thought your crap was overhyped." Bronze Tiger jumped for cover before anyone could see him.
The cartel members looked at the downed Kelly and quickly knew something was up. The lieutenant grabbed Oscar, pulling him away from the possible gun show. He whispered to his men to take care of things.
"Everything okay?" Oscar asked.
"Oh yes, señor Proud. Let's celebrate this with an old tradition, a drink." The lieutenant pushed Oscar into the makeshift office.
"A drink? I could do that." Oscar walked, oblivious to the men putting on masks and pulling out large guns.
Bronze Tiger watched as Oscar was almost shoved into the office as the mercenaries of the cartel looked for him. He was thankful for the many shadows of the secret port he could use to move. He slowly and carefully stalked his prey with the information he'd gotten.
Ducking behind one of the crates, he watched one of the mercenaries go by before making his move. He grabbed him from behind, dropping him to the ground, punching him in the face twice. But this caused the gun to fire off, alerting the others. Bullets started flying in his direction, forcing him to run quickly through the crates. He jumped over the crates as the bullets narrowly missed him. He turned around in time to throw three knives at the mercenaries. The blades caught one in the leg, and two in the arms, making them drop their guns.
He dug his heels on the ground, seeing his chance to fight back. He jumped high in the air, letting the ceiling lights, blind his targets. Pouncing on them like a beast of the jungle, Bronze Tiger punched them across the face, broke their bones with sharp strikes and took them out without any form of mercy. He ducked under the swing of a knife before twisting the mercenary's arm and stabbing him in the shoulder with his own knife. He sidestepped away from an AK-47 being used as a club.
"Pathetic." Bronze Tiger kneed the mercenary in the stomach before slamming him against the concrete floor.
Bronze Tiger heard a gun clicking before firing at him. He felt the sting of the bullet cutting his right cheek. Growling like a beast, he turned and ran towards the rest of the mercenaries on all fours like a real tiger. He snatched one of the boxes the mercenaries had brought with them, throwing it at them. As they shot the box to splinters, Bronze Tiger cut the distance between them, looking like a real tiger to them. He drew out his knuckle dusters, punching them so hard that their masks and faces got turned to mush. Their blood splattered as he punched them over and over like a tiger tearing through its prey's flesh. His fists knocked the last of the mercenary's down, letting him have a moment to breathe and check up on his next target.
The door to the office opened up as the lieutenant jumped out, drawing his guns. He fired at Bronze Tiger, hitting his shoulder and then in the leg.
Bronze Tiger took cover as the lieutenant pulled out a green vial of Venom. He watched as the man drank it straight, becoming larger, bulging with muscles.
"You're dead, man!" The lieutenant ran towards Bronze Tiger with the strength of ten men.
He reached Bronze Tiger, slamming his fist in the ground, cracking it. Bronze Tiger jumped out of the way. He winced as his leg and shoulder were wounded, but it wasn't the worst thing he'd felt. The mercenary kept on throwing punches and attacks at him, but he could read them like a book. For a second, he thought of using the Venom he'd snatched, but that was for a rainy day.
"Get ready to die, cabrón!" The lieutenant snarled. "You can't beat me in a straight up fight!" He kicked Bronze Tiger in the stomach.
"First rule, when outmatched, cheat!" Bronze Tiger growled, bearing his fangs at the mercenary.
He saw his opening, punching him in the knee first. He grappled the leg, twisting it until he heard a loud snap. It was broken, and now his opponent was open to him. Bronze Tiger weaved around a desperate punch. He then struck with ferocity under the armpit, the kidneys, the liver and then the neck. The mercenary coughed and fell back to the ground in pain. Bronze Tiger lifted his right leg before slamming it against the lieutenant's face, breaking his jaw and nose.
Bronze Tiger huffed and panted, calming himself down. His heart was beating fast as the power of the adrenaline was numbing the pain. It had been a while since he had to be so vicious against anyone. But he didn't regret it. They deserved it. He turned his sights to the office, noticing that Oscar hadn't come out. He ran to make sure he was okay.
He opened up the office door to see a sight that made him grunt in disapproval.
"Money, money, money~! I'mma be rich, mama! In your face~!" Oscar was drunk off his ass with a bottle of tequila in hand and money in the other.
"Time to go, Mr. Proud." Bronze picked up the man as Mr. Chimp just pretended not to know him.
A short time after, Trudy opened the door to see Ben with Oscar slung over his arm. Ben wore his normal clothes, making sure that his wounds were covered up.
"What the-? Oscar?" Trudy asked. "Weren't you in a meeting?"
"Heya there, miss! Wanna kissa rich m-m-man?" Oscar slurred with a laugh. "J-j-just don't tell the old ballchains." He giggled.
"Ben, what happened?" Trudy asked.
"I'm not sure, I found him drunk saying something about a meeting and being rich," Ben said. "I think he celebrated a bit too much, or it was all just a prank."
"Put him on the couch." Trudy sighed. "What am I gonna do with this man?"
"I gotta go, Ms. Proud. Have a nice night." Ben walked out the door before bumping into Penny.
"Ben, what are you doing here?" Penny asked, catching sight of the cut in his cheek. "What happened?" He stopped her hand.
"Cut myself shaving. Nothing to worry about," he said. "Here, it ain't much but it'll help for a while." Ben handed Penny a stack of cash of hundreds.
"Wha? There's at least ten thousand dollars here!" Penny said. "Where did you get it?"
"An old boss gave me an upfront payment to help him with a security job. I'll be gone for a while, but I'll be back." Ben explained. "Take care of yourself, Pen. And remember, when outmatched, always look for an edge."
Penny didn't know how to respond, she just watched him walk away into the night. She looked down at the money before putting it in her bag. She hoped to see her big brother soon.
Ben met up with Nite Owl and Punchline as they waited for the rest of the team to arrive.
"Did you say goodbye to your princess?" Punchline asked.
"None of your business." Bronze Tiger growled.
"Easy you two. We'll be working together, let's try to get along." Nite Owl held up a set of negatives.
"Will this actually do what you say it will?" Bronze Tiger growled.
"And so much more." Nite Owl turned to see Cain, Metamorpho and Sideways appear from one of his rifts. "I take it you didn't have much luck, did you?" He put the negatives away.
"Well, Metamorpho almost got lynched by doing what people called a parody of 'Black Face' AKA 'White Face'." Sideways groaned. "I almost got canceled because one of my videos exposed a girl called Maya as a hypocrite, and Cain gave a rousing speech about pride."
"I merely gave them the actual dictionary definition of the word and how it's being misused in certain topics." Cain noticed Bronze Tiger. "And who might this be?"
"Bronze Tiger, he aided me and Punchline in our search for Destiny." Nite Owl explained. "Sadly, he escaped, but we got a possible lead to his next target." Nite Owl pulled out a metal handle with a hole in one end.
"Of course, why didn't I see it before!" Cain laughed. "We have our heading, let us go and prepare!" Cain summoned the door to the House of Mystery before they entered.
"Welcome to the team, Bronze Tiger." Metamorpho shook his hands.
"Glad to be here." Bronze Tiger looked at Nite Owl and Punchline as the latter smiled.