Harley cackled as she readied her bomb. "Get ready to laugh, boys and girls! This once-in-a-lifetime show is gonna be wild!"
"Please, no!" The man shouted. "I have a wife and kids!"
"Really now?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Harleen had a code. She'd force people to smile, but only in the most appropriate moments.
"Yes, really! This whole city will eat them alive if I'm not around!"
"So it was your wife who I saw you poking and poodlin' when I was sneakin' through the vents, was it?"
"...Yes–?"
"The girl who was screaming 'fuck your wife and kids' when you reached the happy ending?" Of course, when the city was already as crooked as Gotham, then it was excusable to attack 'innocent civilians.' After all, no one in Gotham was really innocent.
"...She likes to roleplay being a mistress I'm seeing behind her back?" The now sweating man weakly answered.
"... Riiight." She nodded. "But don't worry, this bomb won't kill you, I promise."
"Really?" He asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Course not. It'll just release a gas that'll make you laugh. The lack of oxygen will kill you."
"No, no!"
"It's your own fault, dude. You should've been trying to make that wife and kids of yours happy... But you didn't, so I'm going to at least make your death something to laugh at! AHAAHAAHAHAAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAH!" She was about to pull the trigger.
Riiing
… And her phone was ringing. "Gaah, timing." Harley pulled it out to turn it off... till she saw the caller ID. "Oooh, my BFFEAEAEAE!" She exclaimed happily. Glad to see Babsy was keeping in touch... still, bad timing. "Tell you what, bub. You should be quiet as a mouse through this whole thing, and I'll break your ropes."
"Really-!?"
"I said be quiet!" Harley growled, turning away and walking to the back. "Gotta change real quick, video phone, you know how it is, now stay quiet, or I'll turn your entrails into streamers!" She cheerily grinned before swiping off her costume and makeup, reverting back to good ole Harleen Quinzel. "Ready and... oh, jester hat." That would have been embarrassing.
Harley really, REALLY wanted to bring Babsy into this life. Having a secret she kept from the girl she viewed as a sister killed Harleen on the inside, especially after... what happened to Iru. But Babsy was a Batman fan. She wouldn't understand... understand the smiles she wanted to bring...
She shook her head. Whatever her bestie loved, she would support it, even if she would also be forever against it. Close her eyes, Harleen pressed the answer button. "Heya Barbabsebel!" She cheered. "Already calling home!? Are ya asking me to tie you up and kidnap you back to Gotham!? AHAHAHAH! Please say yes." For the love of god, please say yes.
"Well, it was my original plan, buuuut I found a few things that are gonna keep me staying here for the long haul." The girl answered with a smile.
"Really now? Somethin' better than big old Batman?" She asked.
"Well, he's not as big... but he's cuter!" Babsy pulled in a boy with... blue hair... and a cowlick... "Iruma!"
"Hey, Harley!" The... the boy waved... the boy who left all those years ago. With a large smile on his face. "Nice to see you again!"
"..." Harley was frozen solid now. Her brain was shutting down at this prospect. Iruma… alive… Iruma... alive... her little brother figure… her little baby brother… alive... And smiling... Iru.. alive… and smiling… alive.. alive.. alive...
"Is your computer lagging, Barbara?"
"Give her three more seconds."
He was alright... the kid was alright... Here comes the waterworks. "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUU!" She screamed as she shook her hands with the tablet, spinning around, not caring if she was causing a ruckus. "You're alive! You're alive and smiling and with Bababarbabel and not with me, and I'm not with you, and I just want to hug you and tie you up and never let you go!"
"I missed you too, Harley." He gave her that same smile she had been missing this whole time, the smile that had never changed even after so long.
"YOU'RE STILL SMILIN TOOOOOOOOOOO!" She cried out. "Where have you been? Have you been eating? Where are you sleepin'? Oh, I just want to hug you, never let you go, place a tracker in your head, follow you everywhere you go, and keep you on a leash-!"
"That's what I said!" Babsy cackled. "Get this, he's actually going to SCHOOL with me, enrolled and everything!"
"Really, you're not homeless anymore?" Harley blinked.
"Let's just say it's a search in progress, but I have jobs now... legitimate jobs, not working for people like Fish Mooney."
"Aww, I'm happy to hear it!" She grinned. Mooney was still at the top of her 'fuck 'em up' list. Right next to Ratcatcher 2. "So, you finally a Joker fan?"
"I'll say he has more class than Lex Luthor and less class than the Rogues. You can decide if that's good or not."
"Good enough for me, Iru!" There was still a chance for Iru to join her, and if Iru joined, Babs wouldn't be far behind. "Where you've been all this time!? You really know how to make a gal worry for her life."
"Like I've been telling Barbara-imouto for the last five hours..." He put a finger to his lips. "Secret~."
"He's been doing that all day, and all I've been getting is vague, cryptic notes, like apparently his last name is Suzuki, and he was almost married!"
"Wait, what!?"
"Relax, I turned Lori down. I was fourteen, and there was way more on my mind than getting married."
"Oooh, I so gotta learn everything about that!" Harley cackled, already laughing just like old times. "But sadly, you two called while I was in the middle of somethin'. Tell ya what, we meet up back at the bat con, and we have a long, fun day with just the three of us. Sound fun?"
"Heck yeah, wouldn't miss it for the world!" Barbara grinned.
"Gonna have to get a hat and trench coat in case someone recognizes me, but I'll be there." Iru smiled... that smile that she had worked day and night to bring back in the past seven years.
"Don't worry, Iru, I'll break a few knees to make sure it's safe for ya to come back."
"...You mean metaphorically, right?" Babsy asked.
"Just make sure no one dies!" He called out. "Promise me that!"
"Uh oh khhhk, you're kshhhk breakin' kssshk up," Harley called out.
"Harleeen!"
"Sorry, gotta go, bye bye bye, LOVE YOU!" She waved off before hanging up. "... IRU'S ALIVE! IRU'S ALIVE!" After all these years, after all the heartache and effort to keep Gotham smiling… it finally happened… Iru FINALLY CAME BACK! "Isn't that great!?" She asked her tied up captive.
"...It.. sure is…" The man chuckled. "... I'm free to go now, right?"
"Well, sadly, you saw my face and heard my name. Sooo... no." She cut his ropes with a juggling knife.
"Wait, you're cutting me free... but I'm not free to go?"
"I said I was breakin' your ropes... I said nothin' about not activatin' the bomb." She grinned, slowly pushing the trigger. "Hope you can run fast without breathing in any of the gas."
"What, hey, you'll die too-!"
"Nope, got a friend who knows her way around toxins. I'm unaffected by Joker venom... not that I need it since I'm always laughing!" Iru was right about one thing: Pam was a nice girl once you got to know her on a personal level. And they even had fun working a few 'destroy the log factory' jobs together every now and then. It was nice having a redheaded partner in crime… one that she could share her love of crime with without Babsy around… "Anyways, toodeloo!" She pressed the trigger, releasing the gas.
Ah, seein' him run for his life while holdin' his breath... fun!
Now then, there was only one thing to do… Move to Metropolis with her best buddies! It was just going to take a little persuasion on her mum. Luckily, she read just enough books to know how to get into people's heads. Maybe even a roommate or two… ooh, Pam was gonna freak when she told her the good news. She read her diary when the girl said that she wasn't looking, and she knew just how happy she would be. They'll be one big happy crime family, just like she always dreamed.
Barbara created a group call. "You ready to convince everyone to be a hero, Iruma?" This felt like a dream come true... except for the parts where it actively felt like her dream was imploding, but that was beside the point. Barbara had her BFFEAEAEA with her, and they needed to go out and make sure the rest of their BFFEAEAEAs stayed together.
"I'm ready to try, but I'm not sure how convincing I can be." Iruma sighed as he packed up the quiver they collected... which was mainly...
"I didn't know you were into archery." Barbara tilted her head.
"I got stuck on an island for a year. I had to pick it up, or I would've starved." Iruma gave yet another cryptic tidbit on the last seven years of his life.
"Wouldn't traps make more sense?"
"Not as much as you'd think." He shook his head. "Animals go off of instinct, and that instinct lets them learn how traps are set. Arrows can be swift, deadly, and unpredictable. Once fired, there's little to stop it from hitting its mark."
"Fun." Not like she didn't trust him with a sharp object. Her batarangs were plenty sharp. "Now then... let's call!" She pressed the button.
"Who the... oh come on!" Kara shouted as her face popped up.
"What the-!?" Karen popped in next, hiding her face behind a pillow.
"Aaaand we're back." Zee groaned.
"How did you even get our numbers?" Jessica asked.
"I looked through all your stuff." She shrugged. "But that's not important."
"Look, Babs, I'm sure you're a nice person and all, but you're still acting like a stalker and it's freaking me out." Kara glared.
"I get that, but we still-"
"We're not a team. We're just a group of girls and one boy that got stuck in detention together." Zatanna called out. "You know, the detention you caused."
"Right, but we can-"
"And I'm super terrified and can't do anything! Please stop dragging me into this." Karen begged.
"We can-"
"Face it, Barbara, we're not cut out for this." Jessica sighed. "We're just going to make it worse."
"Well, I...ah-"
"So what?" Iruma spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "Situations escalate all the time. I mean, Superman vs Doomsday destroyed half the city, and he didn't give up even when he had his stomach brutally ripped open."
"... If that's supposed to comfort us, cutie, then you're doing a really bad job of it." Zatanna looked at him with a raised eyebrow, while Karen looked like she was about to faint from all her hyperventilating. "Besides, you're the one that's been the most on the 'not joining the team' bandwagon since the beginning."
"Look… I have less reason than anyone to ever want to be a superhero, let alone be part of a team." Iruma sighed. "I've been homeless for all my life. I've had to struggle for every bit of food I could find. I had to use wrappers and newspapers as bedsheets when I slept on the pavement. I've been scared all my life." Karen looked to the side. "I've been reluctant to fight all my life." Jessica did so next. "I've thought there were more important things to do than be a hero, like focusing on myself and to not even bother trying." Zatanna and Kara were next. "But… with that said… superheroes are meant to give people hope… and for a kid who's barely had anything all his life… that's what you guys did for me today... I got to spend time with friends, with more friends than I could ever imagine having... and you guys did that just by being yourselves. That... to me... Makes you heroes."
… He really did grow in all those years away... didn't he? "Iruma's right, together, we can give people hope... "And right now, Diana needs that hope, coming from us, banding together as a team." Barbara grinned with determination. "You may haven't signed up to be a hero, but she did... She, more than any of us, wanted to be a hero, and she believed that we could stand beside her. And I'm not about to let her down." She gripped her hands. "If you agree, then head over to the Metropolis Harbor. Me and Iruma are going to sneak aboard Diana's beast mom's ship… I hope to see you there with us." With a final salute, she turned the phone off. "You think that'll convince them?"'
"I think if they're our friends, they'll know what the right thing to do is." Iruma smiled. "Now come on, I got us a ride over."
"You have a boat?"
"Yes, but that wasn't what I was talking about." He grinned as he pulled out…
"Holy blue seas of awesomeness, you have your own jet ski!?"
"No, I have a jet ski license. This is just a rental." He said with a nod.
"Seriously, how did you-"
"You trained to become a hero. I trained to survive," Iruma explained. "Sneaking on a boat is what I learned in year one of when I was gone... mostly because that's the only place Mr. Cobblepot could get me."
"Seriously, list of places you went and things you did." She deadpanned.
"Some things are better left in the past."
"You know that's only going to make me investigate more now that I'm a detective, just like Batman."
"I'm more surprised you were able to turn your hoodie into a suit."
"Aww, I had practice." She smiled, pulling out a suitcase. "Mostly making a bat boy costume for you."
"Batboy?" He chuckled. "Still on that train, aren't you?"
"You're here, and you got super skills. Just let me dream." She retorted with a fond smile. "So all we gotta do is wait for the others."
"Alright, we're in."... They turned to see Kara, Zee, and Jessica all in suits.
"I love super speed and teleportation." Barbara grinned before looking around. "No Karen?"
"Her suit was buggy, remember?" Iruma asked. "She's probably driving a car here."
"She doesn't have a license. She's only fourteen." Jessica nodded.
"But I got all my licenses at thirteen," Iruma noted. "...Then again, I got them all in Gorilla City."
"No time to get into the details, to the bat ski!" Barbara shouted as she jumped on Iruma's rental.
"It's not called that." Iruma rolled his eyes as he hopped and started the engine, making them soar across the water. "So I guess we're going without her?"
"If we wait, then Diana might be out of reach by then. We gotta get to her now before the view of the boardwalk disappears." Barbara grinned as the others flew right next to them. "Now then, to save our BAFFEAEAEAE!"
"How many Es was that?" Kara asked.
"Four, but it might increase the longer you're friends with us," Iruma explained. Maybe someday they'd live long enough to make it to ten.
Diana watched her reflection with... sadness. A failure to her mother, a failure to her sisters... and a failure to her newfound bonds. A team of mighty warriors she could not unite. A destiny she could not achieve. A world she would never get to explore... A battle she'll never be able to fight.
She... she was reckless. She wanted so badly to prove herself an amazon to her mother… to prove to herself and the gods that she was worthy of the mighty power that had been bestowed upon her. Diana should've known deceiving her mother would've only caused more trouble… and now she would return to Themyscira in shame. A failure as a princess… as a warrior… as a Hero.
She could only hope the comrades she made in her short time in man's world would stay united. "Diana..." It was like she could hear Barbara's voice right now, likely an echo of her own guilt forever bouncing around in her head to haunt her every moment. "Diana..." So clear cut was the voice that constantly strived and cared for the great core of heroism, able to- "Diana!" Spoke a harsh whisper.
She blinked, turning to see... "Barbara?"
"Batgirl when the mask is on, but we'll work on it." She waved off with a smile. "We're here to bust you out."
"That..." Was brave, caring, and... "A foolish idea! You can not contend with the Amazonian army."
"Which is why they don't even know we're here." Barbara grinned as a shadow fell over them. "... The queen's right behind me, isn't she?"
"Very much so, yes."
Barbara was picked up by her bat ear, meeting the glare of her mother. "You... dare to set foot on an Amazon's ship and seek to undermine our laws?"
"Well... guys, go time!" She shouted, turning to a direction... where everyone was caught. "Oh..."
"Subtlety, eh?" Iruma questioned as she was held by the cowlick.
"These guys have really good hearing!" Batgirl wiggled. "And their gripping my ear-"
"... Barbara, she's pulling on your hoodie, not your ear." Iruma shook her head. "And Kara... don't you have super strength?"
"Amazons are tougher than they look, just need a bit more leverage." Said girl squirmed within a hold of sister Artemis.
"Enough of this horseplay!" Mother called out. "Feed them to the Kraken below."
"Wait, what!?" Zatanna cried out as her sisters were being forced to the edge.
"Don't worry," Iruma spoke. "If it's a blue one, I can talk our way out of being food."
"It is red." Mother said.
"Oh, then we're dead."
"Diana!" Jessica cried out. "You need to do something!"
"I can not argue with my queen... and less so my mother!"
"Arguing with your parents is rule number one of being a normal teenager!" Barbara cried out. "Running away, making your own choices, that was you being you, and we liked you! You're so awesome and amazing, and we need you back!"
"I... I." Was she needed… was she actually needed in the world of man?
"Finally got it!" Kara cried, breaking the hold before punching Diana's fellow amazon into the sky. "Ha! Score one for-" She was then piled on by five more. "Gaah!"
"See, this is why we need you!" Zatanna called out as she tried, and failed, to use her sorcery to pin the Amazons down. "We don't know what we're doing, and you were the only one that did! You showed me my magic can be used for more than just shows and tricks!"
"You always focused on your goals!" Barbara exclaimed, using the chaos to run and spray a strange substance into the eyes of an Amazon.
"Even if I don't agree with fighting, I still have a lot to learn from you about handling situations, which I now know I can't avoid!" Jessica called out as she made a brick wall to force the Amazons back.
"I just had a lot of fun today!" Iruma cried out as she dodged the spears and swords that were thrown their way. "I haven't been able to do much for myself over the years! It's nice to have a group of people to stick around with that I can call friends!"
Sisters… They... they believed in her... They wanted to stay by her… they had faith in her… she wouldn't let that faith go in vain. "Amazons!" She called out. "As the princess, I order you to stop!" And just like that, they stopped.
"Whoo hoo, royalty for the win!" Barbara cheered.
"As the Queen, I order you to keep going!" Mother shouted.
And sister Orana grabbed Barbara by the cape, reeling back to throw her.
"Stop!" The fighting ceased.
"Keep going!" Kara punched one in the face.
"Stop!" Jessica undid her green ropes.
"Keep going!" Before sister Aleka tackled at Iruma, who dodged.
"Stop!"
"Keep going!"
"Keep going like this back and forth?" Zatanna questioned, as most of the fighters just stared at them.
"Yeah… I don't know who to listen to here." Sister Orana scratched her head.
"You listen to me because I am the Queen of the Amazons, and no one's word is of higher authority than me!" Mother called out. "Diana, it's shameful enough for you to take part of the games under my nose and flee to man's world, but now you've deluded these five girls into your self-proclaimed Destiny!?"
"I'm not a girl!" Iruma cried out for some odd reason.
The amazons stared at her. "MAN!" Sister Nubia aimed a spear at Iruma, rushing with Amazonian speed as they pinned their shirt, preparing to punch out her skull before they swiftly dodged.
"Oh right, man-hating society of women," Barbara muttered.
"Right." Diana nodded as Iruma dodged a flurry of arrows being shot at her. "Amazonians have made it a norm to mutilate men who dare step on Amazonian property, although I don't know why someone clearly as feminine as Iruma would claim otherwise."
"Hold on!" Her mother leaned down and inspected her blue-haired sister. "You have impressive speed and reflexes; don't diminish yourself by insinuating yourself something as lowly as a man."
Iruma looked like she was about to argue back, but Kara slapped her hand over their blue-haired sister's mouth. "Yeah, Bluey here's been learning a lot from Diana. We all have." She said. "Like how to handle a situation in a calmer manner."
"Yeah…like how she's taught me… when it's necessary to fight." Jessica nodded, though her voice sounded strained.
"And she taught me the importance of staying focused in battle, like super super focus, so I'll know when to beat an enemy and when to save someone!" Barbara quickly explained.
"And how to focus on the people I'm saving instead of showing off," Zatanna added.
Diana looked around... "Did Karen not come?"
"Right here!" The sound of buzzing came as the girl herself began heaving and huffing, landing on the ship while regrowing. "Sorry... took a while... to rebuild the suit's circuits."
"My bad, I'm going to work on my aim." Barbara raised her hand in an apologetic tone.
"Anyways… she's shown me the importance of being brave… and knowing when to stand up for myself even if things are scary…" Karen spoke out boldly, though it was clear the sign of her mother's gaze was freaking her out. "And... and that's what we're ready to do right here, right now. We're going to stand up to you… for her… Because that's what she inspired us to do."
… Her mother gazed upon her friends, her eyes softening slightly but remaining firm. "Diana..."
"My Queen..." She shook her head. "Mother, I know you want me to stay on the island. I understand that I am young."
"You're only three hundred and seventeen." Hippolyta shook her head. "A mere child-!"
"Yet it was I alone who completed the trials of Athena. It may have been under false pretenses, but my accomplishments are very real." She pointed out. "I am my own woman; I can make my own discussions, and by Amazon law, you MUST let me continue my journey!"
"You are my daughter-!"
"And makes me no different from any other Amazon." Diana put her foot down. "This is my choice and my quest, and like it or not, Mother, this will be my path forward!" She cried out, staring her mother deep in the eyes.
Her mother stared back, Diana feeling as though her soul was on the verge of being taken. "... Your stubbornness will be the end of you." Her mother turned away. "...You may continue your path." She and the rest of Amazons leave the port.
She could... "Thank you, mother." She kneeled. "I promise I will hold our honors high." Diana turned to her new sisters in arms... and squealed in excitement. "Sisters! We have done it!"
"Yaaaay..." Zatanna raised her hand as she straightened out her hair. "This has been the most exhausting day in my life."
"It's about... the twenty-first most exhausting day for me." Iruma shrugged.
"My life has been flashing before my eyes all day." Karen meekly noted. "... I think I'm getting used to it, but I still have the queasy feeling in my stomach."
"I'm just happy the fighting is over." Jessica sighed in relief. "And without major casualties."
"Yeah, major... seriously though, now an entire culture of people think I'm a girl," Iruma muttered bitterly. "Why would it be so wrong to say I'm a guy?"
"You mean besides the whole 'mutilate on sight' thing?" Barbara asked.
"... So, should I buy a dress just in case they come back?" Iruma asked as their sisters laughed for some reason.
"Sisters, this is a grand moment for us all." Diana embraced her friends. "And now we shall celebrate!"
"Not now, not when there's still a battle to fight." Barbara gripped her hands. "The person behind the bots is still out there."
"But we can not fight gods," Diana asked in confusion.
"It's not Lex Luthor," Iruma spoke up. "Barbara found something in the rubble. The Lex bots were hacked by someone else."
"Someone impersonating gods?" Diana gasped. "I'm surprised they were not stricken down for such a transaction... we must be the swords of honor then!"
"... Okay." Iruma clapped his hands. "Babs, you explain your findings to the team. I'm gonna try convincing Diana about why politics makes Lex actually untouchable."
"Uh, I don't think you have to explain much." Karen pointed out to the distance where the 'carnival' was held... where a green glow and buzzing could be heard.
"... So, you wanna get started on the whole 'hacking them' thing before we fight an army of thousands?" Zatanna questioned.
"It'll take a minute, but I can do it." Karen nodded.
"Then we shall give you the time you need!" Diana held her sword in the air. "Sisters, this night, we go into battle!"
Kara flew over the robots. "Okay, so I can't get close without passing out. What the heck am I doing!?" She shouted, now dealing with a... team. Oh, that felt weird to admit.
"You have super speed. Move everyone out of the pier until Bumblebee can do her thing!" Babs shouted.
"Actually, I've been meaning to argue about that name for a while. The suit's actually called the gamma mark five-"
"Bumblebee is simple and catchy! Yawa ylf!" Zatanna shouted as she used her magic to fling robots into the sea.
"Do you even have a name yourself!?" Jessica shouted as she used her fancy space ring to carry civilians out of the way. "You just called yourself Zatanna!"
"Magic. Skews my identity for anyone that doesn't see it."
"Didn't Batgirl figure it out instantly?" Bluey asked, rolling around a couple of bots before shooting arrows into the bots, making them spark.
"I got sloppy, that's on me." The magician nodded as she turned around. "Stib otni trapa llaf!" And the bots tilted like dominos.
"I still question the need for identities!" Diana cried out as she sliced a few bots in half. "But... I am happy to see that we have come together to fight for good!"
"Yeah, we're a superhero team!" Batgirl cheered.
"This is a temp thing for me!" Iruma called out, shooting another arrow.
"How about we focus on that after dealing with the crazy bots!" Kara shouted as she tossed a couple into the ocean. "Yo, Bumblebee, how are we on hacking!?"
"Almost... got it..." She froze. "Oooh, no."
"How bad of an oh no are we talking?" Jessica asked warily.
"I'm being counter hacked!" The suit began sparking.
"That definitely fits Lex's MO." Kara rolled her eyes.
"Lex? You think LEX is behind this!?" Shouted… a REALLY big Lex bot the size of a Ferris wheel."
"Yeah..." Barbara nodded slowly. "Isn't that why you're doing this? To make people think Lex Luthor's behind it?"
"Wha-no! I was trying to make this original! It has nothing to do with Lex at all!"
"But you kept the Lexcorp logo and everything." Zatanna pointed out. "The bots even say Lexcorp when they demolished Sweet Justice."
"... Damn it, I knew I forgot something! Stupid preprogramming! They were supposed to announce the true mastermind to inspire fear into the masses! The name of…" The mech opened up… revealing… some blonde girl in a private school uniform. "LENA LUTHOR!"
"... Who?" Kara tilted her head.
"She's Lex Luthor's sister," Bluey said.
"Lex Luthor has a sister?" Barbara asked.
"Oh, here we go again!" The girl shouted. "Lex Luthor, arch-nemesis of Superman, CEO of Lexcorp, the guy who steals ALL the attention off me! Well, no more!" Sadly, that WAS a motive Kara could get behind. The suit powered up. "Soon, ALL shall know the might of Lena Luthor!"
"… So instead of fighting Superman, you're using your intelligence to destroy teenage hangouts?" Zee raised an eyebrow. "I feel like you're setting a real low bar here."
"Hey! Teenagers have clout, and I can exploit it for infamy, thanks to them always spending time on their phones!"
"I mean, she's not incorrect..." Iruma muttered.
"What was that?" Barbara asked. "I just got a text from Dad."
"Speaking of technology... have fun focusing on me when I counter-hack your friend's weak firewalls and force her suit to overheat until it explodes!" She announced as Kara could see Karen's body heat increasing every second.
"Guys, I don't want to explode!" Karen shouted.
"And you're not going to!" Barbara called out. "Thanks to the piece Lena lifted behind in the Lex bot, I know that all the robots are being controlled by a wireless signal coming from her suit."
"So if we take out the general, the army shall fall." Diana nodded.
"Take down the big giant robot, no problem." Kara grinned as she ran forward and punched it... feeling her hand hit a really painful green wall. "... Kryptonite?"
"Big brother stockpiles so much, he doesn't even realize when people steal crates full of the stuff." Lena cackled as she punched her right back into the crowd.
"Okay, so taking it out from the outside is clearly out." Jessica winced. "Anyway, we can take it out from the inside?"
Karen blinked, looking at her suit, which was still warming up. "I... I can shrink down and short-circuit it. hopefully, before my suit explodes, and it'll need to be a large shock-"
"On it." Iruma began ripping through one of the downed Lexbot. "I'm no tech genius, but I know how to make a generator from scrap. Only problem is getting a cord long enough to work with. I don't think Bumblebee can shrink other objects... you can't, right?"
"Still working out HOW it shrinks me to begin with."
"Don't worry. I got it covered... thanks to the Batgrappling hook mark 1000!" Babs held up her grappling hook. "The chord's long enough, trust me. I've tested it at least one hundred times, and only ten of those gave me concussions!"
"Wow, new record," Bluey smirked.
"I know, right!"
"So... rest of us keep smashing stuff?" Kara asked, cracking her knuckles.
"That appears to be all that we can do... sisters, this fairground is where we first bonded as friends." Diana held her hand up as they all got ready to fight. "And now… this very moment, it will be where we make our stand as heroes-!"
"Uh, she's been destroying stuff while we've been discussing." Jessica pointed out the fiery trail of destruction.
"We stand and fight, let's go!" Diana screamed hurriedly, rushing forward and cutting more robots.
"Well, this wasn't at all what I wanted the day to go," Kara muttered as she slammed more bots into the sea, keeping them away before the kryptonite inside could be exposed to the outside air.
"Trust me, you get used to it, even anticipate it!" Barbara grinned as she threw out more batarangs. "Such is the life... of superheroes!"... So this is what Kal dealt with on the daily. She somehow doubted that Batman was this hyperactive, though.
Karen twinged with worry and fear, but managed to keep swallowing, even with the knowledge that she was about to blow up. "Ah, is that generator almost ready?" She asked meekly, her palms sweating to the point she couldn't even grip her hands properly without them somehow slipping up by themselves.
"Just about. Lexcorp scraps are a little more complicated than a car motor." Iruma, the guy that had NOTHING on him yet somehow wasn't even half as afraid as she was. "I'm more into analog tech myself. It's simpler."
"...How... how do you do it?" She asked.
"Oh, well, most of it's pretty well preserved, thanks to the-"
"No... I mean... How are you not freaking out? You don't have armor, you don't have powers, you barely even have any weapons on you… yet.. You're just… not scared."
"..." He blinked. "This is just life. You can die at any moment from simply choking on a chicken bone. Hysteria doesn't help you live." He nodded. "I know it sounds silly, but… fear itself is the scariest thing out there. I've faced starvation, dehydration, hypothermia, heat stroke, every ailment a kid can have...someone trying to take that away from me... just doesn't ring as loudly as real life." Iruma smiled at her, a smile that made her heart feel a bit ticklish. "And I understand not wanting to experience it over and over… but when it comes up again... You'll be one inch braver than you were before. Don't aim for a mile, aim for a foot, that's how you make progress."
"... Just a foot..." Karen stared at him... slowly feeling a burning sensation from her suit. "Oookay, not to rush you, because I don't want to be that person, but I think the explosion thing is happening sooner rather than later."
"Sorry, just got to cross this last wire-" A spark was shown. "Haha, got it! Now grabbed this." He gave her the cable connected to the makeshift generator. "And fly in as fast as you can."
"Right!" Flying was basically running. She just had to do it in the opposite direction, no pressure. Shrinking down, Karen saw the state of the battlefield. Kara was using her freeze breath on a few robots. Jessica was making a massive mallet to smash the machines, looking guilty as she did so. Zee was firing off spell after spell as the robots caught on fire, exploded... turned into playing cards (very terrifying). Barbara was laughing while kicking machines in and using her batarang.
And Diana... Diana was facing the mecha Lena was using head on, matching it's giant buzzsaw with her own sword. "You seek to be recognized as a villain!? Then I shall do so, and treat you as one!"
"Oh I'm so scared of a teenager wearing the skimpiest bikini imaginable-"
SLASH
And Diana's sword cut through the chainsaw right in half. "Hey, no fair, I just stole that!"
"Just as mortal metal is nothing to divine steel, stolen skills are no match for hard work!" The Wonder Woman shouted, pushing back against the mecha.
"Well here's one you haven't heard! Melee is no match for FLAMETHROWER!" The mech began blasting out fire... that was parted by a shield. "Oh come on!"
"The flames of Prometheus have no bearing on the metal forged in the fires of Hades!" Guess everything on the outside was covered... which meant it was up to her to deal with the inside.
"Okay Karen, you can do this... in and out." She took a deep breath... and charged inside a port, seeing metal gears crushing against one another, circuit boards firing off electric bolts, and the green toxic glow of kryptonite conductors. "So much lead in here, it's almost more toxic than the kryptonite." It's like the Luthors had no comprehension of personal safety.
She began flying around. "Alright, I need to find the core, and plug it." But where would the core be? Near the head? In the back? In the chest? The core would likely be powered by kryptonite, because what else would the Luthors use?
"Hah hah hah! You super dweebs are so pathetic! As long as my core stays intact, you morons can't destroy my mech!"
"You mean Lex's mech!" Karen heard Barbara's voice cry out.
"No; I mean my mech! It's mine; all mine!"
"I mean, the bots belong to Lex, all the kryptonite belongs to Lex, and you're just his sister." Iruma spoke out next.
"I'm not just Lex's sister! I'm smarter than he'll ever be! He put the kryptonite core in the chest, like an obvious moron, so I put it somewhere less obvious!"
"Like the armpit!?" Barbara called out.
"What, no-!"
"The nose!?" Jessica called out.
"What's wrong with you girls!? Stop guessing such gross options-!"
"The toes!?" ZatannaZatannaZatanna called out next.
"I'm not going to tell you just because-!"
"In your ear-!" Kara cried out.
"It's in the right arm joint you idiots-gaggggghh. You people are the worst!"
"Thanks girls." Karen grinned as she began making her way to the arm. Just avoid the metal pistons and lightning bolts... come on... there! Karen could see it! Now she just needed to push it in... push it in... push it "… it's too short!" She cried outside. "Oh, come on! Just by an inch!"
What to do, her suit was getting too hot, there wasn't enough time! She needed to cut the connection distance... just by…
"If I can't go a foot... I'll just go an inch... oh, this is going to hurt." Karen grimaced... as she grabbed the end of the cable, and plugged her own arm into the socket. "This better work-"
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt
Every inch of her skin felt like it was getting fried from the inside out as her head felt really dizzy and fuzzy and oooh, there was an axolotl waving at her... why was it smiling, what did it know!?
BOOM
There was a large flash of light, followed by wind. "Someone catch her!" Someone shouted.
"I got it I got her I-I still weak from the kryptonite!" Kara's voice shouted as what sounded like a thud on the ground was heard.
"I got it!" Barbara shouted next. "I've been on a few sports teams to help build up muscle, hand eye coordination is great-ah, forgot to run after her!"
"I'm busy putting out the fire before Lena burns to death!" Jessica shouted.
"I got her!" Diana called out... and a whoosh was felt. "Her size is too tiny for me to get a hold of her.
So this was it. This was the end... she was braced and this is where it ended... her life was flashing before her eyes for what felt like the fiftieth time today... and it just felt... mundane.
Plop
And then soft hands grasped her... Iruma... "You alright?" He asked with concern. Those wide eyes of sincerity and compassion feeling like they were entering her soul and filling an empty spot in her chest.
"..Ye-yeah, yeah,'totally fine, I'm fine, it's fine who's Karen?" She stuttered a bit as she regrew to normal size.
"Guys, she has amnesia!"
"No! I'm fine, just... just frazzled."
"I say. Like what you did with your hair." Zee pointed out.
"My what now?" She felt her hair and pulled it to the front of her face.. where a yellow streak ran through it. "… How does that even make sense? Electricity should have shocked it white, not yellow."
"You did it!" Diana hugged Karen gently. "You proved yourself to be brave and strong, little bumblebee."
"Yeah.. yeah I guess I was brave..." Karen chuckled a bit nervously. "I blew up a robot and lived… I blew up a robot and LIVED!"
"Yeah, you blew up MY robot!" The little brat shouted as she was being tied up by Diana's rope.
"Why are you mad?" Zee asked. "You fought six heroes when Lex only fights one."
"Yeah and I was about to destroy you all, something Lex has never done!" The girl cried out as the rope began glowing. "I would have won, destroyed all this useless property that's only selling entertainment, and replaced it with Lexcorp goggles so that everyone is stuck worshiping Lexcorp! Then I would have blamed the whole tragedy on Lex and got him fired, taking over as heir of the company!"
"... This might me being less into pop culture… but that is the stupidest plan I've ever heard." Iruma muttered.
"She is bound in the lasso of truth." Diana shrugged. "She can not tell a lie."
"Shut up, it was the latest plan!" Lena cried out. "Don't get cocky now, because this is just the beginning! I'm going to come back stronger, smarter, and with the knowledge I have now, I will destroy all of you-" A limo pulled up to them. "… Take me to jail take me to jail please take me to jail now!"
"Of course! Such is the duty of heroes to bring villains to authority!" Diana shouted.
"That won't be necessary." A woman in a limo driver's shirt, short hair, and the most robotic expression she's ever seen, walked out the car. "Miss Lena."
"Mercy—!" Lena began to sweat. "I ah—"
"Miss Lena, care to tell me why a six billion dollar mech suit is out in the open, unauthorized for field tasting and currently in flames and shambles?"
"I-" The rope began glowing. "It was all part of my attempt to get Lex fired and be heir to the company while being a more notable and successful supervillain than he is!" Lena shouted.
"Wow, that thing has no mercy." Jessica commented.
"I see. Your brother will be having words with you... as will your mother." The blank faced woman turned to Diana. "Lexcorp denies any involvement in so-called supervillain activities, but will concede in the reconstruction of all property damaged."
"Wait, does that mean Sweet Justice will-?" Iruma began to ask.
"And as an apology for the actions committed by us, all of those whose businesses were ruined shall receive a ten grand check as bonus." The blank-faced woman continued.
"... Doesn't mean I'll ever like your boss," Iruma muttered.
"If you have any further problems, feel free to make a call with our HR department." The woman picked up the little girl. "I shall be taking this girl home. Her family will have a much more thorough and effective form of punishment than prison can provide." She tossed the rope over to Diana.
"... Do we trust her?" She asked Barbara quietly.
"No, but there's little we can actually do beyond this." Barbara answered. "We can trust that Lena will be properly punished, that's for sure, at least." Hopefully.
"No. Wait, take me to jail, I insist, take me to jail!" Lena cried out as she was carried away by the blank faced woman. "No! Take me away… TAKE ME AWAY!" And the limo door was shut in her face, driving off.
"... We win?" Diana asked.
"We win." Kara nodded.
"Then let us celebrate!" The amazon exclaimed happily.
"Wow, that was amazing!" A voice around them shouted out, as the civilians from before began walking back, cherry and happy faces all around them.
"Looks like we have an appreciative audience." Zatanna grinned. "Thank you, you all have been a lovely audience!" She blew kisses into the crowd.
"Huh... first time I've been on the other side of one of these." Kara looked around, both happy and bewildered. "I think I can get used to it."
"Kind of defeats the whole 'dark avenger of the night' I was going for before, but I can work with this." Barbara grinned.
"All those eyes..." Karen winced under the stares.
"I just hope we're setting the right example." Jessica looked around with a wave and hesitant nod.
"So many new heroes!"
"And they're girls!"
"So empowering!"
"I am a Woman!" Diana shouted. "Wonder Woman!"
"You think she's related to Superman?"
"... I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Kara muttered.
"Are they really putting emphasis on the fact we're girls?" Jessica questioned. "It seems a little rough with-" They turned to Iruma... who was gone. "Where'd he go?"
"... How long was he..." Karen blinked.
"NO!" Babs suddenly screamed. "I lost him once, not again!" She threw out a grappling hook and flew into the air.
"... Is Batman's new sidekick crazier than the Robin boy?"
"Which Robin? There's been two."
"Should we help Bar-Batgirl or is this a private thing?" Karen asked.
"I think the two need some time to catch up." Zatanna observed. "In the meantime we should probably get home. It's been a long night."
"Right." Karen nodded. "... So, my suit's kind of busted... can I get a lift?"
"I shall carry you to your desired location, Bumblebee." Diana lifted her up, only making the crowd cheer more and give her even more attention.
Iruma had very mixed feelings about this job. On one hand, it was run by Lex Luthor, a disgusting man who used money for himself instead of others. A man that deliberately pushed people down into the gutters when he had the power to help. He worked for criminals before, and he did it frequently... but they didn't leave him with a bad taste in his mouth.
On the other hand, he was helping rebuild Sweet Justice, a place that deserved to be helped in every way possible, way possible. Between the nice people and delicious food, it was definitely a priority in Iruma's mind. "Alright, set up this support beam here..." He muttered. "That way it's close enough to the old pipes to fit in the bathroom..." time to put that year of Gorilla city education to good use.
"IRUUUMA!" He heard the voice of Babs cry out loud.
"Barbara-?" Was all he could get out before a pair of arms tackled him through a wall.
"Don't you dare disappear on me again like that! What were you thinking!? I just got you back, and you're going off all Batman disappearing on people on me which actually in all honesty, is pretty cool and I totally want you to tell me how you did that but that's beside the point because you disappeared on me and I didn't know where and-!"
"Barbara... first off, don't lambast me when you launch me through a wall, cause me injuries, and make my foreman look at me with disdain." He pointed out.
"You better be getting back to work, or it's an hour off your pay!"
"On it sir!" Unlike Gotham, these crews actually had safety regulations, which means Iruma was in less danger of dying, but also meant the standards of workmanship were upped "And two... sorry." He nodded to the girl as he grabbed some boards. "I just didn't want to get involved with the crowd of people, especially given I didn't have a disguise on me like the rest of you did." Though he wondered just how effective they were when Barbara was the only one that covered her face.
"Riiiight." She nodded. "We need to get you a bat costume. I'm thinkin' some nice blue highlights."
"... Babs, does me having blue hair really justify everything I have being blue?" He asked. "You wear purple, and you have red hair."
"Your shirt's blue, your jet ski was blue, even your arrows were blue. I'm just going with what you've been giving me." Barbara shrugged. "Unless there's a secret favorite color you have that I'm unaware of."
"Sakura Pink, but that's beside the point." He waved off, grabbing a hammer and nails as he began to work.
"Your favorite color is pink?"
"Went to Japan. Saw a Sakura tree. Fell asleep underneath it, and it just stayed with me." Iruma explained. "But again, that's beside the point. We stopped Lena, and unlike me, you guys have parents to go back to, so I'm filling up the free time I have with jobs."
"Iruma..." Barbara pouted. "I... I thought when we worked together... we all became a team... you included."
"Look, you guys are great people, and I know you'll be good heroes… that's… that's just not something I want to do… Not right now, at least." He shook his head. "I've spent seven years of my life just… surviving… I'd like some time to be... To be just me for a while before I decide on anything else." He smiled at her. "Besides, it's not like we can't all just hang out together. We still have classes at school, and once Sweet Justice is rebuilt, we can all hang out here."
"..." She sighed, smiling. "Alright... I get it." She patted his head. "Live your life and have some fun, Iruma." She hugged him. "I... I never said thank you for what you did for me and Harley that day…"
The day with Dagget... his first kill. "And you never have to." He hugged her back. "I... don't regret saving you, but I know I went too far." The guilt, the hate... the blood. "I... I have to live with it and... and it's taken seven years... but I can finally live with it." Iruma smiled. "I'm fine, Barbara. You don't need to worry about me."
"I'm always going to worry about you, Iruma... I love you like a brother." Barbara kissed his cheek and squeezed him even more. "You... actually were the one who inspired me to stop being a fangirl."
"Huh?" Iruma blinked. "But you've always wanted to be a hero."
"Yeah... superficially. I didn't know what it really took until... until you left." Barbara sighed. "Seeing you so hopeless... Not trusting the city… yourself… or me… made me realize I needed to do better." She looked at the moon. "So... I started training myself full time until I got to where I am. I even took the pills so I could focus better."
"... I should really be the one asking if you're alright." Iruma deadpanned.
"Seven years of mysterious backstory says otherwise." Barbara snickered.
"Fair enough," Iruma smirked. "If you guys need anything, I'll be there. I promise." He nodded, holding Barbara's hand. "And I swear, Barbara… I'm never going to leave you again... I'm here to stay."
"... I'll hold you to that, Iruma." She smiled, standing back up. "See you at school tomorrow!"
Iruma couldn't be a hero... He had... He needed to be more than that. "Yeah… see you tomorrow." But for now… he was just Iruma Suzuki, normal high school student of Metropolis.