Alright, here's what's going down. Every twenty chapters, there will be an interlude chapter that will go into detail about where Iruma has been for the last seven years. First stop, Central City!
"So this is Central City …" Iruma gazed up at the all consuming darkness above. "Not a cloud … makes the night even scarier …" So black and mysterious … like an endless void … except for those funny bright things caught all around it. What were those? They… they looked like sparkles… sparkles like Zatanna's magic and pretty hair...
He shook himself. It had been weeks since he left Gotham to find for himself another place… and the boat took him here. He had to hide in the shipyard for a few days to make sure no one was following him, diving into the water for a fish whenever he felt hungry. Surprisingly, the water here was cleaner than Gotham's too. It wasn't salty or had the same burning feeling down his throat. It was… clean, pleasant …
You weren't worth , because he killed a man… his blood leaking down the pavement with fear in his eyes… Iruma couldn't think about that. He had other problems. Now, he needed a place to rest and sleep. An alley, one uninhabited… so he wouldn't hurt anyone…
"Kind of hard to find an alley... none of them are dirty enough to be an alley." It was like the people here actually CARED about being clean. Something that Iruma himself had no concept of in the slightest other than the baths Babs and Harley would give him on occasion.
Not to mention there were no oversized coats or parents looking worried… no constant sounds of guns and screams… it was just so… peaceful in its own little way. What kind of city was this? Was there even any crime? How did the homeless people live if there wasn't any crime? Then again, he lived solely off the garbage, but like Babs and Harley constantly pointed out, apparently his stomach was made out of iron.
This entire place was so confusing and alien to Iruma… so strange… he slapped himself in the face. "Too tired, I can't doze off in the streets. I need someplace secluded…" He muttered to himself. Someplace he wouldn't bother anyone…
Oooh, there was an alley. Looked dirty enough, and behind a bar… like Fish Mooney' he helped her and caused all of it.
Ignore it, ignore it, ignore it, ignore it. Your time in Gotham was over. Your time with Fish Mooney was over. Your time with friends was over. Now you just lived like you did before you had any friends and a reason to live. Be alone and fend for yourself.
Iruma walked down the small spot, looking around. Okay, we have a dumpster, good resources. We have concrete ground, a little padding will make it sturdy and excellent. Cat scent will get rid of rats, annoying but not impossible to work with. Man talking to his reflection, perfectly natural–wait… no yeah, given Gotham, that actually felt MORE natural than how weirdly nice this city was... it reassured him that this place had some semblance of normalcy.
"I'm just sayin' a little splash of color wouldn't hurt." The man was muttering. "Oh you don't know what you're talking about, James, too bright is too easily seen. What are you talking about, Jesse? We painted the town red back in the day with nothing but bright colors! But we were so tacky. That was the point!"
"Um, excuse me." Iruma spoke up, getting the man's attention. "Is this your alley?" he asked. "I can find another one…"
"Nah, you're alright. I can always use another voice in my head to talk to." The guy waved off.
"Well I don't think I can crawl inside your head, but I hope right next to you works." He smiled as he sat down. "Iruma, nice to meet you."
"James Jesse." The man introduced. "What brings a kid like you out here?"
"Traveling, finding myself a new place to settle down…" He yawned. "Hey… do you mind if I sleep here? I haven't been able to shut my eyes with how many guards I needed to sneak around at the boat and docks…"
"Ahhh, a runaway? I remember when I was a runaway." The man cackled. "I was only ten years old when my parents wanted me to take these pills that made my brain feel funny. I didn't like them, so I ran off to join the circus."
"Ah, Barbara takes those too, but she dumps most of them down the toilet." Iruma nodded. "I just committed a crime… well… Several crimes…"
"Oooh, me too! Though I didn't get into the big league stuff 'til I was twenty." The man laughed. "So, what did you do? Vandalism? Stealing?"
"...Murder."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA…" The man laughed as he looked at him. "...Oh, you're serious."
"He was going to hurt my friends… so I … pushed him… off a building…" Iruma explained lowly, as a small silence grew. "... I didn't really understand it at first. Why killing was wrong. We kill animals all the time, what was different about a person?"
"And now?"
"...Now… Now I feel… Feel… empty… but… full of.. Vile…" Iruma slowly nodded. "I feel… gross... Disgusted...angry.. sad...I… I feel sad… about.. Hurting someone I hated...I... I don't understand it..." Tears filled his eyes. "I don't understand it at all…"
"I can tell you one thing kid … what you're feeling is good." The man said intently after a few seconds. "There's people out there, they don't feel that bad. In fact, they enjoy hurting others and breakin' up friends and family, makes 'em feel special." He poked Iruma's head. "So feeling that bad means your head's on straight."
"Was it crooked before?" Iruma asked.
"Hahaha, you're funny kid." The old man chuckled.
"That's what Harley used to tell me, and I never understood why." Iruma admitted. "I don't try to tell jokes, I just say things as they are."
"The best comedy often comes from real everyday life. Only desperate people try hard for a good joke."
"You mean like the Joker?"
"Especially the Joker. What kind of clown needs gas to force people to laugh? Back in my day, I kept my audience laughing all on my own, AND they were still alive afterwards."
"That sounds nice… you're a nice man." Iruma smiled as he felt exhaustion take hold, sleep entering his eyes. "Do you mind if I pass out?"
"Sure, I pass out here all the time. Oooh, hold on." The man took the scarf around his neck and placed it around Iruma. "So ya don't get cold. Or need to sneeze. It's good for both occasions."
"You're smart too… cool." He complimented as he drifted off. Nice to see… the people seemed to be nicer here too.
"So there I was, back to back with Captain Cold himself." James narrated to the kid. "Rubber chicken in one hand, car horn in the other." It had been a while since he had someone to listen to his stories. It had been even longer since he had someone who believed his stories. "Unfortunately, my chicken got melted from the friction of the Crimson Comet. So I shout across the street 'Boomerang, I need a melee weapon!' The man took out five zombies with one throw and the object still landed in my hand."
"Ouch. So zombies are weak to boomerangs." The kid, Iruma, nodded as he listened intently with investment. He was only seventy percent sure that the kid wasn't a figment of his imagination.
"Actually, necrosis makes 'em weak to pretty much anything." He clarified. "Problem is they don't feel pain, so they always get back up if their limbs work."
"I was told once that life's meaningless if you don't feel pain." The kid tilted his head. "Are zombies just stuck living meaningless lives?"
"Maybe. Zombies are basically animals if their brains don't work right." He spoke. "... Although then again, zombies aren't really alive to begin with… meh, philosophy for later." He waved off. "So where was I… oh, yeah! So then, Papa Midnite was all 'do you think this will stop me? I shall go on, forevermore' and stuff like that."
"Why do villains make so many grand speeches when they're about to win. I saw that Two Face guy once go on a rant for five minutes that allowed Batman to escape."
"Eh, deep down some of us know we're gonna lose, but we like to make it a memorable loss." Trickster explained.
"If you're going to lose... then why do it at all?" The kid tilted his head again. "Wouldn't it be better to do something you know you could succeed at?"
"What about when you play a game with friends? Just because you know you're going to lose, does that make you not want to play?" He asked.
"Of course not. Being with my friends is what makes it fun."
"Exactly." James clicked his tongue. "Being a villain isn't about gaining notoriety or fortune, it's the thrill it gives the beating of your heart, the chills you get when you're about to be caught... that, for people like me, is what we call living." He smiled fondly. "... Of course, some people are in it because they're broke, but that's more of a bonus."
"Is that why there's so little crime here? Because people only do it for fun?"
"Fun and money." He chuckled. "Plus our hero's one of the nicer ones. The Flash always takes a moment to sit down and chat with you, even while he's stopping your evil scheme."
"...Is he your friend?"
"Of course! The Flash is everyone's friend. He's the only one that still sends me a birthday card and cake, even when I'm living on the streets. Just because I'm a villain and he's a hero doesn't mean we can't shoot the breeze and talk like normal people."
"Wow … I thought heroes were just scary wrestlers that punched people." The kid said with a nod. "Like Batman."
"Must be a generational thing. I was pulling Whoopi's cushions and throwing pies all the way back in the sixties. Craziest time to be alive. World was on the brink of destruction yet we somehow made it through with a little hope. That's the true value of a hero. They give hope, even to old crooks like me."
"That sounds nice and fun." They gave a small smile, before looking confused. "Why did you stop being a villain if you liked it so much?" The kid in his head asked.
"I was attacked by the cruelest criminal of all." James lamented.
"Ahh, the IRS?"
"No, not that evil." He shook his head. "Age."
"… Age … is a criminal?" He asked in confusion.
"Time is the most precious resource that we have, kid… and I'm about empty of all of it." He chuckled in bittersweetly. "I'll just be another bum that passes out on the street, either dead from natural causes, or an old friend shooting me for an old debt or something." James shrugged. "Either way, time runs out for all of us at some point. Even heroes will some day have to hang up the cowl, and it ain't no different for villains either."
"Mhm … Barbara and Harley will probably cry when Batman and Joker stop doing their thing." Iruma muttered.
"Yeah, even the best of us will end eventually, which is why you got to enjoy every moment of time you have." Trickster grinned. "Even you, kid. Sure you've messed up in the past, but ya not even hitting the double digits yet. You, more than anyone, have more value in your life than most people do right now… cause the possibilities for ya are endless."
"… Mmm." They hummed at that, looking at the sky. "You're a lot nicer than the last clown villain I've met. In fact, villains usually end up being more of the nicer group of people I meet."
"Eh, bad rep in my opinion… then again, some of us love that." He chuckled. "So what's your plan for today anyway? Just listening to me ramble?"
"That and searching the dumpster for food. What's one man's waste is another's source of nutrition."
"Too true, too true indeed." Trickster grinned. "Hey, I know an old pie factory that tossed out all the expired goods. Wanna grab a semi-edible slice before the maggots get it?"
"Do I?!" The kid shouted excitedly.
"Yes, that's the question I asked." He smirked.
"Sure. I mean, even if the maggots get on them, that just means extra protein."
"You, my boy… are a genius!" Glad to see the next generation could think for themselves.
Lisa Snart was not your average girl. Sure, saying that in of itself was pretty average, but it was different when it came to her. Not every teenager (thirteen counted as teenager, no matter WHAT her brother had to say about it) was capable of a bank heist.
"Alright, here's the plan." Her brother, Leonard Snart, narrated off as always. Very few questioned his tactical leadership… no matter HOW annoying that it was the old 'older brother knows best' routine to the max. "Mirror Master will create three openings. One to the inside of the safe, one to the security office, and one up front. Piper, you'll be playing your flute so no one presses any hidden alarms or calls any cops."
Yes, they were villains, bordering on the super variety. Who knew all you needed to get a leg up on the world was to steal a bunch of science gear during a security job? Sure, dealing with a guy faster than sound was a bit of a hassle, but it came with the territory. "What about me?" Digger asked
"You just try not to blow your top off again everytime someone looks at you funny, Boomerang." Leonard stared at him blankly.
"Captain Boomerang, Cold. You ain't the only one who can call themselves captain."
Her brother groaned. "Moving on, Glider will take out the surveillance room. Knock out the guards, and if you see the Crimson Comet coming nearby, give us the heads up."
"Why do we call the Flash that?" Lisa asked. "I mean, I get the alliteration and it fits, but isn't it confusing giving him two names?"
"There was a weird time travel incident in the eighties, three of them showed up at once." Sam explained.
"Moving on..." Her brother continued. "The rest of us will enter the vault directly. Heatwave and me will mess with the big doors to buy some time, while Mirror Master and Boomerang-"
"Captain."
"-help us carry out as much loot as we can grab." Leonard went on even with gritted teeth. "Now we have to do this exactly at twelve o'clock. That's when the Flash is moving around grabbing lunch, and since the old timer is slowing down in age, we have a two-minute window before he's back on patrol, in which case it'll take another two minutes for him to rush back here."
"What's the time now?" Hartley asked. "My suit doesn't have a watch and I left my phone in my other pants."
"Hold on..." Mick began looking at his wrist. "Wait, hold on, gotta get my gloves off first..." Not the brightest match in the box, but always willing to throw hands when the time called for it. "Ah... alright, it's 11: 56 am. Is that enough time to get lunch?"
"No, it's not."
"But I already have my hotdog." Mick began chowing down on the grilled wiener.
"You should watch your cholesterol levels more." Hartely asked in concern. "You're already putting yourself at risk with the Asbestos in your suit, you don't need a heart attack to add on top of it."
"Yeah yeah, but it's so goood." The guy groaned with a mouth full of hotdogs.
"Alright boys, and girl." She flipped her brother off. "That gives us three minutes. We move in quickly, efficiently, and if it goes off without a hitch, end up with a good million each."
"Hell yeah!" Digger grinned. "I can finally afford to buy my own dingo meat by the pound!"
"...You just love living up to the Australian stereotype, don't you?" Lisa raised an eyebrow.
"Women love a man who can live in the outback." He shot back.
"They also love a man that bathes more than twice a week." Sam rolled his eyes.
They waited as the clock ran down. "Three … two … one … go!" Leonard shouted as they all jumped forward.
Lisa came out of a screen, right in the face of two guards. "What the-" And kicked both of their heads as they fell to the ground. Who knew you could mix heavy gems, ballerina classes, and combat all at the same time? Ice skates that allowed her to skate on any surface also helped greatly.
She stretched her back, seeing the room empty as she looked over to the camera. Hartley was controlling his crowd, and the rest of the boys were carrying cold hard cases of gold and cash. "So far so good, bro." Her brother was always good at this stuff. An upside to being raised by a bum of a dad who always failed to steal his target. Learn from his mistakes as you get better and better at… Lisa gazed at a clock, which halted her tracks. She frowned in displeasure. "We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" Sam asked.
"The one that involves a clock saying we're an hour early to the crime."
"Wait what!?" Leo shouted. "But we had it timed perfectly, Mick even confirmed…" There was a pause for a single second. "… Mick…" Leonard asked over the comms in a calm voice. "Did you forget to account for daylight savings times?"
"Is that a thing?" The flaming oaf asked. "I just thought that was when everyone agreed to sleep in."
Even Hartley toned down his music to let the silence dawn for a moment. "If we get out of this, you're getting a pay cut." Leo said blankly.
"Come on, don't be like that, we've already gotten through most of the plan and not a single shred of wind or lighting has shown up—"
"Flash coming in hot!" She spoke as she looked at the camera. "Hartley look—" Aaaand the Piper was already tied up. "Shit, we've lost Piper!"
"Lisa, get out of there now, don't look back, go now!"
She leapt for the reflective screens …only to see that Samuel was also down. "Crap! Sam's down! I can't get in and out of the mirror dimension without his gun!"
"Wait, Sam was in here with us—" Annnnd there went the rest of the rogues. Meaning it was only a matter of time before Flash checked the security cameras.
"Okay, hypnosis gem, you're my last shot." She held up the jewel. "Just need one good shot in his eyes… or I'm toast."
"Oooh, is there toast nearby?" A voice came up, instinctively making Lisa kick in it's direction… only to hit air… as the source happened to be shorter... And way younger… and with blue hair. "I've only been able to eat the crumbs off a muffin wrapper."
"What the—kid, what are you doing here!?" As if she didn't have enough problems withOUT some random kid getting in the middle of her business.
"I got hungry, the dumpster outside was empty, so I climbed through the vents to see if there was any trash I could eat in here." The blue haired boy shrugged as he bit into an old apple core.
"… So this is what motherly instincts are like." And the worst time to hit too. "Okay, Lisa, let's see if you're small enough to fit through a vent."
"Probably not." … Spoke the Flash himself, standing at the door. Because of course he was. "You know, it's such a shame when I have to put both a brother and sister in jail together. You had so much potential, Lisa."
"Yeah, yeah, that's what my guidance counselor always told me, and look where that got me now." Lisa waved to herself. "Thirteen years old and I can already hack a computer system and crack a twelve layer safe in just two minutes."
"Wow, that is impressive." The kid said. "Usually it takes villains five minutes."
"…" The Flash blinked. "He with you or …"
"Completely separate entity. I think he's homeless, and said he came in to eat out of the trash." Lisa explained.
"Yep, that's pretty much it." The kid nodded as he slurped down an old banana peel. "James said it was a very nice alley to pillage through."
"Oh, you talk with the Trickster?" Lisa blinked. "How's he doing? Did he fix that nasty cough of his, I was starting to get worried."
"I haven't heard him cough, so I think so." The kid shrugged. "We spent the last few days talking about history and the best ways to season a skillet of maggots. Did you know salt actually makes food taste better?"
"Yeah, I knew that." The Flash spoke, holding the end of the rope tied around her body—oh come on!
"Seriously, man!?" Lisa shouted in exasperation. "In the middle of a conversation?!"
"Sorry, but you ARE trying to rob this place." The Crimson Comet nodded. "And hey, I didn't punch you in the face like your brother, silver lining."
"I thought you guys were friends?" The kid asked. "Why would you punch a friend?"
"Well just because I'm friendly with someone doesn't mean I should NOT punch them. Sometimes punching them is the only way they'll learn their lesson." He said. "Mostly because they're so stubborn they keep insisting on doing something no matter how many times you tell them it's a bad idea."
"Hey, I'm so broke I saved pennies… freaking PENNIES!" Lisa shouted indignantly. "Do you know how long it takes to find ten bucks worth of pennies!?"
"Two and a half weeks." The kid raised his hand. "That's been my average everytime I save money."
"And after I hand over these guys to the police, you are my top concern, kiddo." The man nodded, before disappearing in a flash… no wonder Leo hated puns.
"Damn it, this is NOT how I wanted to spend my weekend." Lisa grumbled as she sat on the ground. "I had plans. Shopping, game night, a full day spent doing nothing but wearing my pj's and stuffing my face full of popcorn covered in chocolate sauce while watching old and bad movies."
"Do you not want to go to jail?" The kid asked.
"Duh, who'd WANT to go to jail?" Lisa scoffed.
"I met a few homeless people that commit crimes specifically to go to jail. Said it was worth it for three meals a day and a bed to sleep on." The kid said. "I tried it once, but I was helping a guy break out because he didn't want to get into the foster system. Said it was 'messed up and uncaring' or something."
"Good instincts. It is." Lisa nodded with a sigh. "When my dad got arrested, my brother and I were going to be separated, living alone in different states with different families. We didn't want to risk not seeing each other again, so we went on the run, and have been fending for ourselves since."
"...Is it nice... Fending for yourself?" The kid asked.
"...It's freeing." Lisa grinned. "In this life… consequences don't matter… I hang out with my brother... My friends… and I live how I want to live without anybody bossing me around." Except her brother, but that was mostly family than anything else.
"It sounds nice … caring about each other like that." The kid smiled. "I'm glad people can find and have others like that in any city."
"Yeah, well, that won't really matter if I can't break out of here." Lisa looked to the monitors, seeing the speedster was running back and forth to grab the guys one at a time. "In about two minutes, he'll be back and I'lll be in the system."
"Do you want to break out?" The kid asked.
"Well duh, but I can't cause I can't move my arms—"
CHOMP
The kid bit into the rope binding her, setting her free. "If Pam was here she'd probably be mad." He mumbled. "She'd cry for the twine used in these ropes."
"…Okay then." Now, she needed to wake Mirror Master up, and use the portals to get out of here with everyone in tow. "Now how to sneak around and get everyone out without old helmet head noticing?" The Rogues weren't exactly known for stealth.
"Follow me." The kid raised his hand as he led her through the halls. "I've broken through enough banks to know the standard layout of one."
"...Alright then, little boy." Adoption was under way.
"Name's Iruma." He responded as he led them into a janitor's closet.
"Fancy name. Korean?"
"Japanese apparently. I've been told it means 'human'." The kid answered as he began turning knobs. "Okay, secret passageway, where are you?"
"Iruma, banks don't' have secret passage-"
"There we go." The kid pulled back a plunger…
Creeeaaaak
…Which opens up a shelf that leads down a hall. "...HOW–!?"
"Every bank has one secret passageway. It's put in by the owners of each bank just in case one of them decides one day they want to take everyone's money and flee the country." Iruma answered.
"... That somehow makes perfect, yet absolutely no sense." She muttered as they walked down the hall, Lisa closing it back up so the helmet head wouldn't get any bright ideas.
"I didn't get it either, but that's how it was in Gotham. I used them whenever the mob wanted me to plant metal bugs or packages."
"Ah, that explains the insanity." And people thought THEIR fashion was looney. Okay, just need to find and wake up Sam, then you could portal everyone out into the mirror dimension. "So.. you're a criminal too?"
"...I didn't think I was... but... recent ... things have made me think otherwise." He looked away into the darkness. "I did something really bad … and realized the life wasn't for me."
"Hey, it's cool if you don't want to talk about it, we all got our baggage." She reassured him. "Just now you're really doing me any my bro a solid here. We definitely owe you for this kid."
"Okay then… I think they're behind this wall." The kid pointed to the certain surface. "I can hear groaning and running."
"Can you also hear the sound of swearing and eating?"
"...Yeah, actually I can." Iruma pressed his ear against the wall. "Smells like… asbestos and hotdogs." Concerning that he already knew what Asbestos smelled like.
"That's Mick, so this is the right place." Lisa smirked. "Okay, now to make my totally cool and badass entrance line and save their butts." She kicked down the wall. "Looks like boys aren't all they're cracked up to be, are they?"
"...5 out of ten." Leonard winced.
"4, that entrance was terrible." Digger groaned.
"6, she's thirteen, she needs some pity points." Hartley shrugged.
"Two, she requires tough love." Sam pointed out.
"Wait, what are we doing?" And Mick's face was just stuffed with a hotdog.
"Getting you guys a reflection." She shattered the glass from a nearby window onto them. "Now Mirror!" Lisa shouted, grabbing the kid as she ran to them.
"Wait wha—"
"Thirty seven five!" Sam shouted, his tech activating as they began slipping into the glass shards.
"Hey, hold on-" The Crimson Comet began speeding towards them, but her brother shot a block of ice right into his legs, making him slip.
"Sorry to keep you on ice, old timer, but I got a family to look after, you know how it is." Leonard chuckled as he jumped in. "Catch you on the flip side, Flash!"
They soon fell into the vortex of endless reflections and strings. "... Flip side? Keep you on ice?" She smirked. "Puns? Really?"
"Figured it be a nice change of pace, plus it's rare for us to be ahead of the old man, figured we deserved a little face rubbing." He rubbed his head. "Everyone accounted for?"
"Yeah, yeah, all here." Mick muttered.
"Good." Leonard proceeded to punch Mick in the face. "Hartley, you're on time management next time."
"On it. I'll remember to pack a phone." The guy groaned as he turned to Iruma. "So who's the kid?"
"My child." Lisa smirked.
There was a moment of silence … before Leo pulled his freeze ray out. "WHICH ONE OF YOU!?"
"Hey, hey, we're degenerates, but we're not creeps!" Digger shouted. "You know we'd sooner off ourselves than mess with that!"
"First off, not what I meant." She said snarkily to her brother. "Second, rude." She told Digger blankly. "And third, I meant I found him and he eats trash. His name's Iruma and we're taking him in."
"What is that, Australian?" Mick asked.
"Japanese, moron." Lisa rolled her eyes. "He's the one that freed me and helped me free you guys, so he's perfect for our little crime family!"
"I actually prefer not working with criminals." The kid raised his hand. "The last time I put my trust in them it ended badly."
"That's because you put your trust in the wrong criminals." Lisa insisted. "We Rogues though walk by a different beat than your standard criminal."
"...Do you?" Iruma asked. "I know you guys are more friendly than the ones I've seen, but that isn't really saying much."
"Hotdog?" Mick offered.
"... I'll stay for a week." The kid instantly inhaled it.
"Yay!" Lisa grinned as she picked the little boy up. "You'll be sleeping with me." Leanord sent her a glare. "Oh get your mind out of the gutter, bro."
"I have walked in on you with a magazine, my trust is small."
"... So are we cleaning gutters or …?" Iruma asked.
"Oh we'll be cleaning OUT quite a bit of stuff little bugger." Digger snickered. "Welcome to the Rogues Gallery."
"Alright little bugger." Digger grinned. "Today, we teach you how to hurt people." A new Rogues member… a reason to celebrate, and even more importantly… a reason to drink. But that would come after he helped the kid get around in a bind.
"But I don't like hurting people." The kid pouted.
"None of us 'like' hurting people." Hartley noted as he worked on his fancy little gun. That was the main problem with most of the rogues. Their gimmicks usually limited them to one weapon. Digger carried several. "But it's just part of the job. You do jobs that you don't like, right kid?"
"Yeah, several times before." The boy, Iruma or something, nodded. "The time I had to feed the hyenas at the zoo, the time I had to be fish bait for those sketchy looking fishermen, the time I had to walk into a furnace as it was still burning to clear the chimney, the time I had to clear the steel mill while they were still pouring out molten metal-"
"Hey, we can't afford therapy right?" Lisa asked anxiously, hugging the kid she had proclaimed as her own child, something that STILL made Leanord aim his cold gun at them in their sleep.
"Not unless we plan on robbing them… plus I'm currently dating mine." Hartley raised their hand.
"Isn't that super unethical?" Sam asked.
"Counter point, we're criminals." Hartley glared. "You think I care about what's accepted or not? I get enough flack from my parents as it is."
"Eh, if it goes wrong we'll give 'em some coco." Digger shrugged. "Point is you need to learn to throw a punch."
"Wouldn't kicking be more practical?" Iruma asked. "Legs are stronger than arms and they're harder to injure."
"You'd think so, but both of your feet are required in order to engineer balance and stability." He explained. "Otherwise you'd have to either constantly attack from above and let gravity do the heavy lifting, or constantly support your entire body's weight with nothin but your arms."
"And leg strength doesn't mean all that much when you're fighting someone who runs fast enough to break the sound barrier." Mick pointed out as he munched on a burger.
"... At that point wouldn't running away be a better-no wait he outpaces you, speed is an issue." The kid muttered.
"Except." Leonard nodded as he fiddled with his cold gun. "If you can't out speed an enemy, you have to out think them. And part of outthinking them is learning how to use your hands."
"So we're gonna start with the basics." He held up his palms. "Try and attack me."
"Alright …" The kid moved forward, reaching for his hand …
Chomp
"Gaaah! What the fuck!?" Digger pulled back as the kid's teeth were still on him. "What the hell are you doing!?"
"Youg tolg med to attacg. This is hug I attacg." The kid muttered as his teeth were still in.
"My kid's got a point you know." Lisa snickered. "He's just fighting the only way he knows how."
"Let go!" He exclaimed, yanking his hand back. He winced. "Gaaah … hell of a pair of chompers …"
"I teethed on rocks as a baby." The kid nodded. "I can sink my teeth into anything really."
"So noted … let's try this again." He growled, holding out his hands. "Do your best to throw a punch at me."
"Oh, okay..." The kid reaped his hand back.. and completely missed with the most lopsided and clumsy punch he's ever seen.
"Annnd that's what I'm gonna be stuck workin' with, great, we're gonna be outta booze by the end of the week." He groaned.
"… do you hate yourself?" The kid asked.
"... Where the hell did you get that?" Digger glared.
"Most people who drink a lot hate themselves from what I've seen in Gotham."
"That checks." The Rogues agreed offhandedly.
"I drink cause it's fun kid, not cause I hate myself." He waved off.
"Oooh …" He blinked. "Should I drink?" Lisa sent Digger a look.
"Wait till ya old enough to drive." Digger mentioned offhandedly.
"Or later than that. There's no need to rush." Lisa smiled.
"Now then, the key to throwin' a good punch is to use your whole body." He said. "Plant your feet tightly to the ground, and use it to help push your hand forward."
"Oooh.. like this?" The kid reeled his hand back.. and punched him right in the shin.
"There you go, now we're workin with somethin'." Still a newbie, but the learning rate was good. "Now we're switching to the dummy before you start aimin' for my pelvis."
"Why, afraid he'll break the nuts down under?" Lisa snorted.
"Hey, we don't argue about childbirth, girls don't argue about nut shots." He shot back.
"Who would shoot nuts?" The kid asked. "Unless that's a fancy way of making peanut butter."
"Not the kind of nuts we're talking about." It was a whiplash dealing with a new level of naivety they've, for the most part, had outgrown. "Now this time keep your thumb outside the fist."
"Alright." The kid proceeded to do so. "Huh, less pressure on the thumb."
"Yep, gotta keep it safe." Digget grinned as he got one of his plastic boomerangs.
"Digger, don't you dare." Lisa growled.
"What, it's plastic, and it's only to get the kid used to being-Surprised!" He quickly threw his weapon as the kid's back was turned.
Said kid leaned out of the way. "That was close." They mumbled, turning to him. "Was that a lesson on surprises?"
The group blinked. "Yeah, a lesson , you just don't know when it'll-" Digger threw one right at the kid's chest.
The kid cartwheeled out of the way right before it hit him. "When it'll strike, right, I get tha-" They blinked in surprise, moving their head and avoiding the first one. "… Did that thing just come back?"
"That's how boomerangs work, little bugger." Digger notes as he tossed it out at the kid's kneecaps, who jumped out of the way. "Long as you throw them right, they'll always come back. Never have to waste a single one."
"Wow! An object that can cover melee, long range, AND comes back!? It's so cost effective!" The little bugger grinned as he rolled out of the way of it coming back. "You have the coolest weapon ever!"
"…" He sent out a shit-eating grin. "Hear that boys? Coolest weapon ever."
"Right, and that's why you're always the first one to get knocked out." Hartley rolled his eyes.
"Cause the Flash knows if he don't take me out first, he'll go down faster than a dingo during dry season."
"I'll make a note on that if I ever get stuck in Australia." The kid mumbled.
"It's concerning and adorable just how much you don't take in sarcasm and metaphors." Lisa snickered.
"My friends used to say the same thing to me everyday." The boy nodded. "So all of you have some kind of fancy weapon?"
"Yep. We fight with our tools and our wits." Leonard nodded as he twirled his cold gun. "When you don't have powers, it's the best way to compensate." He shot out a ray of ice at a wall.
"Wow, that looks like Mr. Fries' ice gun." The kid cooed.
"I don't shoot ice like that maniac, I shoot cold."
"What's the difference?"
"One gives you frostbite, the other suspends you in place." Leonard explained. "And it's more useful. I can be more precise, make walls weaker or even create a cloud of fog if I want to be stealthy.
"But … why do you dress with so much blue and white?" He asked. "Wouldn't just pure black be more effective for sneaking around."
"It's all about aesthetics, kid."
"Gazoontite." They responded without hesitation.
"Lisa, I know you like the kid, but he's too green to pull off a job." Sam pointed out .
"Hey, he's the one that saved my and your butts from a crimson colored rug burn, I'd say he has it handled." Lisa smiled as she rubbed the kid's head.
"I really don't want to commit a crime though." The kid muttered. "Last time it didn't end well …"
"Don't worry, we'll just have you with Lisa on standby." Leonard put out. "We're not callous or dumb enough to put a rookie into open fire."
"Obviously." Digger nodded.
"Besides, it takes a bit before you can learn crime can be fun." Mick nodded.
"Oh, that's not really the problem. James already told me about it." The kid nodded. "I just... don't have good experiences with crime."
"Eh, we don't pry." Sam waved off. "So what's this week's destination?"
"An oldie but a goodie." Leonard grinned. "We're heading to Star Labs."
"I thought you robbed banks?" The boy asked.
"Eh, rich people have a lot of money to spend that they don't." Hartley shrugged. "I'd know, I used to be rich myself."
"I thought only poor people were criminals." The kid tilted his head.
"Oh no, there's plenty of rich people that are criminals, they just don't get caught like we do." Mick nodded.
"Don't worry about a thing, Iruma. We rob Star Labs all the time." Lisa chuckled. "Sure, each time they set up new traps and security systems, but that's the fun of it. We haven't met a trap we couldn't escape out of. And you'll be with me, so you'll be doubly safe."
"... That's not the first time someone said that to me before leading me into a dangerous confrontation with supervillains." Iruma looked at her. "That's literally everyday life in Gotham."
"Well here the most you'll run into is cops, guards, and probably the Flash." Digger shrugged. "They're fifty percent less likely to kill you."
"... Besides the lack of friends, this place is unnervingly friendly." He said bluntly.
"Tell me about it." Mick rolled his eyes. "Not even Metropolis is this friendly."
"That's cause it's SO bright and shiny that every alien and monster gets drawn to that magnet of doom." Leonard rolled his eyes. "That's why we go for the simple things, like money and weapons made out of dark matter."
"Why does it matter if the weapon's dark but not your clothes?"
"...Seriously Lisa, the kid's going to die from the naivety alone." Digger deadpanned.
"We'll get him some schooling." She waved off. "Now, we were teaching him how to fight, remember?"
"Right, keep punching the dummy kid." Digger ordered. "Punch it till your arms feel like noodles." That's how you build muscle.
Leonard was a man who always kept a cool head, and that was long before he ever worked with this cold gun. When you had a dad that constantly made plans that failed over and over and over again, it provided a certain spark of motivation to not let history repeat itself. That's why Leonard lived by a certain code when it came to directing his life. Make a plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, and throw away the plan.
Such was the nature of his crime. When he realized robbing a bank over and over again with the Flash running around wasn't an option, he opened up his outlets to include … others into a gang. Sure, more people meant more profits to split, especially with how much their technology cost … but the fact they had a consistency of 30% of their robberies succeeding where other loons had ZERO said a whole lot.
Of course, one caveat to dedicating himself to the criminal life was his little sister deciding that she wanted to join in on the 'family business' so to speak. Now don't get Leonard wrong, he was thrilled that his sister wanted to get into a profitable workplace that could take her far, paid decently, and constantly forced her onto her toes to improve and expand her horizons … but he would've wanted that for her as an adult. Not when she was a thirteen year old claiming she was a mom.
Speaking of.. "You look so cute!" Lisa cooed as she smothered the rookie, Iruma, a random japanese kid his sister decided to pick off the street, with an amount of affection Leonard didn't even think she had for him. "Who's a little cutie with your eye mask and cowlick?"
"Why?" The kid asked. "I mean, it doesn't even cover most of my face. Isn't the point of a mask to hide yourself?"
"It works better than you think." Digger pointed out. "On most days, all it takes to hide your identity is a pair of glasses and a hat. Completely unrecognizable to most people."
"...Why?" The kid tilted his head. "Wouldn't hair color, tone of voice, skin be a dead give away. I mean, I'm the only one I've ever come across with blue hair. That alone would make me stand out."
"Speak of, is it naturally blue?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. And so is the pointy part." The kid said, pointing at his cowlick. "Nobody I knew could cut it …"
"Who'd want to cut it?" Lisa chuckled as she messed with it, curling the hair in her fingers. "It's soo cute and wavey."
"Wanna get into the plan before she makes it weird?" Sam asked. "Well, weirder."
"Too late, but alright." Leonard rolled his eyes. "STAR labs has been developing brand new computer system chips that have twice the processing power of any device on the planet, and there's quite a few companies that'll pay a pretty penny for even just one of them. Now..." He took out the blueprints. "Since we've robbed this place six times in the past and got away with the goods, they've amped the security like never before this time around. I'm talking robot guards, lasers, DNA scans, hundred digit code passwords, e.t.c."
"And I take it they learned their lessons from last time?" Digger asked.
"Yep. No reflective surfaces near the good stuff. And if there are, they're not kept within any visible light spectrums." Leo nodded. "The closest entrypoint is going to be … here." He pointed to a room that was about a good two floors down from their target. "Of course this has its own problems. No security cameras, but there's heat activated laser guns that'll fire on the warmest body in the room. Naturally I'll go in and cool things down long enough for all of us to get inside."
"What about the authorization then?" Lisa asked. "I mean, hacking ironically isn't in any of our specialties …"
"Already had Mick beat the codes out of one of the scientists before this started… and Hartley was there to confirm he actually DID get the codes." The one thing they could count on Mick for was interrogation and the occasionanal need for torture. "Each one of you will take one, and once I get inside, you'll be able to slip in through the three other entrances with less security."
"Of course, the real problem's going to be making a good enough blockade once we're inside." Sam noted. "If anything trips an alarm … which let's be honest, it will." Everyone nodded. "The Crimson Comet's gonna be on us, and it's taking a lot of time getting inside as it is …"
"The vents don't seem to be guarded at all." Lisa pointed out, placing her finger on a path. "Looks like this leads directly to the shut off switch for security."
"Maybe, but no one's small enough to get through the vents." Leonard pointed out.
"The kid is." Mick gestured to the boy.
"... Did Mick just come up with a good idea?" Hartley asked in disbelief.
"Screw you, I'm full of good ideas."
"You don't even wash your hands after using the restroom." Sam pointed out.
"I wear gloves."
"Doesn't it seem like a bit much for the bugger?" Digger asked.
"Come on, he could totally do it." Lisa nodded confidently.
"You're only saying that cause you think you're a mom cause you picked up a kid like he was a stray cat."
"Not true… he's more like a stray dog, and he's not a dog, he's my son."
"Still too young for that." Leonard glared.
"So were you, but you're more my dad than my brother."
He opened his mouth … and found he sadly couldn't argue that fact. "Whatever. You up for the task or not Iruma-Whered the kid go?" Leonard began looking around.
"I have no idea." Sam looked back and forth before his gaze aimed at something. "Hey... was that vent open before we came here?"
"No-" Lisa blinked as she tapped her com. "Iruma, where are you? Do you read me?"
"Weird, it's like you're talking in my head." The kid's voice was heard all over. "Everyone was talking about how they wanted me to use the vent, so I used the vent."
"... So I guess the plan's starting ahead of schedule." Hartley groaned as he pulled out his pipe.
"Hold it kid." Leonard spoke as he began getting into position. "There might not be any traps in there, but there's still exhaust fans you need to watch out for or else you'll get shredded-"
"Already walked through them." He said casually. "Does it say something that this vent is both cleaner and less dangerous than any vent in Gotham?"
"It says you're too used to this scene, kid." Weirdly experienced… that was a useful trait Leonard didn't expect to have. "Okay kid, just keep going till you reach the fork. Go right and then make a left. That should take you to the control room."
"You all know his name's Iruma, right?" Lisa asked with a frown. "Not kid."
"We're not the ones that adopted him." Digger noted. "Plus it's the kid's first day, not like we've gotten SUPER chummy with him in the last week like you have."
"Okay, I see a room with a bunch of guys and one woman in it." Said child spoke up on the coms. "Oooh, they have donuts, and they actually smell warm."
"Focus kid." Leonard told him as he climbed into his spot inside, pulling out his cold gun and he took out a mirror and slid it into a nearby vent. "To your left, you'll find a mirror sliding down to you. Grab it and push it inside the room gently."
"Understood." There was some shuffling. "Aaaand done."
"Sam, that's your cue, go, go, now." Leonard ordered.
"Already on it." They made a portal and leapt through, aiming their mirror gun. "Nobody make a move, and no one becomes two dimensional."
"Oh come on, again?" The lady scientist groaned. "We JUST finished our latest project and you're already trying to steal it?"
"The real question is why is there already a market for it." Leonard noted as he went over to the panel. "I think you guys got a mole somewhere."
"Chris, I'm looking at you." One of the male scientists pointed to the other.
"Seriously, you accidentally eat someone else's lunch ONE time and suddenly you're labeled for life."
"Okay, that bought us a full three minutes." Against the speedster, that was a good three fuckin' hours. "Digger, Hartley, how's it going on your end?"
"Pretty bloody well. Robo guards went down faster than a pig in a hyena pin." The aussie marksman chuckled.
"I had to save his ass from getting fried ten times already." The music man corrected.
"Good. Sam, any sign of the speedster?"
"No, nothing so far, oddly quiet. Might want to double time it."
"Lisa, you doing well on that safe?" Leonard asked.
"Already gotten through half the layers, the second half shouldn't be an issue." His sister cackled in delight. "I am SO proud of you Iruma, you've done your part without an issue, you're a natural."
"Um … thank you …" The kid spoke in confusion, looking down as he clenched his hand. "...Feels weird... Getting complimented for doing something wrong."
"Yeah, that's how it starts." Leonard nodded. "My dad took me on a lot of robberies, said he needed tiny hands to work the wires. It was the only time he ever smiled at me."
"... Do you hate yourself?"
"I used to." Leonard admitted. "Now … now I feel a bit proud of the man I am. I take care of my sister, my friends, and I get to do something I love doing. It's as close to a perfect life that I'm ever going to get."
"… Ice villains really seem to know all the answers about life." The kid muttered.
"We see things logically. We know life is cold, so we prep to embrace it and learn how to deal with and even avoid trouble." He shrugged. "Now get that mirror ready, we're going to jump back in the moment we have the gear."
"… So …" One of the scientists spoke up. "You got kids now?"
"He's apparently a brother and a father." Iruma responded.
"It was a choice we got outvoted on." He grumbled.
"Doesn't that seem a bit immoral?" Another asked.
"Hey, long as they keep feeding me and giving me a place to sleep, I'll stick around even if crime makes me a bit uncomfortable." The kid said. "I just kinda feel apprehensive. I mean, Ms. Mooney didn't seem bad at first, then she tried destroying a city block and getting me and my friends killed."
"Yeesh, I knew Gotham criminals were crazy but not that crazy." Leonard winced.
"I mean at least she did it for money." The kid shrugged. "I've seen criminals there do crazier things because they were mad that they got splashed on by a puddle."
"Alright, I'm in." Lisa cut off THAT disturbing train of thought. "And again, we should really invest in a therapist. I love the Trickster and all, but I don't want my son to end up like him."
"She doesn't want me to get old?" The boy asked.
"We can recommend him to Hartley's boy toy later." Leonard rolled his eyes.
"Don't trivialize him like that, it's special!"
"You had two dates and you're already planning on retirement with them!"
"And that's perfectly normal when you date somebody!"
"It is?" The kid asked. "So it doesn't take years of emotional understanding and patience?"
"… The kid has a better understanding of romance than you." Sam deadpanned. "And still no sign of … wait, I got it. Crimson Comet's inbound, half a minute."
"I got the chips locked and loaded, we're clear for take off." Lisa voiced in.
"Into handheld mirrors people." Leonard opened up his own. "Well it's been fun, gotta bounce."
"Is that it?" Iruma asked.
"Yep. Quick grab and go."
"You're not going to hurt them?" The kid tilted his head. "This is usually the part when criminals hurt people for no reason."
"That's just it. No reason." He said firmly. "We do this for the money, that's the only reason. Gotham's exclusively for the insane. We're sane enough to focus on our real goals."
"Yet you still wear bright white and blue." A scientist spoke.
"And you're stalling for time." He shot back as he pushed himself and the kid into the mirror dimension. "We do things by the book. Get in and get rich. Hurting people without a reason is both bad business and unethical. As long as we do what is only required, we never have to waste time getting into unnecessary fights."
The kid blinked at that. "… Central City criminals really are different from Gotham ones …"
"No two criminals are alike, kid. We all have our reasons for doing what we do." He explained as he led them back to the meeting spot. "Whether noble or not."
Barry Allen was the type of kid who always tried to look on the bright side. It's what his mom would always do and it's what he always wanted to do.
Don't have a lot of money? It means you get to explore the world more without being burdened by electronics. Can't hang out with your friends? A chance to make some new ones. Get struck by lightning and land into a shelf full of chemicals as you can painfully feel yourself altered on a molecular level? Superpowers!
Although that last bit he kept on the down low. Uncle Jay told him he wasn't ready to fight crime, which Barry agreed to. He didn't want to accidentally hurt someone by mistakenly running at 200 miles per hour. Last thing he needed was to run through someone talking five steps off the curb. He couldn't imagine being able to live with that.
"Happy Birthday!" But you know what he could live with? Celebrating his nana's birthday party! Sure some things were bad in the past and he couldn't undo them, but he was living in the moment and the moment was great!
"Oh this is all too much." The woman chuckled kindly. "All these gifts and lights for little old me."
"If they too much I can get your less unless you're just saying that cause you really want more cause I can get you more and more cause I love you nana and you deserve nothing but the best-"
"… Did he get into the cake early?" One of his cousins asked.
"Nope, he's just been hyper since he turned ten." Dad nodded. "Slugger, why don't you work off some of that energy with a few laps around the house, work up an appetite for the cake?"
"Sure thing dad!" Barry walked out of the house … and began taking a few laps around the city. It would be weirder if he was done in a second, better to get in the sights and explore. Run up a bending or two-ooh, maybe grab a hotdog, or two, or ten! Maybe a hundred, he's been extra hungry every since the accident, and it's made him eat more and more and Uncle Jay always said that the key to being a Flash was to always have a full stomach and-ooh, a slide, slides were fun especially when you went down them at the speed of sound!
So many things to do and so much time to do them … truly, life was just amazing wasn't it? And everyone could just enjoy it with a smile-except that boy. Barry paused, seeing a kid around his age, sitting on a swing and looking into the sky. Hm. Frowning didn't like something someone should be doing especially on a day like today. Maybe he needed a little cheering up! Maybe he needed a friend! Wait, Barry was a friend to everyone. So obviously Barry needed to be a friend to this kid too!
"Hey there." He rushed over, waving to the boy's face.
"Ah!" They jumped out of the swing, falling to the ground.
"Ooh, sorry about that, got a little carried away I forget my speed makes me just a little unpredictable and unnoticeable to most people are you alright?"
"..." The boy stared at him silently.
"Is there something on my face did I get frosting all over it wait I didn't eat any cake yet which is surprising for me because I really love cake actually I love sweets in general and I love having cake cause it's so cakey and sweet-!"
"… Sorry, you just.. reminded me of an old friend." He said slowly.
"Oh really? That's so cool. You mind introducing us? I imagine that the three of us combined could be really fun friends as we smile and play and-"
"She's … not here." The kid sighed.
"Oh... I could bring her over here if you want cause I am pretty fast like faster than dad and-"
"She... she can't see me… I can't see her... not anymore." The boy responded sadly.
Couldn't see her... "… Oh …" Barry felt his enthusiasm die down a bit as he took a seat in the other swing. "… I can't see my mom anymore."
"… Oh.." The boy blinked. "Is... is that common here?"
"No… it.. it happened out of nowhere." Barry sighed. "One moment I was hanging out with her in the living room… the next… lighting was flying everywhere, I couldn't see anything, I was suddenly still inside and mom was..." Barry had to hold in a gag. "Mom... mom wasn't around anymore."
"... I didn't get to know my mom… or dad... or really any family... it's just been me for a long time." The kid nodded. "My friends... they were the closest thing to family I had...and... and now I can't see them again."
"… It sucks doesn't it?" Barry asked somberly. "People keep saying it'll get better after a while … but you still miss them, still miss the pain."
"... I'd do anything to see her again, to see all of them again." The kid sighed. "But now I'm in a new city with new people... everyone's so nice compared to where I used to live but ... I ... it's unnerving ... I ... I don't know how to take it."
"Wanna know my suggestion?" He offered a smile. "One step at a time. Slow and steady wins the race." Unless of course you complete the race by thinking and moving at the speed of light. "Your life is going to be full of new and often strange people... but if you can open up to them... I think you'll find that you're better off for it. We may lose friends from time to time... but you can always make more as long as you're still breathing."
"… I do like breathing." The kid mumbled as he stared up, turning to him. "I'm Iruma."
"Barry Allen." He shook their hand. "So you're new to Central city? Not to beat around the bush but I pretty much know everyone in every city I go to." Speed actually helped his memories.
"Been here about a few months … four, maybe five." The kid tilted his head. "I've been told that people don't keep track of age based on days."
"Nope, years. I'm turning nine next month." He smiled. "Just behind my Nana-Nana's party!" Barry realized, running off back home. Man, he could be a real scatterbrain at times.
Heatwave rolled his eyes in both annoyance and bemusement as the two kids of the group (and yes Lisa counted no matter how many times she protested) made a mess of the kitchen, the one they had just fully stocked after robbing the grocery store. "This is why we're not fitting the kid with highly expensive equipment … he eats his own budget. In one case, literally."
"It looked tasty with the salt on it." The boy responded as his face was covered in gravy and peas, Lisa once again by his side messing with his hair.
"My wittle man has a big and healthy appetite. Yea he does. Oh yes he does." The girl cooed.
"Lisa." Leonard groaned. "If he keeps eating up the stock, at some point it's going to dig into our budget. Then how are we going to afford stuff for our tools?"
"But who can turn away this face." Lisa giggled as she rubbed the boy's head. "Besides, we're been successful in the last twenty robberies cause he's been able to avoid triggering all the traps. We have more money than we've ever made in the last two years."
"Ain't wrong there." Digger nodded. "Still disturbin' for the kid, but she ain't wrong."
"Why's it disturbing?" Iruma asked. "It's completely normal to know how to dodge a bullet and lasers. How else are people going to live on the streets?" Piper slowly turned to him.
"Hey Mick." Hartley said to him. "If I ever think about visiting Gotham, punch me in the face."
"I can cut the middleman and punch you out right now." Mick offered.
"Please don't."
"It'd be no problem."
"Honestly I'm good."
"No. I insist that I do."
"Besides, Sam said he's already got something ready for Iruma." Lisa continued as she held the boy by the face. "And I don't want a single scratch on this wittle boy."
"You know the baby talk is only going to make us take you less seriously, right?" Leonard deadpanned.
"You know I still have a few hidden commands from that time I hypnotized you, right?" She shot back.
"… seriously, it's almost like you're trying to be more terrifying."
"She actually doesn't feel too far off from one of my other friends back at Gotham." Iruma raised his hand. "She was always talking about hurting people who hurt her friends, school being boring, and having fun is more important than anything else."
"She sounds like a really smart person." Lisa nodded.
"She was … one of the smartest people I knew…" He trailed off. "I miss Harley …" The kid for the most part eased up on the crime thing, though he still never really talked about his past.
"I know sweetie, I know." Lisa got on her knees and looked the kid in the eyes gently. "You know we'd be more than happy to take you to Gotham if you want-"
"We would?" Sam asked.
"Yes… We would." Lisa glared.
"I mean besides the existential terror, we don't really need travel tickets." Digger pointed out.
"No… no..." Iruma shook his head. "You guys… you guys really are too nice, you know that right?"
"That's what I've been saying." Mick raised his hand.
"It's cause we have rules." Hartley grinned. "We only take money, we don't mess with no one involved in the crime itself, and we don't kill." A little hard when your gear revolved around burning things, but Mick agreed-
"I …" They turned to the down kid. "I … already broke that rule …"
… Well … that certainly filled some blanks. "Ah… which one exactly?" Digger asked with a tone of disbelief.
"...I pushed a man off a roof… he.. Daggett… he wanted to blow up my home and kill my friends…so I pushed him off a roof... I just wanted him to get away from everyone…" The kid looked up. "I also ended up tripping Solomon off a roof, so he might be dead too …"
"Wait… like Solomon Grundy, the Zombie?" Sam asked, the volume of his voice increasing in incredulity.
"... He was a zombie?" The kid asked with wide eyes. "But James said that they just moan and try to bite you."
"He's a strange case-I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on the fact you apparently killed someone..." Hartley shook his head.
"Right … so he died … and I realized why killing was bad … the blood and fear was … hurt …" The kid tried to verbalize. "Then Mr. Cobblepot got me out from the cops and Mooney and on a boat to Central City …" He looked back down, his eyes getting teary. "I... I don't know how to be around people now and I was just trying to be alone, but then James gave me his scarf and Lisa said she was my mom and then Barry had this whole heartfelt conversation about losing people and…I… I see something good in my life again but I don't want to lose it…I... I should go before I ruin it…sorry... I'll see my way out."
"That's the past squirt." Leonard rubbed the kid's head, stopping him from leaving. "If you fuck up once, you just got to not fuck up again."
"… Even… even when I've already messed up badly?"
"Especially then." Mick nodded. "I used to be an arsonist that burned everyone around me, now I don't do that." Most of the time. "You can still be a good person."
"Besides, you'd think we let something like manslaughter scare us?" Hartley snickered. "Believe me, I know ALL about feeling ashamed of something you shouldn't be. My parents disowned me because I started dating men, and I thought for a long time that I was the problem, but really, it's everyone else's."
"And like you said, we're too nice. If you start walking out of here, I'm just going to follow you from behind and grab you and never let go." Lisa smirked.
The boy blinked. "It… It really doesn't bother you guys?"
"I dress like an airline captain." Digger grinned. "You think I'll listen to the opinion of some, kid?"
"...To be fair my one objection to the clothing is lack of stealth, otherwise I don't really have an issue with fashion." The kid slowly smiled, hugging Lisa back. "Thank you."
"Anytime Iruma." She patted his back. "Now come on, let's put you to bed, and then tomorrow we get you your own special weapon."
"We're still out of budget-"
"No we're not." Lisa glared.
"We're ar-"
"We're not." Lisa growled as she picked the boy out. "We're getting him one and you're ALL going to chip in..or else." She raised her foot and used her skates to slice away at the counter. "Are we clear?"
"... Crystal." Leo groaned.
"Good, night fellas." Lisa turned back to her sweet tone as she carried the boy away.
"... So what are we thinking in non lethals?" Hartley asked once the two were gone. "Motion stoppers?"
"That's what my cold gun does. It stops motion to the point ice forms." Leonard explained. "What about lightning? Set to stun of course."
"Tasers are too ineffective, considering the Flash literally leaves a trail of lightning in his wake." Sam nodded. "Say Hartley, weren't you a major in sonics?"
"Duh, how else would I have developed my manipulative sound?" The man nodded. "Are we giving him a duplicate of my gear?"
"No, I'm thinking more along the lines of vibrations and dynamic energy."
The guy thought it over. "Ooooh, I see what you're saying. Plus it'll make Lisa agreeable since it's gimmick can wrap around the kid as a shield."
"Riiight, a shield …" Mick nodded along.
"Lad, just say you don't understand." Digger rolled his eyes.
"No I do. You're going to make magic sound that covers the kid. Pretty easy to understand."
"...How you ever made that flamethrower I will never know." Leonard shook his head.
Sam sealed up the last entrance. "Aaaand we're clear! No cops following us down here!" The past year had been pretty well for the rogues, more successful than they've ever been in their lives. Which was kind of sad considering it was only when they brought in an eight year old that things turned around, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and a criminal never questioned a gift horse in the mouth.
"I don't know what's more amazing." Mick smirked. "Our success rate, the kid's appetite, or the fact we haven't switched up our roster for a full year."
"And you guys told me motherhood was going to be difficult and stressful." Lisa chuckled as she tossed the kid in the air.
"Obviously you only say that cause you never had to raise yourself … you're welcome for that by the way." Leonard rolled his eyes.
"What are you talking about? I was an awesome kid."
"You're still a kid." Hartley pointed out.
"Fourteen is not a kid!" She shouted. "Tell them Iruma."
"She's a teenager." The boy replied almost by instinct as he looked over his suit. "This thing is amazing. I didn't feel anything when that ledge broke and I fell five stories."
"Thank you, it was just a simple matter of reverse engineering one of my older designs." Hartley grinned. "Usually I equip my weapons to emit a certain frequency that can render most people into a state of hypnosis and heightened suggestibility. All I needed to do was alter the frequency and increase the volume to make it more intense pulses of vibration."
"So when you change the volume on the dials it makes loud sounds that shield me?"
"Yep. Anything that's coming at you too fast gets hit with the opposite amount of force. A shockwave, if you will."
"Blah, blah, blah, all I'm hearing is magic sound and magic suits. Let's just celebrate the haul." Mick shrugged as he downed a mug of beer.
"A little early for a drink , don't you think?" Sam asked.
"It's ten a.m. somewhere."
"Not inaccurate." Time wasn't exactly standardized in the mirror dimension. "But let's at least haul the money in the lair before we drink. I don't want to haul you to."
"I could do it." Iruma raised his hand. "Back in Gotham, they used to have me haul sandbags everywhere… which I now realize was probably gunpowder … either way I'm used to carrying things ten times my weight over my shoulder."
"Oh really-?"
"Don't even think about it Mick." Lisa held the kid close. "The second I see Iruma hauling your fat butt is the day I start kicking it across the city faster than even the Flash can."
"Speaking of ... I think the Geezer's about out of the game." Leonard spoke up, frowning. "Not to speak ill of him or anything, but the old man's been getting pretty slow as of late. It's been too easy to make him slip on some ice."
"You think this means we're gonna be rid of his ass sooner or later?" Digger asked. "Again, no ill, but a city with no heroes to stop us …"
"Crimes no one could stop … all that money." Sam grinned at the thought. "All the money will be ours!"
"It'll be happy hour every hour!" Mick grinned as he took out a flashlight.
"I can finally get that engagement ring!" Hartley shouted.
"Dude, you're moving WAY too fast for any relationship." Digger rolled his eyes.
"It's called true love, player."
"It's called having style." Digger shot back. "The ladies swoon over my every move whenever they see me."
"I'm pretty sure they're just waiting for you to make like a boomerang and return back to wherever you came from." Lisa cackled.
"Says the single mom who's never dated anyone in her life."
"Hey, it's not for lack of trying." She countered. "One good look at 'touch her wrong and I'll freeze your dick off here' sends most of them packing."
"I trust you with many things, Lisa. Fighting, safe breaking, those almond cookies you make I can never find the recipe for… but men are not among them." Leonard nodded. Eh, given they were super criminals, that was more than fair. "We're here Sam. Open the door."
"On it." He adjusted his mirror gun. "You know, given it's been a year, we ought to give the kid a codename too."
"Why?" Iruma asked. "You guys never use codenames. You just say your real names."
"Yeah, but it's the public that uses codenames, and a codenames means you've made it as a criminal." Lisa grinned. "Like whenever Leonard goes out, EVERYONE in Central city knows he's Captain Cold. They know not to mess with him. It's like getting the royal treatment."
"But the Flash still messes with you."
"Yeah, but that's just the routine by now." Mick shrugged as they began walking through the doorway to the hideout. "He messes with us, we mess with him, and we all share a laugh about it."
"Riiight, like James talks about." The kid nodded. "Doesn't it ever get boring knowing only two things can happen?"
"Maybe, but the fact we never know what can happen keeps it interesting-" Sam began explaining..
"Yes, very interesting.." … A familiar voice spoke out in their secret hideout. "Like how I had to take a dive on the last few robberies so I could find your hideout."
"... Knew it was too easy!" Leonard shouted, firing a beam at the Crimson Comet even as the lightning began flashing. "Hartley, trigger the traps! Mick, with me!"
"Time to fry, Flash!" Heatwave shouted as he pointed the flame gun at him, making the speedster run across the room.
"Come on Mick, that line is far too played out, even for someone as simple as you." The speedster quipped as he moved around.
"Sam, grab our supplies! We're bailing!" Leo shouted as the lasers and spikes they set up began to go off.
"Yes, you'll need about 250,000 dollars worth of bail once you're back in iron heights." The Flash chuckled as he hit Sam across the face.
"Stay back Iruma!" Lisa shouted, going at the flash with her skates, shooting lasers from her crystals. "I ain't going to jail when I have a kid to look after!"
"You're a kid too." The Flash pointed out, jumping over a pillar of ice as he ducked under a laser beam. "And the best thing for the both of you would be to place you in the proper authorities until they can give you proper homes."
"But the system's full of greedy people who only care about getting a check from the government while locking kids up in a closet." The boy raised his hand.
"Seriously Leonard, what are you teaching children these days?" The man asked as he danced around a cold ray. "Aren't you supposed to have standards?"
"I do, and I say I'm keeping both my sister from ending up like our dad while she's helping a kid stay out of Gotham." Captain Cold responded firmly as the cold gun was knocked out of his hands. "Lisa, bail, now! The doorway should still be open!"
"On it!" Lisa shouted.
"Hold on!" The Flash made his way towards the girl, looking like he was going to knock her on the shoulder and take her to the ground.
"Lisa, watch out!" The kid shouted, shoving the girl out of the way as the Flash's hand reached his shoulder-
BARRRRIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
What sounded like a church bell going off in the middle of the room rang a vibration everywhere, shockwaves sending everyone back… including the kid, who was flying towards the mirror.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Iruma screamed as he passed right through it.
"IRUMA-!"
SHATTER
They all stared at the shattered mirror … and the missing child. "... Ah.."
"SAM!" Lisa rushed over to him, crying. "Bring him back bring him back BRING HIM BACK!"
"First off, give me a fucking minute!" He shouted, pulling out his gun. "Second, there's nothing to worry about! I'm the only one who can get in and out of there. And there are no threats in there."
"I don't care, bring him back NOW!"
"Seriously, one day I'm going-" Sam grumbled. "Just keep the Flash off me until I grab him." He aimed his gun at the mirror …
Pzzzttt
The gun… that was now broken from when the Flash hit him. "... Make that an hour to get him back …"
"You'll have plenty of time to fix your gun in central city custody.." The Flash made his way to him.
Slash
The girl slashed the old man across the chest, looking downright murderous. "You… it's all YOUR FAULT!" Lisa cried out as she kicked him right in the knees, making him bleed.
"Shit!" Leo shouted, firing off a cold beam at the man, sending him away from the angry girl. "Lisa, calm down!" He called out.
"Not until his skull's on a pike!" She skated after him, spinning as her crystals fired off more lasers.
"Lisa, wait, I can help-"
"That Golden Glider to you, asshole!" She slashed the speedster across the chest again. "The only reason why you've haven't died long before this old man was because there was an unspoken agreement! You don't hurt us and we don't hurt you… well now you've hurt me like nobody else... So now I'm balancing the scales!" This … was going to end up unpleasant.
Amanda Waller gazed down at the unconscious child. "You've done well." Sam Scudder, the man who discovered the mirror dimension … and limited himself to a simple city. They may not be as advanced as him, but access to information and gateways to any reflective surface on the planet was … too valuable not to break some tape for.
"Not a problem." Eva McCulloch grinned. "Scudder may be a genius, but he lacks such imagination. With the power of reflections, we can finally gain the ability to utilize hard light technology. Imagine an army that could be created to endlessly shoot at foes with just a flashlight and a piece of glass." The woman laughed… somewhat musically. Eva might have been smart, but she was just one step away from being a villain just like Scudder. It was a good thing Cadmus discovered her talents before anyone else did. "And how irresponsible can he be if he lets random children inside an endless pathway that's essentially limbo for anyone trapped inside."
"Believe me, McCulloch, this child is FAR from random."
"Oh, let me guess." The woman spoke, leaning in her chair. "You want me to implant a bomb in his neck like your other genetic superkids?"
"No, not this time." Waller nodded. "I have a feeling that won't be too necessary."
"Your funeral." McCulloch shrugged. "I don't get your fascination with using kids anyway."
"Children are malleable, adults already have their loyalties set in stone." Be they too nice to do the dirty work needed for their country, too wild to control properly, or too likely to play you for everything you're worth. "All that's needed to threaten a child is raising your voice."
"Can't argue with that I guess." The woman muttered as she stood up. "I'm going for a coffee, call me when you need me."
She watched them leave. "Mad scientists. As useful as they are annoying." They made the world easier to protect as much as they made it just as hard.
She heard a groan, watching as the child woke up. "Did we get out …" He blinked. "This isn't my room."
"It's not." She introduced herself. "This is your new cell for the next year."
"Cell… oh.. I got arrested…" The boy muttered, looking up at her. "Are you the social worker everyone keeps telling me about?"
"Not exactly." Waller explained. "Yes, by technicality, you were arrested, as though you are a minor, you have knowingly aided and abetted in crimes, which for cases such as yourself, would result in about two years of juvenile hall, and combined with the fact you have no visible identification or birth certificate so to speak, that would extended to five to ten years, if not the entirety of your remaining childhood."
"... Wouldn't that just be five years? I'm…Seven I think… …"
"You're nine." She clarified.
"Huh?" The boy blinked.
"You're nine years old." She clarified as she went through a file. "I know exactly who you are, kid, I even know things that you don't even know about yourself ... Iruma Suzuki."
"Suzuki?" The boy blinked.
"That's your last name, your family name." Amanda nodded. "A family that is still very much alive."
"... I could see my family?" He asked.
"Yes … you just need to work for me for a year. Do what I say, when I say. Do you understand?"
The kid looked around his surroundings for a minute, before sighing. "What do you want me to do?"