---

Vincent stood alone on the training grounds, his eyes closed. His spinal implant glinted in the sunlight, his sleeveless athletic shirt tailored to allow his implant to easily connect to the port on his back. Over the years, thanks to a mentor of sorts he had when he first started fighting, he had become rather skilled in a particular form of shadow boxing. It only took one or two fights for him to get an idea of the way someone fought, right down to their form. At that moment, there was one person he wanted to fight again, more than anything. He wasn’t a man who was used to losing and if he ever got the chance, he wanted to be ready to make sure that one loss remained his only loss.

His eyes still closed, Vincent took a fighting stance as he imagined his own mentor, Nightwing, standing in front of him. Their fight, admittedly, didn’t last very long, but it was long enough for Vincent to get a good idea of how the veteran hero fought. Before, Vincent had made the first move, which he was sure was the reason he lost the fight, so he decided to let ‘Nightwing’ take the initiative. His right forearm turned jet-black as he hardened it to block a strike from one of his mentor’s Escrima sticks. Driven by the instinct that had not only made him undefeated but also kept him alive, Vincent countered with a left straight, his fist hardening at the last moment before ‘impact.’

The match continued like this for a few moments as Vincent and the mental image of his mentor attempted to counter each other. Patches of Vincent’s body hardened seemingly at random, as if he were actually defending from attacks he couldn’t block. Then, Vincent saw an opening in ‘Nightwing’s’ defense. Part of the outer shell of his implant leapt from his back and around his hand. Vincent focused on it, using his power to increase the speed and power of his punch, doing his best to capitalize on the opening…then he suddenly stopped and let out a frustrated growl.

Just like in their actual fight, Nightwing had quickly figured out that it would’ve been difficult to damage Vincent, given how quickly he could harden specific parts of his body. He had purposefully made an opening, which Vincent was eager to take advantage of. The result was Vincent’s right shoulder dislocated, soon followed by the left when he tried to attack in anger. Even though he had essentially been fighting his imagination, Vincent had caught himself about to make the same mistake.

”Shit, he’s tough even in my imagination,” Vincent muttered as he sat on the ground. ”I’ve got a long way to go before I can take on the real thing, again.”

”Times are tough in dreamland.” Pei said suddenly in the training ground. Pei was light of foot, sure, but maybe running a combat simulation in his mind had allowed her to unintentionally sneak up on him. She hadn’t said anything before because she had gotten distracted by the implant she spotted, resisting the urge to tap it with her index finger.

Vincent looked over his shoulder as Pei approached from behind. ”Yeah, I suppose you could say that,” he replied with a shrug. ”Not a big deal, though. Just means I have to work harder.” As he said this, Pei’s smile widened, endeared by the earnesty.

A moment passed as Vincent’s face took on a more thoughtful expression. ”...Pei, right? What brings you here?”

”I…” She glances around, trying to think of a reason, before settling on a version of the truth. ”...am mostly looking for someone to annoy! Mind if that’s you?” She went to plop down on the ground next to him, legs crossed.

”So, who are we fighting?” She asks, slapping her hands on her knees and leaning forward.

Vincent watched as Pei took a seat next to him without waiting for his answer. ”Nightwing,” he answered without hesitation. ”He kicked my ass before I got here. In fact, it was how I even ended up here, in the first place. It was the first time I’ve lost a fight in…well, ever. So, I’m working on getting good enough to beat him next time. But, I guess being trained by ‘the world’s greatest detective’ gave him a pretty big head start.”

He then turned to Pei and asked, ”So, why are you here? And I don’t mean here, next to me, but here...” he gestured broadly, indicating he meant Mount Justice.

”Well now I’m here to help you defeat Nightwing in imagination combat!” Pei says excitedly. ”No wonder you couldn’t beat him on your own. He’s strong, smart, funny, faster than Batman, and has unbeatable glutes.” She lists off Nightwing’s defining features. ”He’s the Boy Wonder!”

”Have you tried giving him a mirror and saying the back of his hair is messed up? That might distract him.” Pei suggests.

Vincent let out a laugh at Pei’s suggestion. ”I’ll try to remember that for next time,” he replied, still chuckling. He wiped his eyes as he calmed down and asked, ”What else can you do, besides give surprisingly sound fighting advice?”

Pei was taken aback that he enjoyed her joke so much. Had she finally found the perfect audience, she wondered? Her smile brightened. ”Oh, me?”

Out of white mist, an icicle formed in her hand. She flung it at a nearby training dummy, and the icicle shuddered before popping with an impact, spreading mist and frost. ”Aaand that’s basically it in a nutshell.” She said, scratching her pale head of hair.

Vincent let out a low whistle as he watched the misty cloud around the dummy dissipate. ”Now that’s pretty cool. Pun fully intended,” he said. ”Can you do anything with the mist, too?”

”The mist is where the ice comes from! No mist, no ice.” Pei explains. With a flick of her wrist, the mist that spread out from the exploded icicle zipped through the air, reforming into the shape of a large, intricate snowflake. She set it on her palm and blew on it, and it dissipated back into mist. ”Tra la la la la~” She whispered whimsically, wiggling her fingers.

”So, if you’re, say, trapped in the desert, you wouldn’t be able to do that?” he asked. ”Or can you make the mist wherever you are?”

”The second thing!” Pei said, demonstrating by shooting a stream of mist from her fingertips. ”It’s ‘no mist, no ice’, not ‘no ice, no mist.’” Pei clarifies a little unhelpfully.

”Oh! And this!” She flipped her legs and transitioned into a handstand. ”Eh? Eh?” She wiggled her eyebrows, sounding much more excited about this ability than the previous one.

With an arched eyebrow, Vincent watched Pei effortlessly went from sitting into a handstand. He nodded and said, ”Impressive. I’ll be sure to call you if I ever need to read something upside-down.”

He hopped to his feet and stood up, rolling his neck. ”Me, I’m not quite so acrobatic. I punch and control metal. Though, I do suppose I have one other trick.” His spinal implant clicked and whirred as it seemed to open up. Metallic panels spread out and rearranged themselves, glinting in the sunlight as they took on a familiar, yet oversized, shape. In just a couple of seconds, a pair of large, metallic wings had unfurled from Vincent’s back. ”It’s not often I get to use these things. In fact, I tend to forget about them more often than not,” he added with a chuckle.

Pei fell from her handstand, staring up and upside down at Vincent, as her mouth formed a small ‘o’.

”Wow! Metal wings!” She said. She made a ‘flapping’ sound effect and wiggled her hands around.

”Do they work? Can you fly with your metal wings?!” She asked.

Vincent couldn’t help but smirk, feeling a sense of pride well up inside of him. Rather than directly answer her question, he started to flap his wings. After a couple of flaps, he began to rise into the air, the only sound coming from his wings being that of the air moving with each flap, despite being made completely of metal. ”I’ve never really put them through their paces, so I’m not sure exactly how fast or high I can go,” he replied as he lowered himself back to the ground.

As soon as he regained his footing, a few ‘feathers’ fell from his wings. Rather than fall to the ground, however, they stopped in midair and began to float around Vincent. ”And since they’re made of steel, I can do this,” he added as the feathers arranged themselves to form a large letter ‘V’ in between himself and Pei before returning to his wings.

”That’s so sick!” Pei leapt to her feet. ”We gotta test 'em out! Wanna see how high up you could go if I blew you up?” She asked.

Vincent was about to agree, then stopped. ”Wait, what do you mean by that?” he asked, slightly confused.

”Like this! Iceburn Special Technique: Cloud Leap!” Pei stomped the ground, sending out a cloud of mist beneath her, and then she formed it into a temporary compressed ice cloud that burst upwards. She went about twenty feet in the air before landing, cushioning her fall with another burst of mist. She rolled, dispersing her momentum with a cloud-like formation in her wake.

”Now imagine if I did that for you except you had wings!” Pei said.

As he watched Pei ascend using her clouds, then return to the ground, Vincent gave a thoughtful nod. ”Alright, that’s pretty cool. Let’s give it a shot!” He unfurled his wings again, then gave it another thought. ”You sure this’ll work, though? I mean, I’ve gotta be quite a bit heavier than you are.”

Pei giggled, nudging his shoulder. ”Of course I’m not sure if this’ll work! That’s why we’re testing it!” Vincent grinned at that, seeing the sense in what Pei said.

Pei whipped her hand about and created a slow moving vortex of ice and mist that came up to about Vince’s knee. ”So you step on that, flap your wings, I’ll launch you up, and we’ll see what happens!”

Vincent nodded and raised his wings, ready to bring them back down, but paused. He turned to Pei and held out his hand. ”How about it? Wanna take a trip around the island with me?”

Pei’s bravado lost a step, and she found herself flattered. But then her grin widened, and she smacked her hand into his. ”Would I?!” Using his hand as leverage, she went to pull herself onto him in a piggyback. She used her other hand to maintain a connection to the ‘jump pad’ of ice.

”Ready when you are!” She exclaimed.

As Pei hopped onto Vincent’s back, the steel between his wings morphed and molded itself into a kind of harness. He lifted his wings again and stepped onto the mist cloud. Pei moved her hand straight up, and the mist surged upward into a windy cool shower. As he brought his wings back down, he felt the mist propel him and Pei into the air, quite a bit faster than he would have been able to on his own. Using his momentum, he flapped his wings again and again, making himself pick up speed as they ascended. Within moments, they were a couple hundred feet above the ground, his wings spread out to catch the thermal currents rising from below. ”How’s the view?” he asked Pei, raising his voice over the rushing wind.

Pei was holding on tight now, her heart gripped by exhilaration and terror. They had gone much higher than she anticipated, and though she could cushion most falls, skyscraper height was much beyond her capability of survival.

”Aaah!” She screamed into the back of his shirt. ”Aaahahah! Haha!” It morphed into a laugh as she glanced around.

”High!” She yelled.

”Higher?” Vincent called back, mishearing Pei through the rush of wind. He brought his wings down harder and climbed higher into the air. Pei realized the translation error immediately and just cackled, holding on tighter. In truth, he wasn’t exactly sure why he knew how to use his wings. Back in Bludhaven, he never had much opportunity to practice with them, yet here he was, flying as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He evened out at about four hundred feet, less than half the height of Mount Justice. ”Still doing okay back there?” he asked Pei.

”Perfect!” She said, hanging on very, very tightly. At this point, she was just a giggling mess.

Vincent grinned, then tucked his wings in. The two of them dove toward the ground, hurtling headfirst. Vincent found the speed exhilarating: he couldn’t help but grin almost madly as he did his best not to laugh, knowing the wind would steal his breath. At the last moment, just before he and Pei reached the tops of the trees, he unfurled his wings and leveled back out, using the speed from the dive to fly even faster.

Before he knew it, the two of them were about to circle back to where they started. He started to flap his wings backwards to slow down and managed to land safely where he and Pei had been chatting not too long ago. ”Goddamn, that was great!” he exclaimed as his wings retracted back into his implant. The ‘harness’ that had wrapped around Pei let her go as he stepped away. ”I didn’t know I could go that fast!”

Pei detached from Vincent’s back and then dropped belly-down onto the ground, grabbing the dirt. ”I didn’t know you could go that fast, either.” She said, voice muffled by the dirt. She let out a few residual nervous giggles.

Vincent sat down on the ground next to Pei and leaned back on his hands. He could still feel the rush of the wind against his face, the thrill of defying gravity. ”I almost didn’t wanna come back down,” he said with a chuckle. He then turned to Pei and asked, ”You feel alright? Still got all your pieces?”

Pei gives a thumbs up from her position on the ground. ”That was…”

She cuts herself off, before looking quite seriously at Vincent. ”I can’t remember the specifics. But an oil worker, in the American Wild West, fell several storeys while working on a regular job. Right from the tippy top of the tower all the way to the ground. He survived with minor injuries because of the lucky consistency of the mud.”

Pushing herself up to her feet, she continued. ”His friends went to go help him up, but the first thing he did was climb right back up that ladder and get to work. The reason? Because he knew if he didn’t climb back up that tower at that very instant, he’d never climb it again.” She said sagely.

”Basically, Vince, what I’m saying is-” She went to jump into his back again. ”If I don’t do it again right now I don’t know if I ever will!” She cried.

”Whoa!” Vincent cried out in surprise as Pei went to climb onto his back again. He chuckled and stood up, carrying her piggy-back style as he said, ”Alright, alright, one more lap. I don’t even think I need a hand, this time, either!”

Once again, his wings spread out from between his back and Pei. He lifted his wings and brought them back down. Dust rose from the ground as he and Pei rose back into the sky, though not quite as quickly as the first time. He gave another strong flap and they once again sped off, climbing higher as Vincent continued to pick up speed.

”Eeeuuuhhh~!” Pei made an unsure noise and laughed some more. ”Don’t forget the harness!”

”Right, sorry!” he called back over the rushing wind as steel once again wrapped around Pei’s torso, securing her to his back.

“Yes, I can feel it- I can feel my security and my confidence growing with every second!” Pei said, not really sure if she was lying or not. “Just don’t do any loop-de-loops!” She cried out as they got further and further away from the training ground, their voices trailing into the open air.

---

The afternoon sun peeked through the sky window above the greenhouse. The warm light brought out the fresh scent of the plants and bathed everything in a peaceful glow. Everything was in full bloom. The Nymph was anchored into the soil at the center of the greenery. It happened gradually, but she was becoming less recognizable as the girl she once was. There was a vague impression of arms crossed in front of her chest and subtle facial features. Her legs were twisted into a singular trunk, hair reaching up high above her head in a canopy of leaves.

Mementos the Team brought her during some of their visits were carefully arranged around her “feet”. Each one was different and personal to the one who brought it. There was a small vase filled with her favorite flowers, a well meant but slightly soggy cherry cake, a bottle of perfume and other accessories.

It had been a while since someone visited her last, that is, until a knock came to the greenhouse door.

Coming to the inside of her ‘room’, was a familiar friendly face belonging to her first friend on the team. The green shirt that she’d gotten for him was on his back today, he remembered. The bushbaby remembered the missions they had been on. Remembered the training that he took the time to try imparting to her.

Ja only wanted to help…Though, he feared that it might not have been enough because, here she was; locked in this form. He wanted to help her to become comfortable with her power…but this didn’t feel right. The Red whispered to him, when she was first brought like this. She was alive, but not as they had known her. Even now, in this room with other plants, he might not have recognized her if not for her scent. The human spirit that made her distinct was quieter now, even more than then.

These thoughts made his face somber at first, but when he made his way closer to her, he smiled. She was still alive, and still here. He tried to focus on that.

”Hai, Daffy-Knee…” His voice was small but gradually gained volume as he spoke more. ”It has been some time. I am sorry for that. A lot has happened…New people have come to the team again…Oh, Alisa is back and okay after the last mission. She stumbles about sometimes like a baby learning to walk. It is funny to watch but I don’t laugh. How have things been here? Has Red Robot been treating you good? Does he even talk? I told him a bunch of times that he should talk—”

He stopped mid-way through his ramble, throwing a finger up to remember. Throwing a hand into his headbush, he tugged a rolled-shut paper bag free. Reaching inside, he pulled out what looked like chalk and started putting them into the dirt near her roots. ”I almost forgot, I brought snacks. Not for me, but you! They said that these are “plant food” at the store. They are shaped like sticks…I would have made something but I realized that you can’t eat people food yet. Think of them like jawbreaker candy.”

It had been two months since Daphne had turned into a tree. To Alisa, though, it felt like less than one. Her friend had been gone so long… longer than she had. And Alisa had never gone to visit her. She wasn’t sure why. Seeing Daphne like that terrified her on some molecular level. It reminded her of what had happened to her, she supposed. But she needed to brave it, for Daphne. Her friend might still be in there, her mind trapped in the Green. How awful would it be if Daphne had been conscious the entire time and Alisa had never come to see her? That imagined guilt made her squirm.

So, she came. Since it was properly summer now, she wore a white sundress. It had been a bit of a walk in sandals, but oh well. Alisa carried a sketchbook and a small tote bag with her as she went into the greenhouse, intending to draw next to her friend. But, to her surprise, as she came outside of the door she heard a voice inside. Ja. He was here? Today? A pit formed in her stomach. She had wanted to be alone, and while she liked Ja… his unpredictability, his periods of sheer energy and periods of seriousness, exhausted her. From listening, it seemed like he was energetic today. Huh.

She kept the bandage he had given her in her room, tucked away in a drawer. It was a touching gift. Alisa cherished it.

Pushing open the door, Alisa smiled tentatively and approached the tree, looking up at her friend. Her smile turned sad. That face... she hadn’t realized how realistic it would be. How much it would look like Daphne and, at the same time, not.

“Hi,” she said, smiling down at Ja, who was stuffing sticks into the dirt. Alisa looked on curiously. “What are you doing?”

”Hai Alisa,” Ja paused briefly from what he was doing to wave at her. With her question, he went back to putting the last few sticks in the dirt. ”I have brought Daffy-Knee food for plants. According to the garden people at the store, it is supposed to give nutrients to go along with sunlight and—“

In the indent corner of Daphne’s wooden eyes, a small droplet of water glimmered in the growing lights. It could simply be a collection of dew although it was long past morning. It traveled down her face, falling on top of Ja’s diligent fingers. The wild child jumped, then froze in place as he was thoroughly startled. His eyes stared up at the eyes of the plant girl rather intently. It was a brief but intense whisper of bittersweetness that swept through his senses of the Red. His heart lurched in his chest.

”D…Daphne?”

There was no sign in Daphne’s frozen face that she felt the same wave of emotions as her counterpart of the Red. The bark covered her usual warm brown eyes, hiding what she was feeling on the inside. Just then a single leaf twirled downwards, landing close to Alisa’s feet.

Alisa bent down to pick up the leaf, turning it over in her fingers with care and a tender look in her eyes. “Is she… crying?” she whispered, almost reverently. She took a cautious step towards the tree. Her logical mind was screaming that it was impossible, but… she had seen crazier.

”I…water fell from her and touched my hand..but I felt her.” The bushbaby looked at the hand that had been contacted and his bottom lip squirmed. Turning his head to Alisa, he noticed the leaf she was holding. Confusion mixed into his expression, and the shrill whimper of a golden retriever pup exhaled through his breathing. ”It was really fast but for a moment I felt Daph in there. I don’t know if she was happy or sad…”

“Well,” Alisa murmured, “maybe she’s still conscious in there. Maybe she can hear us. You’d know better than me, if you can feel it.” She approached the tree and stroked the bark, overcome with the urge to draw her friend in this form.

“If she’s conscious, maybe she’d like us to talk to her,” she hedged, and Ja nodded.

”That is what I was doing before you came in…I was telling her about how things have been over the last month, and that you are back…” Ja’s head bobbled left and right as he spoke, gesturing to Daphtree in kind. There was still a sort of weight that sat in the center of his golden irises, but a smile on his lips. ”But you can tell her all about it yourself, now that you are here.”

Alisa shrugged. “I… you know more than me. But I did see this movie yesterday. I’ll tell her about it.” With that, Alisa took a seat next to Ja, arranging her legs neatly and resting her elbows on her knees. “Where to start… okay, so this girl moves to New York City for a job at a fashion magazine…”

Location: Mount Justice
Interactions: Daphne

---

Viktor's interactions with his teammates during the two months between major missions were trying if not reflective for him. Kila, Kassandra, and Alisa had all made significant impressions on him. Each instance stuck with him in its own unique way, yet it was his time spent with Daphne that may have been the most peculiar.




Day Zero

Viktor had been the most conflicted at this time when approaching the tree that was Daphne. Despite not being in the mood to do so, he had assured his comatose teammate that he'd help her with some form of self-development whether she accepted it or not. His emerald eyes set on her still form. He was going to spout something rude but stopped himself when he noticed a subtle change from when he had seen her previous to the mission to Taos.

“You moved… and you're smiling… Good, but still unacceptable. Always aiming for the bare minimum, Daph. As if I'd expect anything more from you or any of them.” He circled around her, arms crossed as inspected her.

Once he was in front of her again, his expression showed dissatisfaction.

“You should know that Alisa was hurt today during our mission…” He felt a lump form in his throat but contorted his face in anger. “A mission we could have used you on. Events may have played out differently if you weren't stuck like this… If you can hear me, you'll feel as guilty as I do, but frankly, I don't care. How could you let this happen to you? To fail us… You're pathetic. You're too weak. You can't do anything right.” Though he aimed the words toward her, Daphne was not who he was truly referring to. “You weren't there for her… I- I… I wasn't there for her. I wasn't there for you either. Or Talon… You probably enjoyed hearing me say that. Hm?! Say something! Move!” Viktor performed an open-hand thrust toward her but stopped short. “Very well… Continue to be useless. As if it makes a difference.”

Day One

It was long after sunset, when Viktor approached Daphne this day. This time he took a seat on the ground in front of her but wouldn't look her in the face.

“Don't take what I said personally. I was not in my right mind. However, I will not apologize. I am here to help you get better, not become your friend.” He finally stared up at her.

“Only your smile has changed. And barely at that. Daph, you were capable of moving much more before. Even where your hand originally was. If you want to move, then will it. Take matters into your own hands for once. Have you never thought of what you might be capable of if you simply relied more on your own strength?” He paused as if awaiting a response, watching to see if any part of her shifted in response to his words.

“You think no one notices, but I do. You'd let any next person lead if it means you get to sit in the background. You let others take the lead, even when we split into smaller groups. You never take the keys to the jeep… Sure, you might think that's small but let's take everything else. What have you actually done? Hm? People like you on the team because you're pleasant, not because you're useful. And you know this. You play into it. The meals, the gifts, the way you ask to be led by whoever's leading. Not ever challenging their ideas or methods. You buy our favor with treats and sell your own initiative away.” He stood up, remaining unamused by her as he turned away once more. “Initiative… Think about what that means to you, Daph. I will return tomorrow and the days following.”

Day Thirteen

Viktor circled around the tree, hands clasped behind his back while lecturing Daphne as he had for nearly two weeks now.

“Thorns, poisons, spores… How have you not utilized these yet in the field? Don't tell me you just mimic the plants you've seen in person… Did you not try to research what other plants can do so you could replicate them? Daph… He stopped right in front of the tree with an eyebrow raised in interest. “Do you think you could grow fungi? Who knows how broad the spectrum is for your power. Try it. It's not like you have anything else going on. I'll see you tomorrow. Same time.”

Day Twenty-one

“I believe the day is coming soon. Maybe even today. Kila and I will face each other. After I've beaten him, I wish for him to simply accept my superiority... By the way, you're moving too slowly. I give you 24 hours to move and you have no other tasks, so just do it.”

Day Twenty-two

Viktor simply sat before Daphne in silence. After a few moments, he rested against the trunk of the tree sharing her view of the greenhouse area until he left for bed.

“He won… Not just in combat either. I don't enjoy being wrong but in this instance, I accept it.”

Day Thirty

Viktor had gone from circling the tree like a stern drill instructor to taking a seat at its base now. He'd gotten used to just talking about anything that came to him. He was sure Daphne would much rather enjoy that than his lecturing.

“I'm surprised you haven't tried to make fruit or even tea leaves. Then again, perhaps you've grown tired of giving. Your father was the one person who took too much… But not everything. You're still here and when you can move again, we'll work on making you better. Kila and Talon have taught you some, but I can show techniques as well. For instance, if you shorten the time it takes to transform your body into bark and focus that into your points of contact, your strikes would be faster and far more devastating.” Viktor stared blankly at her for a moment, he was still expecting to invoke a response from her. “Sometimes learning from someone else helps… Kila has been helping me understand the art rather than just the martial prowess of combat…” He paused once more, wondering if she'd even care for such a topic. “But if you're fine with the way you were, then that's fine too. Change should be accepted, not forced…”

Day Thirty-three

“Good news, Daph. Alisa has returned… A smile briefly graced his face. Only briefly. “You, however, are still in this state. I am sure you can find strength in her return. Motivation to wake up as well… He winced as his true feelings on the matter surfaced. “Though, I've begun to notice a regression in your form. You're sinking in. Shifting less… Does that mean you're giving up on us? Does it?”

Day Forty-one

“We received three new members. More people to bake for, yes? Can you believe I'm actually beginning to miss your travel meals… Some of them at least.” He shrugged his shoulders with a slight smile on his face before switching back to his neutral expression. “Anyway, the newcomers are adequate so far. I still need to continue my assessment of them. Vincent seems capable in skill but I'm not sure about his disposition.” He paused for a moment to consider how to describe the next recruit. “Pei is… hm. She has limited experience, but I can't predict her. I don't know if I like that. I probably don't.” A sigh escaped him as he thought of the final of the three. “Then there's the other one. Cora. She is somewhat like how you and Alisa were in skill when you first arrived.” His slight smile returned as he continued. “She's definitely more like you. That's if I were to swap your low confidence with her negligence. I believe we can make it work, and I won't be as much of a 'jerk' to her as I was to you. It won't be easy… for her or myself.” He gave Daphne a single nod. “But, one day at a time, right Daph?”

Day Fifty-two

“Hmm… Why are you giving up and letting yourself be taken? Everyone can see what's happening to you. No one will say it but…. at this rate, there won't be anything left of you.” Viktor held a slightly disgruntled expression as he placed a gentle hand against the tree's rough bark. At times he wished he could just pull her out of her self-made prison. “I assume when that occurs, there's no reason for me to continue doing this…” Taking a step back, he sighed. “However, I will. It's foolish for me to be so hopeful but until this tree is no more, I'll consider you present. The team is still awaiting your return, Daph. Keep fighting.” And with that he took his leave once more.



He continued his short daily visits, despite Daphne's progression into becoming a wilting dying tree. Her face and body vanished beneath the bark, the branches remained without any more movement, and the leaves continued to fall.

The tree would die in the coming days…. That was certain, and Viktor would be there for the end…

Location: HQ, Greenhouse
Interactions: Viktor and Daphne

---

It was a quiet early morning inside the greenhouse. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the soft humming of the grow lights. Despite it being the midst of summer, the interior resembled something closer to autumn. Around the perimeter of Daphne was a blanket of leaves. The foliage utterly discarded.

The heart of the Team was no longer recognisable, her form overtaken by the Green. In place of leaves the branches were heavy with buds. There was something different in the air, something only one attuned to the natural world might pick up, or someone who spent a lot of time in this place. Someone who knew it like the back of his hand.

“What happened to you?” Viktor furrowed his eyebrows in concern but a mildly sweet scent caused any wariness he had to dissipate. Careful on his approach, he walked slowly as his eyes flickered from branch to branch before looking upon the blanket of leaves. “Daphne?” He asked as if she would answer, as he had done for weeks upon each day he visited her.

This time something finally moved. It could be coincidence or a conscious effort of the girl inside pushing to the surface. Viktor watched in place as the sepal leaves of one of the many buds folded back to allow the petals inside to unfold. There was a flush of pink in between the bark and branches. The tree almost appeared to be breathing, subtly inhaling and exhaling. The young man proceeded, warily stepping toward it.

“Daphne.” His voice was more stern, commanding almost. This occurrence was a far cry from what he'd experienced the past two months. The most there ever was might have been a repositioning of the shape of her body that was no longer present. The team had been under the impression that girl's day's were numbered as the tree had slowly begun to wilt after Daphne's face fully assimilated into the bark

There was more movement and in a matter of minutes the entire tree was blossoming. The Nymph was more alive than ever and the air was filled with a fresh and mildly sweet scent. It looked like the seasons were passing by rapidly. As already the flowers started to detach themselves from the branches. They did not fall down like regular petals. The pink leaves weaved through the air in unnatural ribbon patterns. It was like they were pulled by some invisible force. All to come together in a single spot on the ground, forming the silhouette of a girl’s body.



A head of brown hair emerged from within the pile of petals. Daphne was returned to her human self once more. She was laying on her side, sleeping under a blanket of leaves. Slowly she started to stir and open her eyes. She could hear Viktor's approach before she could clearly see him as he freely allowed his shoes to crunch down upon dry leaves.

Silently he stared down at her, his voice taken by disbelief and awe. He remained only a step or two away so as to not disturb her. Viktor did not believe himself fit for this moment as he was innately aware the handling of flowers required a delicate touch.

Daphne’s eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, getting used to the brightness of the growing lights. When her eyes were done adjusting, she noticed Viktor looking down at her. Daphne pushed herself into a sitting position, the petals following her movements and covering her body. Their eyes met and they kept looking at each other in disbelief of what they were seeing. The sensation of the petals brushing against her skin drew her attention downwards, finding they were the only thing covering her.

They had both realized the predicament. Immediately Daphne's cheeks flushed, while Viktor averted his eyes. Interestingly enough, her cheeks blushed pink instead of the green she had grown used to.

A familiar sigh suddenly filled the air, unpleasantly breaking the serene silence.

“Here.” Viktor took the t-shirt right off his back and tossed it. “Minimal, but it'll do for now…” He raised an eyebrow but not as intense as Daphne remembered it. She picked up the shirt and turned her back to Viktor, slipping into it. It was long, reaching to her knees. The fabric felt strange on her skin and the shirt smelled like him. The sensations she was experiencing felt foreign. It was uncanny, as if she hadn’t been aware of her body for a long time.
“Aren't you going to say something? Anything? If you can? Can you?”

She turned and stepped closer towards him, her walk was unsteady, but she continued.

“Hi…” Even the sound of her own voice was odd to her ears. Viktor on the other hand found slight relief at her ability to form words.

Careful… Careful… Careful… or the team kills you…. or the team attempts to kill you… Careful…

Somehow Daphne felt like she’d been here before. She had to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, or this would be a very cruel dream.

”Is this real…”
”Are you….real?”

“Almost unbelievable, but I assure you this is as real as it gets. Pinching yourself won't be necessary.” He folded his arms across his chest. “How does it feel? To be back.” He noticed a few aesthetic differences but refrained from mentioning them. He wanted her return to go as smoothly as he could manage.

”It feels like I’ve been asleep for a long time.” Daphne glanced over her shoulder at the barren tree, its soul departed. She was finally back.

“How long has it been?, I remember some things, but everything is mixed up.”

“Approximately… close to two months……………….. What do you remember?”

Location: Mt Justice, Greenhouse
Interactions: Dr Hall

---

“I’m…I’m so happy you’re okay Daph…”
The scientist and his teenage daughter were standing in the small greenhouse inside the HQ. There was a good amount of distance between them. He tried to make eye contact with her but she avoided looking at him. He cleared his throat and loosened up his tie some more. He took a step forward and noticed Daphne tensing up.

“I came as soon as I heard, it’s really unbelievable, you have no idea how relieved I was” He kept looking at her face.

“I’m done….” Daphne said in an even voice. It felt like the calm before the storm. Her face was set in an angry scowl, barely moving her lips when she talked. Either her dad ignored what she said or he didn’t hear her, but as per usual he started to talk over her.

“It’s amazing how your powers got you out of this” His behavior gradually changed from regretful into excited. This was never going to end.

Daphne finally snapped.

“Why are you happy Dad? Why??"
“Are you relieved that I'm alive?! Or are you happy your research can continue?” Daphne’s voice wavered with emotion, but her words cut sharply, demanding the truth. All the anger and resentment she felt was coming to the surface, clawing to get out.

His silence confirmed the truth she’d always suspected.

“Do you have any idea? ANY idea what this was like for me!!” She gestured to the husk of the tree that remained, the prison she’d spent the last months in. Daphne was trembling with anger. This was going to be the last time he would betray her trust like this.

“I’m DONE!”

His daughter's sudden outburst left him stunned for a couple of seconds. He stood there quietly, processing what had just happened. This wasn’t making any sense to him.
“What do you mean, done? done with the initiative….?” He genuinely didn’t understand.

Daphne started to turn and walk away when she heard her dad’s question. It stopped her dead in her tracks. She looked at him and it was like she was seeing him for the first time. Maybe this was his real face? Where was the dad who took her to the circus in Gotham every year? Was he being for real? How could he not understand this?

She felt tears welling up in her eyes and turned her face towards the door. He was not going to see her cry, she wasn’t weak. Daphne didn’t answer and started to walk away. This conversation was over.

Her dad refused to let it go and walked after her. He grabbed her arm.
“Don’t walk away from me, you’re sixteen and still living under my roof.”

“I’m seventeen…”

Seventeen, When did she turn seventeen? He forgot her birthday…..

For a minute his grip loosened and Daphne tried to pull back her arm.

“Let me go dad”

He held on, less tightly but he didn’t let her go.

“I still have to take care of you”

“We’ll see about that”


The tension in his grip suddenly relaxed. He looked down to find he was holding a handful of flower petals. His eyes went wide with disbelief, faced with Daphne’s new power for the first and probably the last time. It baffled him, seeing her entire form disperse into a cluster of blossoms, vaguely shaped like her. Daphne floated in front of him, her pink face serene. His anger disappeared and he was left staring at her retreating form.

---

Dark blue waves lapped against the sandy shore at a steady pace. Alisa could count the waves like a metronome. There was a mathematical pattern to them if you listened and watched closely enough, not quite linear, but a pattern nonetheless. The bright, half-full moon shone against the ocean, scattered constellations of stars reflecting off its glass surface. It was peaceful here, behind the mountain. There were no city lights to be seen, no evidence of Happy Harbor or even the team. Just the rush of waves and sand beneath her bare feet. This was a new body- a fact that startled Alisa- but she didn’t particularly care about getting sand stuck in it. It didn’t feel like hers quite yet.

Alisa was seated on a blanket many yards away from where the lapping waves began to recede. Some things, like her fear of water, never disappeared. Her knees were brought to her chin, her arms wrapped around her legs as she started thoughtfully at the ocean. Had it changed in the past two months? I don’t think so, she thought. But she rarely came out here. How would she even know?

Warm sand crunched beneath Kassandra's bare feet as she slowly walked the beach toward the water. It was an exceptionally muggy night; air conditioning wasn't nearly enough for the young Atlantean. While she had doubled her water intake and worn as little clothing as she could get away with, she was still warm. Nothing for it but a good evening swim.

A sliver of moonlight bounced off of something that didn't belong, and she tensed immediately. Her orange eyes flicked to the left, as her hand moved reflexively for the knife tied to her skirt. "...wait." She squinted, peering closer. "Alisa?" While she was still getting used to Alisa's body being shaped differently, Daphne wouldn't have reflected the moon like that. She relaxed and trudged over.

"Hey. It's a surprise to see you here. Especially with the tide coming in soon."

Alisa turned around, briefly startled, but relaxed upon hearing Kassy’s voice. Truth be told, she had heard her coming… but hadn’t expected the other girl to see her. She stood, hurriedly. “Um. Hey.” Her voice wavered. Everything had been so awkward lately. “I didn’t think it was gonna rise until later, and not to all the way up here. I’m bad with the tide.”

“... You probably come out here all the time, huh?”

Kassy looked concerned as Alisa rose hastily. She remembered that her teammate was still getting acclimated to being different. She could relate; it had taken a while to learn to walk properly once she'd started living at the Atlantis palace. "The tide will be here when the moon is about… there." She reached out and pointed to a spot further out toward the water. "But you can relax. You are far enough from it. I just thought you were very afraid of getting wet." She could sense the other girl's nervousness.

"...is it okay if I sit with you, Alisa?"

Alisa seemed to relax a bit, keeping her wide-eyed look but no longer looking as if she was about to turn tail and dash away. She smiled lightly. “... Sure.” She sat again and patted the space on the blanket next to her. It wasn’t a very large blanket- she had taken it from her bed. In retrospect, that was a bad idea, but she never used the bed, so why not?

“I am,” she admitted. “I think I’m meant to be waterproof, but I’ve never tested it out, so I’m not eager to try beyond the trip to Atlantis. Even with my old body, my mom kept child locks on the pool and the bathroom, and with this new one…” She shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure what they did. Could be worse or better. I don’t know. You can’t really sense being waterproof.

“… Well. Maybe you can.”

"Honestly, I wouldn't know. We could always try a finger or two and go from there, if you want." She settled down on Alisa's blanket, leaving her sandy feet off of it. Her gaze looked toward the watery horizon. "...are you feeling well, my friend?"

“I’m fine,” Alisa said. She stared out at the water with Kassy. “The new body is just… well, weird. I guess. I don’t know. Everything feels wrong.” She ran her fingers through the sand, feeling the individual grains drop from her fingers. “Are you? I keep forgetting it’s been two months for you. What’s been going on?”

"I am…" The word 'okay' stalled on Kassy's tongue. One of the many things she had been working on in her sessions with Black Canary was being honest. It wasn't that she didn't trust the team, per se. It was that, compared to the majority of her life so far, hiding herself as much as possible had always been safer. The problem was that on the outside, it just made her into a liar. "I am taking it one day at a time. It's difficult, especially with everyone knowing what I am. It makes me feel naked. I… I hate it, if you want the truth." While she spoke, her fingers toyed with the silver bracelet around her arm. Even after 2 months, it remained.

It took Alisa a moment to realize what Kassy was referring to. A frown tugged at her lips. Even after three months, she was still distraught over that? She had always thought everyone’s reaction to that was overblown, but it hurt her heart that she was still so upset. “About the mind control thing?” she asked, probing gently. “I can’t believe they’re still upset about that. I’m sorry. I think I know how it feels- not to have magic that people don’t like, but to be something that people don’t like. That they’re scared of because they don’t understand.”

"Of course they're- oh, wait. You were down when I…" She exhaled deeply, running a hand through her white curls. "The team understands quite well. I told them everything, Alisa. And I'll tell you too. My power is incredibly dangerous. What happened in Atlantis could have happened at any time. It wasn't so much that I have mind control, I think. The problem is that I have mind control and I am very good at it." Her orange eyes stared out at the ocean. A cloud passed over; though whether that was in the sky or in her heart was unclear. "I manipulated Ja and didn't think twice. I hurt Viktor, and… and at the time, I meant it to hurt. That green-eyed woman with Kobra, that poisonous bitch? We are the same. That's why the team is angry."

“... Oh.” Alisa was quiet for a moment, processing what Kassy had said. She hadn’t realized the extent of the other girl’s abilities, and while seeing her be essentially arrested had been alarming, she had thought it was mostly because of prejudice. It had been, in her mind, deeply unfair. “I’m not angry. Tell me. Did you kidnap, drug, and force fifteen vulnerable teenage boys to fight trained superheroes for you?”

"Well, of course, you're not angry. You're actually completely immune." She snorted mildly, before answering the question. "No, I did not do those things. But I could." Kassy shut her eyes, taking a very deep breath. It was clear she was wrestling with something. After a few moments, it appeared she had won. She opened her eyes and looked back at Alisa with calm consideration. "I apologize. I asked about you and wound up making it about myself."

“I don’t mind talking about you, Kassy. You’re interesting.” Truth be told, Alisa did not want to talk about herself, but if Kassy insisted… she could probably turn it back on her. “Have I ever told you that I’ve been arrested? Like, about how I got here in the first place?”

"You, arrested?" Kassy raised her brows. "Were you driving again?" A faint giggle slipped from her lips. "No, I'm kidding. I didn't know that. Tell me!"

Alisa flicked her eyes to Kassy’s, a smile flitting across her lips. “No. I wish. My mom didn’t let me out of the house, let alone go driving. This was before. I… ran away, and got picked up by the police. There was a metal detector, and… you know.” She gestured to her body and tapped on her forearm. There was a hollow ringing noise. “They found the off button, and I woke up seven months later in a closet with a sheet over my head. I was dusty. My limbs were stiff. I don’t know what happened in those seven months or what they did with me, but they woke me up and offered me a place here or… well, something else, and now I’m here. So.” There was a long, awkward silence. “Sorry. That was depressing. I’ve been feeling very reflective lately. Thought it might help, to know that everyone else isn’t perfect either.”

Kassy's smile faded slowly as Alisa told her story. She looked quite horrified by the end. "Alisa… I'm so sorry. I was arrested too, when I reached Atlantis, but at least I didn't lose time. That's…" She shifted, as if to hug the cyborg. Then she stopped. "Erm. May I hug you? If you're not up to it right now, that's okay."

Alisa blinked, looking a bit flustered. “Sure! I’m not very good at it, though. My only practice is Viktor.”

Kassy's mouth opened, a sharp comment springing to her lips. She snapped her teeth and swallowed it just in time. "...then I will help." She slowly wrapped Alisa up in a careful hug. Her skin was not as cool as usual due to the summer heat, but it would still be a relief.

Alisa stayed quiet for a moment, wrapping her arms around Kassy in turn. “... Your skin is very smooth, Kassy. Do you not have arm hair? I thought most people did.”

A soft chuckle escaped Kassy as she gave her friend a careful, gentle squeeze. "Arm hair is kind of a human thing. Most Atlanteans lack the excess hair that humans grow in many places. Like, Viktor has little hairs on his hands - it is so strange! I asked him once, if he needed to shave those like he did his face. He got… very confused."

Alisa cackled, staying in the hug. “It’s so gross! And he has so much of it. Have you seen his legs?! Or his chest?! It’s awful. I tease him about it sometimes. I’m glad I just have a wig, you know? Easier to manage.”

The Atlantean burst out laughing at the subject of boys being weirdly hairy. "Ja does too! His chest is so fuzzy-looking it's almost as if he has fur! Even Daphne sprouts them on her legs. Though, she got very red when I asked her about it. I felt bad afterward."

Alisa withdrew from the hug, still giggling. “Maybe he does have fur…” That sparked another laugh. But, after, she let their conversation lapse into silence, yet again staring out at the lapping waves and the moon reflected against them. This time, her smile was more content.

Kassy relaxed as well, closing her eyes and basking in the sea air. She was quiet for a while, finding the silence comfortable. They sat for some time like that. Then, without warning, the Atlantean spoke again. "I probably know the answer to this, but I will ask anyway."

"...have you ever been in love, Alisa?"

The question made Alisa turn to Kassy, looking at her curiously. She thought she knew what she was asking. “... Love? Like, romantic love?”

"Mhm." Kassy’s eyes were still shut. She sounded calm - maybe too calm.

“I…” The question had caught Alisa off guard. Sure, she had thought about it- but had she ever felt it? Could she? “I’m not sure I’m capable of that,” she admitted. Kassy had hit on a sore subject. “I’m not like you and everybody else, Kassy. I’m… I don’t think I can… I mean, maybe. I’m not sure I’m built for that, and it’s not like I can ask anyone if I was. And isn’t the purpose of love… well, something I actually can’t do?” She sighed. “I’ve always thought it could be nice, having a boyfriend and all that, but I don’t think it’s… ugh. I couldn’t be what someone else wants me to be, so what’s the point? I’m not warm and human and squishy, and I can’t be what they want me to be.” She looked sullenly to the side for a moment. “You’re the first people besides my mom and her friends that I’ve met, anyways. How would I know?”

There was silence from Kassy, for a moment longer than was comfortable. "Alisa, my friend." Then there was a cool softness around Alisa's hand as Kassy reached out and held it tight. "Look at me." There was a gentleness in her voice, but her orange eyes were fierce. "I will tell you what my cousin told me before he left. The purpose of love is to love. And the one who loves you, will love you for what you are, not a notion of what you're supposed to be."

The fire drained out of her gaze as she squeezed Alisa’s hand and let go. "Granted, he was freshly engaged at the time, he's always been good-looking and surrounded by admirers, and for some reason he thought I was the best baby cuz in seven seas. So. Your Leagues Likely Differ or something."

“But…” Alisa hesitated on her next words, unsure if she wanted to say them. How could someone ever love something that can’t love them back? Instead, she smiled wanly. “Thanks, Kassy. You’re sweet.” There was no need to be any further amount of depressing.

“Are you in love with Ja?”

Kassy chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Have I gotten so obvious? Yes, I am very in love with Ja. Unfortunately, I can't seem to shut it off. Even knowing that he's in love with someone else, and even though she's currently absent, I still don't have a chance."

“Wait, Ja’s in love with someone else?!”

"Um. Yes? Haven't you seen him around Daphne? He's smitten. I mean, it's hard to blame him. I can't compare."

Alisa stared at Kassy, incredulous. Then, she burst into laughter, tucking her face into her knees as she giggled. “That’s maybe the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say!”

Kassy stared back, confused, and then startled when Alisa began to laugh. "W-what's funny? I don't understand."

“They’re friends, dummy. Ja’s… he’s like a big puppy. Half the time, anyways. I think that’s just how he treats his friends. He’s attached to her because she’s his friend, but… he doesn’t look at her like he looks at you.”

“Also, she’s a tree. You can definitely compete with a tree.”

"She's still Daphne underneath the leaves, that doesn't ma- waaaaait back up." Kassy's brain stopped so hard it was almost audible. "Ja doesn't look at me the way he looks at Daphne at all."

“Yeah, he looks at you like you’re a delicious slice of cake. And he loves cake.”

"You're ly…" The accusation drifted away before she could make it. Alisa wasn't that type of person. She was much like Viktor; very truthful, but much gentler about it. "I'm sure there's some other explanation that makes more sense."

Alisa stopped laughing, but a twitch of her lips confirmed she was finding it difficult to hold back. Kassy was so oblivious! “Do you have another explanation for why he stares at your butt during training? Or why he learned how to make salmon just so? Or why I saw him looking up the best seafood restaurants in Happy Harbor?”

"He likes to EAT, Alisa! The food is obviously for him! And…" Her face was going deep red, hopefully unseen in the dark. "The first thing is a mistake. He's very respectful."

“You don’t stare at someone’s butt for sixty one seconds instead of your combat instructor as a mistake, Kassy.”

Kassy shook her head vigorously. "Alisa, please! D-don't get my hopes up needlessly."

Alisa smiled and rested a hand on Kassy’s shoulder. “I’m not. Promise. Plus, I’m a computer. I’m very objective.”

"You can see and still be wrong though." She was obviously flustered.

“Sure, but I’m very observant. And I have a perfect memory, so just trust me. I can replay the entire thing in my head like a YouTube video. I’m sure.”

"I'm talking about interpretation, not observation… Nevermind." She reached up and patted Alisa's hand fondly. "It's good to have you back, no matter what."

S T A R C I T Y

---

The Team was sent to Star City at the request of Green Arrow. Their briefing was minimal and they were already well on their way to their destination. A group of criminals using stolen hi-tech weaponry had targeted the largest bank in the city. What was meant to be a quick heist turned into a dangerous hostage situation. Metamorph was selected to be the Team leader this time around by way of vote from his fellow teammates.

The jet was pushed to the limits of its speed, cutting through the clouds like a knife. Upon approaching the bank the jet became cloaked and silently dropped the Team onto the roof where they could gain access into the building through a roof hatch.

A police report was intercepted through the Team’s comms system. There were approximately 50 hostages spread throughout the building. The amount of hostage takers was unknown as was the location of the hostages inside of the bank.

The jet turned to auto pilot and was set to land in the closest suitable location. The sound of a heavy engine and multiple sets of footsteps could be heard by the members with enhanced hearing capabilities. It was coming from the back of the building. The source quickly revealed itself to be a large van surrounded by downed police officers. It didn’t look like any ordinary van. It was sleek, black and heavily protected by plated panels. It sported advanced technical modifications to bolster its defenses.

The robbers that managed to escape, leaving some of their group behind with the hostages swiftly retreated into the back of the van, wearing heavily padded vests. It would be a matter of minutes before they escaped onto the highway. If the Team wanted to catch them and recover the stolen money, quick decision making was vital.

---

The Meta stood among the others with his arms crossed, giving them a brief once over to assure that they were all ready for the task at hand. It was unfortunate that the first mission that the new recruits would be on was one that dictated little room for error. On the other hand, getting it out of the way early would give them the ability not to freeze in the future.

The members he was especially wary of, were Daphne and Cora. Cora’s sheer lack of experience in a situation like this left him feeling the need to keep her at an arm’s length to keep her and everyone else safe. Daphne, on the other hand, simply because of her fresh return after having been gone for so long. Moreover, her new abilities that they didn’t quite know all the details of yet. To go along with that…well, the young lion was self-aware enough to know his protective instincts wouldn’t allow much else.

”Alright. We need to work quietly and efficiently. The life of the hostages takes the top priority. The government can print more money, but they cannot print life into the dead.” The Meta pointed first to Vincent. ”Talos, we need eyes on the outside, as well as a potential wildcard if a trick is afoot. Whatever you can scope of the inside: Hostages, hostiles, or possible escape routes. Keep us up to speed on the comms until we can get Cybergirl to the security room.”

His walked to the edge of the building, closer to where he could hear the engine running of what sounded like a getaway vehicle. Pointing to Zach, the young lion continued. ”Zatara, you are needed on the south end of the bank. Teleport yourself, with Rain as backup, to run interference on the getaway vehicle. I’m sure you know how to give them some ‘car trouble.’”

Turning to the others, he finalized his plan. ”We are going in through the roof hatch directly. We’ll split into two smaller groups to cover ground. Mirage, Nymph and Stormcaller take the east. Iceburn, Cybergirl, and myself will take the west to find the security room. Once achieved, Cybergirl will swap roles with Talos. Let’s move.”

As soon as the copter landed, they hit the ground running. Zach got his marching orders. “Well, you heard the man. Cover me Rain!” He giggled, and walked closer untill he could see the van. He pointed his wand upward. “ Etativel!” He floated upward, and flew towards the parked vehicle.

It certainly looked like it was inpenetrable, but there was no way a bunch of people dumb enough to steal a arormed car in a star city had the foresight to get a magic proof car. As he decended, he exclaimed. “Serit eht tlem.” Instantly, the rubber tires started melting into a black bubbling liquid. “That should stop em.”

Location: Bank Rooftop
Interactions: The Team but mostly Zatara

---

As Viktor was dropped onto the rooftop, he contemplated how this mission would play out. It had been the first time Kila took the lead of the entire team. Viktor was confident in his ability to do so and also knew of his capacity to be decisive firsthand. In a hostage situation, this was absolutely necessary.

Exceptional. He thought as Kila briefed the team on their given tasks and the critical objectives. He didn't consider being paired with Zach favorably but he knew it was the right call. Leaving personal gripes aside, Viktor gave Kila a swift nod.

“Affirmative.” He turned toward the southern edge of the roof with Zach who levitated down below and proceeded to disable the getaway van. “My turn.” Viktor peered down the building's edge before jumping and swan-diving down. Squeezing against his torso with his arms, he activated the glider webbing in his suit that was comparable to that of a wingsuit. As he glided down he could hear the engine of the van revving as it could with no effect. When the criminals realized their attempt was fruitless thanks to Zach's quick response, they started exiting the vehicle. Three came out of the back doors while the two up front swung their doors open in frustration on the matter.

“Who the hell's that?!” The thug that exited from the passenger side shouted as he saw Zach, drawing an unrecognized long gun that was chrome in appearance. It was the weapon that had left the police officers incapacitated or worse around the vehicle.

“That's…” He actually recognized Zach due to his subscription to the young hero's YouTube channel! “Fuck just shoot him!” Viktor landed beside Zach with a roll that ended with him throwing not a knife but a spherical object into the face of the thug who exited out of the passenger side door. The solid projectile crushed against the bridge of his nose, causing him to drop his weapon as he grabbed his face.

For the first time in a long time, Viktor altered his equipment set again. It was a decision he pondered on making after the mission in Taos. Throwing a knife with his strength wasn't always warranted. Deliberate nonlethal incapacitation was something that seemed to hinder his decision-making at times, limiting his versatility. And what better projectile than one sharing the shape of an object from his favorite childhood sports game?

“Zatara, weapons malfunctions, now!” Without those, he and Zatara would wipe the floor with the remaining four.

---

---

As the jet sped off toward the scene, Vincent sat in his seat, flipping a coin between his fingers. He had been in his fair share of scrapes before, so he wasn't a stranger to combat. He knew, though, that this particular situation required a more...delicate touch. As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't rush in. From the sound of it, there were too many targets, spread too far, and they had hostages. He didn't want to be the reason an innocent got hurt, or worse, so as much as he didn't like it, he was going take it slow and follow Meta's orders.

He stood looking over the edge of the building at the cops below when he heard Meta tell him what to do. "Sure thing, boss," Vincent said with a salute. The steel casing of his implant rippled and unfurled into a pair of large, gleaming steel wings. The glinting metal then darkened as a thin shell of carbon formed, dulling the metal to make it harder for Vincent to be spotted from within the building. He pulled out a pair of goggles from his pocket and slipped them over his eyes, then leapt off of the ledge of the building. He unfurled his wings, let the wind catch him, and was soon circling the 40 story building. "Looks like the police have the main entrance and side door to the east covered, so I don't think the bad guys are going anywhere," he informed his team.

He carefully scanned the sides of the building, slowly descending as he did. As he had suspected, there wasn't much he could see, but something did catch his attention. "Hey, guys, think I got something," he spoke into his earpiece. "I'm not seeing anything towards the top of the building, but I think I've got something farther down. The blinds are drawn on the north end of the 5th and 6th floor, west and south sides of the 4th, east and west of the 3rd, and the entire ground floor. My guess, that's where most of the baddies are, but there might be a few up higher, so watch out. If you guys need me, I'll stick around out here. Say the word and I'll crash through a window."

---

With their quick getaway easily thwarted by a not so famous YouTuber the robbers were more than pissed off. One of them taken down by a metal ball of all things. The driver used the door as protection, not wanting to eat metal like the guy next to him. He used the same chrome long gun and started firing off dangerous electrical rounds that were used earlier on the officers. The shock was twice the strength of a military grade taser, enough to cause disorientation and muscle spasms at the least.

The rounds made a plopping sound as they excited the long gun. They were larger than usual and would burst upon contact releasing wires and hooks. The spheres would attach themselves and continue giving off shocks. Three of them were going into Zach's direction.

The remaining two thugs turned their sights towards Viktor.
"So you wanna play catch huh?"

They grabbed two rifles from the back of the van. The ammunition compartment held glowing light blue rounds. When they thugs started to fire it became clear what their weapon was designed for. The rifle released a rapidly expanding light blue foam. The substance immediately hardening when it finished expanding.

Location: Star City Bank, 36th floor
Interactions: Claire and ???

---

It took some convincing to have Kassy agree to let her scout on ahead. The Atlantean girl stayed with Cora given her lack of experience and they would cover more ground this way. They were less likely to get caught with Cora interfering with the security camera's and Kassy being able to render herself almost completely undetectable.

Daphne slowly descended the velvet covered steps of the stairs leading to the 36th floor. She kept her eyes and ears peeled for anything that might indicate the presence of hostages and hostage takers. It was eery to be inside a building that would usually have been buzzing with people. She exited the stairway and entered into a hall. To her left were glass cubicles, arranged in cross patterns. Everything looked like it was left behind in a rush. Computer screens were flickering, phones abandoned, somewhere a printer was still putting out paper. The contents of a half empty coffee cup were steadily dripping onto a very expensive looking leather chair.

She resisted the urge to call out while she maneuvered through the cubicles. Suddenly a phone started buzzing. Her heart jumped in her chest and she immediately ducked behind one of the desks, as if shots were being fired. The phone kept vibrating until it fell onto the floor. The call ended, only to immediately start again. At first she just stayed crawled up under the desk, determined to hide, but the buzzing wouldn't stop. Ultimately she reached out and grabbed the phone, checking the caller id. It was a woman. Daphne ignored the call and immediately started to text her back.

"Hi Claire. My name is Daphne. The person you're trying to call left their phone behind. I'm in the central bank right now and it's being robbed."
Claire was quick to respond with a string of worried questions.
"Omg are you okay? What's the situation in there? Have you seen my fiancee???"
"No I'm sorry I haven't seen him, but I think I'm at his desk right now.."
Daphne scrolled through the phone's gallery and sent Claire a picture of a couple that could be them.
"Is this your fiancee?"
"Yes that's us. His name is Murad. Please if you see him can you let me know he's okay??"
"I've been losing my mind ever since I saw the news and thank God you picked up. Are the police handeling the situation? Are they coming to get you out?"

Somewhere not too far off from the cubicles Daphne heard footsteps. She couldn't tell if they were approaching or leaving.
"I have to go now. I'll keep you updated..."
Daphne put the phone on mute and carefully peeked over the top of the desk. There was no one there..... and the footsteps had stopped.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she swallowed back a lump before turning on the comms.
"Guys...are any of you on the 36th floor right now?"

The Team replied with a unified no, which made her feel worse. She struggled momentarily with anxiety before forcing herself to get out from under the desk. There were people that needed to be saved and now that one of them had a face she was more determined than ever. Daphne completed her search of the 36th floor, reaching the hallway leading to the elevators.
"Nymph on comms. The 36th floor is clear. There are no.."

The elevator bell tinging cut her off. The doors were starting to open and Daphne stared at them wide eyed. She was frozen in place before a voice snapped her out of it. It was coming from higher up. A hand was reaching out from the air vent right above her.
"In here!"

It was too high to jump and she didn't have time to grab a chair from the cubicle. She quickly transformed and fluttered up into the air vent, regaining her form once she was safe.

Location Rooftop
Interactions Kassy, team comms

---

This was it. This is what she trained for.

Once they touched down, Cora put on her helmet and took things in. Roughly a month had passed since she first walked into Mount Justice, and now it was finally time to put all that training to good use. A bank robbery normally didn't seem like anything particularly dangerous, but people normally didn't focus on the people involved. Besides, this bank was fucking massive. If she messed up now, lives could be lost. That couldn't happen, and if anyone did up today, she just hoped it wasn't her. Metamorph seemed to know what he was doing, so Cora felt like he could trust him to keep things from falling apart.

With Nymph already gone and scouting ahead, that just left Mirage and herself to get moving. Cora felt... Intimidated by Mirage, but she seemed cool. "Meet you over there." She told Mirage, and ran towards the hatch, and she seemed to start floating just after she took off. Current flowed through Stormcaller's body like a wire, allowing her to move through the air rather than on foot. Cora weaved her way around all of the AC structures and usual rooftop obstacles, and landed by their destination quickly.

Cora peeked the hatch open ever-so-slightly and looked down in, before closing it back. "I'm here, looks safe to go in. Nymph, you okay in there?" Cora asked over their comms.

Something smelled like burnt rubber...

“Tracking Hostiles. Looks like your hunch was accurate. These are the same guys on Brick’s payroll from two weeks ago. At least the merchandise they’re irresponsibly pointing at nice people look the same.” He was holding down his personal comm in his ear-piece, connecting him directly to Green Arrow.

“But if Brick was footing the bill, what would they need more money for?”

“Good question kid. Makes you think maybe it’s not the money alone they’re after. That’s Star National they’re robbing. Chances are good they may be looking for something else.”

The boy in the Red Hood narrowed his eyes. Ollie was always up to something under the surface. Although his wit and charm could be exhausting, it was also disarming. He wasn’t a leading member of the Justice League strictly because he could shoot straight.

“You already know what they’re looking for, GA?” he asked the veteran hero.

“At this point, just a hunch. But if I’m right, the League will be glad that I had back up.” The hooded boy in Red waited for Ollie to explain. He could tell when he was teeing something up.

“You know that teen team? The one you’re so fond of? They’re en-route.”

The boy’s eyes narrowed. He nocked an arrow – red with dark red fletching - and fired it across the building’s rooftop, the metallic hook digging into the cement of Star National. In one quick movement the boy slid down using his collapsible compound bow as a zipline.

“Did you have to ask for them?”

“I think it’s time they met you, Will.”

Hearing his name over comms like that still made him bristle. It was a little uncomfortable. It was a little comforting. But he wouldn’t argue. Ollie had helped him through a lot. Through his recovery. Through growth.

The boy in the Red Hood and domino mask reached the rooftop and made his way into an open industrial vent. He’d go the stealth route. Something familiar. He collapsed his bow and secured it to his side.



He wasn’t far along through the vents before Will started to hear commotion from outside. Either the Star City police were engaging, or Ollie’s back up of teenagers had finally made the scene. Inside however, Will couldn’t hear anyone, hadn’t spotted any of the robbers either. If Ollie’s hunch was correct, they’d be on a lower floor with the safety deposit boxes. He should make his way down th-
His thought process was interrupted by a ringing phone beneath him. It stopped Will in his tracks. He looked through an opening in the vent and peered beneath to the floor below. There was a girl there. It wasn’t possible he knew this girl, was it?

She got closer as she approached the elevator at the end of the hall, and Will got a glimpse of her. Brown hair in long loose waves. Will could make out that she had pink tights. He felt voyeuristic looking down at her from his vantage point in the vent. He shook the surprise at seeing her away just as the elevator dinged. Someone was going to get off this floor. Undoubtedly one of the perpetrators. He looked back down at her and saw she was looking left and right for an exit. The both of them, boy above and girl below, realized she didn’t really have one.

Against his better judgement and his own personal anxiety, he did what he thought he should do. He lifted a vent entryway for airflow up into the shaft and reached his hand, archer glove around it, down out of the vent, and he called to her.

He was speechless (it was something he was used to) as she seemingly exploded into beautiful petals, and floated up into where he was. For a moment she swirled around the vent and around him – there wasn’t a lot of room, maybe enough for Will to be crouching down. As she flew past him, he could smell almost a hundred different flowers, cherry blossoms, roses, it was almost euphoric. She reconstituted and was then in front of him, the two of them nearly face to face.

Her domino mask was two pink petals.

Will’s own domino mask was simpler, and with his hood it left most of his face obscured. Good. He was immediately self-conscious and embarrassed for her to see him. Why? No time. There was work. He lifted his finger to his lips to ask for quiet. Which you think would be obvious considering they were stuck in a vent together now, in such close proximity.

Daphne held in her breath, almost touching noses with the stranger who saved her from getting spotted. She got away just in time.

"I told him the top floors were empty already, what does he want us scouting around for here. There's nothing..."

"Do you smell that...?"

Both goons stopped a few steps short to first set of cubicles.
"It smells floral, like a women's perfume or something..."

She tensed and backed away a little further into the cramped space.

"Maybe the boss was right.."
The men started to investigate the cubicles, throwing back chairs and emptying desks carelessly. If someone was hiding the ruckus would likely draw them out. Luckily they were unsuccessful, Daphne had already made sure there was no there, just minutes before.

After what seemed like ages they finally left the way they came, taking the elevator down. Daphne took her hand off her mouth, a move she didn't even remember making. She looked at the person right next to her. His getup seemed to point to him also being a superhero of some kind. It was nearly impossible to determine any distinguishing features with both the hood and the domino mask. Still there was something familiar about him, something she couldn't explain.

Daphne got out the phone she retrieved earlier, still being careful not to speak. She typed up a message for him to read.
"Thanks for the save, who are you?"

---

In no time, the security squad made it to the hatch, and Metamorph took point down the stairwell to the westward side of the building. The young lion had a hunch that there weren’t many valuables to be taken this far up, at least none that these theives would take hostages over. It was all offices and cubicle work up in these floors so far. Otherwise, they’d be terribly undermanned to rob from a 40-story building.

On cue, Talos’ voice came in over the comms with the implications of all the main action taking place on the first few floors. With that information being absorbed, the Meta was soon to say something before he heard Nymph’s voice next, asking about the 36th floor. They’d gotten rather far ahead already, or so he’d thought until he heard her ask if there was anyone else on that floor. The relay of no’s from the rest of the squad made his blood run cold.

”Affirmative, Talos.”

She had gone off on her own, which he could attribute to her wanting to prove herself. However, all he could think was about the fact that now was not the time or place…To make matters worse, she seemed to be in trouble with her sudden silence.

”Keep a cautious eye out for her, B-Squad. There’s no telling what she encountered on that floor.” Metamorph explained, keeping his voice calm despite a pit forming in his stomach. She had backup on the way from the squad he assigned her with. He trusted in Mirage’s capability.

With B-Squad searching the floors for civilians, C-Squad could focus on finding the cameras. As such, Metamorph led the way, checking doors to see if they opened. Being that they were looking for security, The Meta inferred that opposed to being quick and easy to open— The 38th floor. He took note of a keypad on the side of the door leading inside. Briefly observing the metal door, he saw the hinges on the outside, and the handle clicked when he pulled. Clearly, with this to being their destination, he gestured to the door.

”If you would do the honors, Iceburn…?”

---

And so, Iceburn was privileged with being on her first mission with Young Justice. Their goal was to stop the bank robbers currently taking a bunch of hostages. This was definitely among the highest stakes she'd ever dealt with. At the very least, their didn't seem to be any super villains around! Iceburn was nervous, excited, and smiling on the trip over. Maybe not entirely appropriate, but she couldn't help it. Pei was here to win. Since being run out of Coast City, she had been hankering for a good old fashioned Day-Saving.

Kila was the leader of this mission, a fact that, for some reason, Iceburn had the ability to vote in. In her opinion it would probably just be best if the squad had one consistent leader through all the missions. At least Kila had good ideas about what the best thing to do was.

"Let's do this, Metamorph." Iceburn said, pointedly proud of being able to say cool superhero names. Speaking of cool superhero names...

Pei glanced over at Stormcaller and smirked cheekily. "Glad you took my advice, Stormcaller! Rolls off the tongue a lot better than Ence-ence- whatever. The other one. Good luck! See you in a little bit."

With that she went to follow Metamorph and Cybergirl to their entry point. They were searching for the security room. Iceburn checked behind them, her dominant left hand shimmering with ready-to-go power. Apparently Nymph had already gone no-contact. "She's probably just being sneaky." Iceburn surmised with a shrug. That, or she was currently struggling with an air duct and getting blown all over the place. But Iceburn kept that thought to herself.

"This looks like the spot." Iceburn muttered as Metamorph reached the metal door. It was locked shut, but Iceburn figured she could break through fairly easily. She was about to speak up, when Metamorph did first. Iceburn's grin widened.

"With pleasure, monsieur." Iceburn said with a curtsey, pinching the edges of an imaginary skirt. She approached the door, rubbing her palms together. Then she brought her hands against her mouth. Gently, she blew concentrated icy mist onto the top hinge, than the middle, then crouched for the third. They crackled and frosted over entirely, the ice seeping into the metal.

Cracking her neck and stretching out her arms, Iceburn gestured for both of them to stand back. Her right boot than began to shimmer with misty energy. With a running start she did a push kick against the middle metal hinge detonating the energy in her foot for extra oomph. At the same time, she detonated the frozen hinges. With a burst of fog, the door cracked off its hinges and slammed against the floor with a thud. Pei sprung after it and into the room. There wasn't anyone inside, of course. If they couldn't get in, neither could the bad guys. Though, a security room like this would be a good place to hole up if you could get the security guards to open it for you. The seige had been going on for a while though, so there were a dozen reasons as to why this particular security room was abandoned or untouched.

So she stepped out of the way and bowed again, doing a broad sweeping gesture to invite them both into the room. Particularly she pointed Cybergirl to a selection of screens above a desk. "Your camera suite, mademoiselle. Please, make yourself comfortable." She said, suave.

Iceburn looked at the screens, seeing which rooms had hostages and which rooms had bad guys. At least, the ones with cameras in it. "Look at these bozos. All tech, no wit. They didn't even think to shoot out any of the cameras." Iceburn criticized, tsking her tongue.

"Unfortunately for society, stupid people with guns are usually more dangerous than smart people with guns. I think we're gonna have to hit these clowns hard and fast, before they have a chance to react and start using human shields." She said, punching her fist into her palm.

"But, anyway. I'm followin' your lead. Where to next, Metamorph?" Iceburn said.

Location: Star City Bank, 34th floor
Interactions: Zatara, Stormcaller

---

Will turned his eyes from the lit phone screen. A quick lump in the throat was quickly swallowed. He held out his gloved hand to her and she dropped the phone into his palm.

"Friend."

He showed her the screen before writing another message.

A bow and arrow emoji, a blonde beard emoji.

"We go down. More than money here." Will started to hand her the phone back but then he got a good glimpse at her eyes, framed by her domino mask.

He pulled the phone back and typed out:

"But help people first."

Quickly he handed the phone back to her and started crawling through the shafts. He was keenly aware of how close behind him she was. He wasn't exactly expecting to run into someone here while he was working, let alone -

Her friend...?

Ohh... a friend of Green Arrow. Daphne felt stupid and noticed the emojis, quickly putting the two together. Daphne found it hard to believe Green Arrow would send his protege on a mission like this by himself. But unless he was also crawling through a ventilation vent somewhere that was exactly what it looked like. It puzzled her, it didn't make sense.

"I'm here, looks safe to go in. Nymph, you okay in there?"

Daphne stopped shuffling and pressed on her earpiece with one hand to respond.
"Yes I'm alright...I.." She debated how to explain the situation. She was aware that the way she cut off on comms earlier might have issued for some unwarranted panic.
"I encountered two hostage takers on the 36th floor, they were issued orders to search the top floors by their superior. They searched the cubicles but I was there just minutes before. There were no civilians."

She looked up ahead at Green Arrow's protege.

"They didn't spot me and took the elevator down, but I don't know where they got off."

Will stopped trudging along the shaft when he heard the pink suited hero behind him start to speak. It was clear she wasn't speaking to him, but the rest of Oliver's junior league team. Will didn't know who was on the roster, who she would be speaking to now. But he did know that the entire team was likely on the same comms channel.

He waited to see if she would tell the rest of the team that she was currently in a vent with a stranger. He hoped she wouldn't. He wasn't on this team, and wasn't sure he was really interested - despite Ollie's suggestions. He was settled in his role in Star City. Why ruin a good thing?

He cleared his throat - should he put on a hero voice?

"Uh...miss? Thanks, I'm not up for broadcasting that I'm here with you and your friends. I've t-tussled with these guys before and the hardware they've got is no joke. D-do you have a hero name? What do I call you?"

The hooded hero was glad she didn't share their encounter with the Team, but she wasn't sure she felt the same. Her doubtful expression was mostly hidden by her mask.

She nodded in response to his question about her name.

"I do, it's Nymph."

He seemed to know more about the robbers than the Team did. She wanted to find out what else he knew, before sharing it with her friends. If the weapons they used were really as dangerous as he said, the Team had to know.

There was a nervous undertone to the way he spoke. Daphne attributed it to the situation they were in.
"And what is your name? What else do you know about these guys?"

"Quiver. Red Arrow was taken." Quiver - whose real name was Will - kept his voice to a hush as he readjusted in the vent.
"Green Arrow and I wrangled up a few of them a little while back, but clearly not all of them. The tech they're using? It's advanced. A threat even to enhanced metas."

Quiver turned to look back at Nymph if only for a second. "If it's your team that's engaging with them outside now, let them know."

Now that there was a whole squad of heroes, it was certain that they'd be able to get the hostages out unharmed. Especially if -

"Nymph - GA and I gathered a few of these weapons, a handful of them ran almost entirely on an internal powersource, not gunpowder. There's no telling which ones, so my emp arrows may go to waste. Anyone on your team that can emit an emp burst? That could disarm at least a few baddies down there.

A chill ran down her spine when he told her about the capabilities of the weapons at play. Viktor and Zach were most likely fighting them now. If what Quiver was saying was true they would never run out of ammunition. They could just keep going at it until their opponent was exhausted. She almost regretted asking the question, feeling worried for her team members on the outside.

There might be...

Daphne suspected Cora might be able to do something like that. An electromagnetic pulse. They could discuss that later, first she had to warn the outside squad.
"Possibly, we'll have to come up with a plan when we reunite with my squad."

"Nymph to Zatara. The robbers are using weapons that are weak to electromagnetic influence. Try using lightning to disable them."

They reached another shaft exit. Quiver moved the roster out of the way and jumped out to help her down.

Quiver landed first out of the vent exit and scanned to make sure it was empty. Everything looked clear. He looked back up at her in the shaft in order to signal her to come down, but she was already jumping, and he was very much in her way.

"Oh god." He thought, lifting his arms up.

He caught her, albeit awkwardly. Awkward enough for two teenage new acquaintances. She was light in his arms, but her positioning - he couldn't quite tell where is hands were. He almost immediately put her back down onto the floor and quickly hurried over to the window, pretending to be scanning for any of the enemies. In reality he was simply bright red and didn't want her to see.

Daphne brushed off some dust from her costume. She felt a flush creep onto her face and her cheeks were warm. She tried to shrug it off and focus on establishing their location.

Everything looked exactly like the 36th floor. They got out on the North side with a long reaching view of Star City. Daphne spotted a gold lined plague on one of the marble pillars. It read 34, the 34th floor.

"We should lay low for a while. Wait for Metamorph and my squad..."

"Alright. I'll do as you say for now. But I can't stick around and play justice league."

---

---

Vincent let out a frustrated growl as he continued to circle the building. He felt like a vulture, circling dying prey, when in reality, he wanted to be the predator rather than the scavenger. He knew his job was important, but as he listened to the comms, he knew that Alisa and her team were getting closer to the security room. Not only that, but it looked as if Viktor and Zach were giving him the perfect excuse to -- or, rather, needed his help. "If you guys have it handled from here, I'm gonna go back up Rain and Zatara," he said as he already began to bank toward the rear of the building. He came around just in time to see one of the robbers go down, clutching his face as blood poured from his broken nose. Two of the robbers took aim and fired at Viktor as the driver took aim at Zach from behind the cover of the van's door.

Vincent tucked his wings in and dove toward the scuffle, an excited grin plastered on his face as he began to feel the familiar rush of adrenaline flow through his veins. He acted instinctively and landed between the driver and Zach, facing toward his ally, just as the robber fired off his weapon. Vincent's wings combined to form a large shield on his back just before the rounds connected. Vincent opened his mouth to tell Zach he had it from there when he suddenly felt an electric shock shoot through his body. The rounds had slammed against his shield harmlessly enough, but Vincent had no way of knowing they were electrified. The current flowed easily through the steel shield on his back and into his body, locking his muscles in place.

His first concern, despite how difficult it was to think, was his implant: he had no idea if it was protected against electricity like this. If it fried, what would happen to him? Thinking quickly, he detached the steel plate that had been his wings from his back, letting it land on the ground with a loud *clang*. He took a moment to regain himself, now that the electricity no longer seized his body. As he stood up, he turned toward the driver and growled, "You shouldn't have done that."

The robber tried to take aim, but Vincent was just a bit faster. He dashed forward and slammed a hardened fist against the open door. In the same moment, he used his power once to liquify the steel hinge, then again to send the door flying against the robber who had been using it as cover until just a moment ago.

Interactions: Rain @FunnyGuy Talos @Daxam Nymph @dreamingflowers

As expected, the criminals were not happy to have their getaway attempt thwarted. Zach was not expecting to find a subscriber among them. Maybe he’d give him a shout out in the next video. Prison inmates usually loved that. Viktor took that one out. Leaving the remaining one to fire his weapon.

Zach was prepared to turn the rounds into flowers, and make the guns explode into glitter. Before he could start uttering the spell, one of the new recruits came down and shielded him from it. The rounds were electrified, causing the guy to get tased for a minute, before he got up and went after the robber.

Zach was amused. “Oh goodness me. Two handsome men coming to my rescue!” He fanned his face with his hand. “I’m flattered! Buuut I’m also taken.”

Daphne’s voice came over the comms, and said the weapons were weak to electromagnetic influence. “If you say so.” It wasn’t as showstopping as Zach would have liked, but it would get the job done. “Tlob gninthgil.” With that, a jolt of electricity shot out from the tip of Zach’s black and white plastic wand, and aimed at the man’s gun.