dreamingflowers

New Frontiers: A High Fantasy RTD

I'm going to have to drop out of this sorry guys. The rp is moving too slow to keep me invested/interested.

Young Justice

AND

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."

Young Justice

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.

Young Justice

The robbers

---

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.

Young Justice

_{E P I S O D E SIX : R E F L E C T I O N S}

HOSTAGE

SOUNDTRACK

S T A R C I T Y

---

^{August 30th, 2021 | 12:21pm. | Star City Bank, California}

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.

Young Justice

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”

Nymph

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.

Young Justice

Blossoming

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?”

Young Justice

T H E T E L E P O R T E R R O O M

---

^{July 28th, 2021 | 10:08am. | Happy Harbor, Rhode Island}

The kitchen of Mount Justice was smelling of a freshly baked cake. The aroma wafted through the air, warm and inviting. Red Tornado usually had no business in the kitchen. Preparing food, especially baked goods was something Daphne usually did. He’d discovered her skills of hospitality were beneficial to Team bonding. Even though she wasn’t there to assist he had the TV to help him out.

He was simultaneously watching a tutorial on the lounge television while whipping up a batch of chocolate frosting. He copied the recipe step by step and even went as far as wearing an apron and chef's hat. The kitchen looked like a tornado passed through it. All the ingredients were sprawled out everywhere. There was egg sticking from the ceiling and a staggering amount of bowls and spoons. You’d think there were at least five cakes in the making.

“Now this is the important step. The cakes must be fully cooled before frosting, or the cakes won’t stick together. We don’t want any sliding action going on”

Red Tornado turned his head to the cake which had only been out of the oven for four minutes and 22 seconds. Despite being an android with superior processing speed, this human on the cooking programme had some kind of special equipment or method he used. Because the cake was already cooled and ready to be frosted to perfection, a mere two minutes into the video.

The android had miscalculated the time he needed to create this welcome gift. In less than ten minutes the new members were going to arrive. He needed to go to the teleporter room. With his free hand he sent a series of soft and steady gusts of wind towards the cake.

Three minutes and 56 seconds later Red Tornado rushed through the hallways. He was still wearing the apron and holding the cake inside a plastic dome. The Team’s caretaker arrived just in time to hear the Zeta Tube system announce the first newcomer. If he could sweat now would be the time he’d wipe some off of his forehead.

“League identification 036 Nightwing”

Nightwing exited the glowing dome of the teleporter and pulled up a touch screen, typing in a new designation code.

“Access granted, Vincent Ryder, aka Talos Y17, Authorization Nightwing 036”

Mere seconds after Wonder Woman arrived with two other new members.

“Wonder Woman 03”

“Access granted, Cora Danvers aka Enceladus Y15”

“Pei Huo aka Iceburn designation Y16”

Nightwing caught the disaster cake sitting under the dome and to top it off Red Tornado in a pink flowery apron. He almost lost his cool.

“Hello Red Tornado…” He could swear he pulled a muscle in his face in trying not to smirk.

“Good morning Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Talos, Enceladus and Iceburn”

“Morning John,” Wonder Woman answered in her usual serious tone.

“Is that a cake…?” The amazon frowned slightly in genuine surprise. It was very unlike John to attempt something like this, but she did not doubt its genuineness.

“Yes Diana, that is correct. Unfortunately there has been some sliding action.”

The two halves of the cake had slid off of each other, the frosting was all over the inside of the dome.

“It is a gesture to make the new members feel at home and welcome.”

Hopefully the new members didn’t mind eating cake with their hands, as there wasn’t a knife in sight.

“PFFFT HA HA HAHahahahaha!” Pei pointed at the chef and burst out into laughter.

With a laugh in her voice, she continued. “Awww, thank you! Gimme some of that!” She skipped over to accept the cake gift and pop off the plastic dome, ready to scoop up a part of it with her fingers and eat the cake off of it.

There was a sudden puff of smoke and Zach dashed into the room before it cleared.

“Zach Zatara, at your service!” He flourished and bowed. [color=darkviolet“I heard there were new people… But more importantly, cake.”[/color]

Stepping forth from the teleporter-warp-portal-whatever nonsense was one of the recruits with snow-white hair and glowing blue eyes. The woman, the myth, the not-legend, Cora. [color=00ffff]“Yeah! I’m a new person. Hi. Is- Is that a cake?” She asked, seeing the Avatar-looking dude with an absolute mess of a cake in his hands getting assaulted by her new friend, Pei.

“Cake for the new people.” Pei said emphatically, trying to intercept any approach from Zach with a glare. At least she said something similar to that, she still had her fingers in her mouth.

Zach shrugged his shoulders.

“There’s only three of you, and more cake than that. Ekac fo ecils.” Immediately and magically, a slice was cut and poofed into his greedy hands. “There’s plenty to share.” He shoved the piece into his mouth. “Mmm, not bad. Daphne did it better though.” He spoke with his mouth full.

The third of the recruits, Vincent, stood off to the side, facing the wall as he fought a wave of dizziness. God, I would rather have flown, he thought as the nausea passed. Hopefully it’s one of those things I’ll get used to. I don’t wanna be the guy who gets sick every time.

When he was certain he had gotten over his ‘first teleportation wooziness’, he turned toward the others to find them gathered around Red Tornado, enjoying…something that looked like a mass of blended color. A small piece of steel separated from the implant on his back, slithered down his arm, and into his hand where it molded itself into a stylized knife. “It doesn’t look pretty, no offense, but cake is cake.” He cut himself a slice and the knife reformed into a small plate, complete with a fork. He stepped back and asked, “So, what now? While I don’t mind it, I didn’t come all this way for cake.”

Zach shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll throw all of us on a mission soon. In the meantime, chill. Enjoy the party. Please tell me you're more fun than the other boys in this group.”

“...Hey!” Pei poofed a snowball into existence and flung it at Zach so it’d hit his shirt. “Cake stealer. ‘Eekaky fo wacky’ sounding. We just got killed and re-assembled into an exact clone with all of our old memories and this is how you treat us?”

Cora hoped they weren’t actually killed and cloned. That would be weird.

“Hmm.” Viktor entered, first taking in what was happening before speaking. “Welcome to the team, you three. I'm Viktor and look forward to seeing you perform in the field,” he said with much effort as he attempted to be careful with his first impression for once, though his tone lacked any warmth.

“...Hey, Vik- can I call ya Vik? I’ll stick with Viktor. I’m Pei!”

“No one refers to me as 'Vik' but it is quicker to say. I… shorten everyone's names too when possible.” Viktor wasn't used to being around someone so energetic. She moves too much…

“Oh, sweet, Vik it is! My name is already pretty short but feel free to shorten it even more.” Pei said. “I could just be ‘puh.’”

“Puh…” He tried it but frowned. “'Pei' will do just fine.” Pei laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, jolly.

Viktor's eyes quickly met Nightwing. “Nightwing,” and then Wonder Woman. “Wonder Woman.” He nodded at them respectively with his short greeting to the two heroes.

Pei looked to the side at Nightwing and Wonder Woman as Viktor regarded them coolly. She bounced lightly on her heels, excited. “I know, right? I got all my freaking out done on the way here. So many Leaguers!”

“I’m Cora. I’m the one who zaps people. Nice to meet you.” She didn’t admit it, but that Viktor guy looked… Scary. The cake looked nice, but she didn’t have a plate. “What- Uh… What happened to that cake?”

Zaps people? Viktor raised a brow but refrained from asking.

“Yep. I zap people.” She held up both hands in front of Viktor, and suddenly an arc of blue electricity began dancing around her fingers similar to what she showed Pei before they arrived. “Lightning.”

“Useful,” Viktor muttered under his breath with a slight glean in his eyes.

Vincent finished his piece of cake, having practically inhaled it, and licked his fork and plate clean before they recombined and slithered back up his arm. The liquid steel rejoined his implant as he said with a grin, “Name’s Vincent. Just point me at whatever needs beating up and I’ll get it done.” He paused and took a moment to look at Viktor before saying, “You know, you look kinda familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it…”

“Is that so, Vince? I wouldn't consider myself well known but I have featured on Zach's YouTube channel in the past. I am his former assistant.” Viktor glanced at Zach but didn't shoot him a dirty look… this time.

Pei looked between Viktor and Vincent, blinking her big eyes. She subtly moved to Cora’s side, eating the last of the cake off her fingers. She leaned over conspiratorially. “...Hey…Cora…” She sounded like she was about to say something, but then she just giggled.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Look at the beefcakes over there.” She indicated Viktor and Vincent again. “I hope one of them starts wearing funny hats or something.”

”Funny hats? Hmm. Yeah. That would be funny, I guess.”

Pei just giggled some more, trying to solidify which one was which in her head before she started getting them confused.

Meanwhile on the outer edge of the room, the young lion watched all of this from a distance, arm in hand behind his back. At least as far as initial impressions go, Kila decided to gauge how the new ones interacted with what he’d call the team’s ‘difficult’ members. He remembered the last people that were introduced, albeit the memory was strangely vague. What he had though, was that they were both associated with demons. One of them in particular had the mouth of a devil, more so than even Zach. Along with their quick removal, Kila supposed the concept of new ones left an odd taste in his mouth. Still, he kept in mind that he shouldn’t hold that against them. So, he took a half bow of sorts to the visitors and new members alike.

“My name is Kilamanjaro. But you may call me Kila.”

Pei forgot all about the cake she was so offended about and turned to everyone with a bow.

”Pei Huo. The Incorrigible Iceburn.” She walked up to Kila and went to take his hand and vigorously shake it. The young lion made an awkward smile of sorts with the oddly moist handshake.

“Nice to meetcha, looking forward to working together!” She smiled wide.

“League identification 043 Vixen.”

A statuesque dark skinned woman walked out of the Zeta Tube. She walked with poise and purpose, wearing a sleeveless orange catsuit. It was modified with a few stylistic touches, a popped collar and a v neckline.

It was likely a combination of her maternal instinct and animal senses that made her hone in on Kila almost immediately. She greeted the other leaguers in a manner that was slightly snobbish but it was offset by the warmth in her voice.

She moved through the room and reached Kila. Vixen got out a handkerchief that looked frighteningly expensive, especially when she used it to clean Kila’s hand, getting chocolate all over it.

“Geza maoko ako”

”Hongu, Amai…”

Vixen looked at her son, who had nodded his lowering head with a stern expression on her face. She then turned back to the others, tossing the handkerchief to Pei.

“Girl, that’s not really how you make a first impression.”

“Uah?” Pei said, confused and a little star struck, looking down at her hand with the handkerchief in it. “Oh.” It seemed like only then she realized the full implications of being in a room full of Justice League members. She laughed a little nervously. “It was either refuse the welcoming gift cake, or not shake anyone’s hand…” She mused quietly as she wiped her hand off. “Such are the conundrums a hero must confront…r-right?”

Cora leans over and whispers to Viktor who took a slight step away to maintain his personal space. ”Who the hell is she?” She was a bit of a nerd for Justice League stuff, but that woman didn’t look familiar.

“Vixen. She's quite capable from what I know of her.” He answered simply. The subtle yet familiar footsteps of another approaching the room drew his attention.

Alisa had been spending a lot of time in her room for the past week. Her new body took some getting used to, but today… she knew there were new teammates arriving, but she didn’t feel well. At least, she hadn’t felt well for the last ten minutes. It was strange. She had never been sick before- as a matter of fact, it was physiologically impossible for her to be sick. She felt… staticky. Off.

But no matter that. She needed to go meet new people. She couldn’t say she was excited. In fact, she had been dreading this. As Alisa approached the lounge, however, she started to feel worse and worse. She felt off balance, and she had never felt nausea before, but was that nausea? She entered, the feeling intensifying.

“Hel-” Just then, static took over her voice, sending it into an incomprehensible, high pitched noise. Panic entered her eyes. Was something wrong?

“Oh. Is… Is she okay?”

“Oh, shit!” Pei exclaimed. “Err- don’t put anything in her mouth! Right?” She said, trying to remember what to do if someone had a seizure.

“Alisa.” Viktor moved to her side. “What's wrong?”

“I feel-“ Alisa hiccuped, a sensation that startled her. “Unwell.” Her voice was still laced with static, although it was receding. She glanced around the room, searching for the source.

Vincent, who had been distracted from trying to figure out where he had seen Viktor from, watched what was happening to Alisa with curiosity and wondered if that kind of thing happened often. That's when someone who knew better approached, leading with her empathy. There was a disembodied, soft voice at Alisa's other side.

“Easy, my friend. Do you need to rest?" Kassandra appeared slowly, so as to not startle anyone further. Her hand rested at Alisa's shoulder, ready to catch her. Her orange eyes showed quiet concern; they had only just gotten her back safe and sound. “Viktor, could you carry her if she faints?”

“Easily,” he answered.

Perhaps Alisa was overwhelmed. Kassandra could relate. It had taken her longer than she wanted to dress and muster the energy to go up and join the others. Despite no longer being the skittish guppy from months ago, she was still wary of strangers. But, she was now considered a senior member of the team. If it meant saving Alisa the stress, it was worth it. She nodded briefly to Viktor, and stepped away to give the two some privacy.

By the time she turned around, she'd put on a polite face.

“Good morning, all.” She inclined her head politely to the full members of the League. She'd not actually met all of the others' mentors for more than a few moments. “And to the new members, welcome. I'm-” The young Atlantean stopped mid-sentence, her muscles suddenly taut. The core team had seen her do this before. It was her prey-sense at work. But why here - these were her allies. A second sweep of the room made everything clear. Yes, her body warned her of a predator, and she was close.

Vixen. She'd never met Kila's mother before, though he always spoke of her with love and pride in his voice. The woman was barely taller than Kassy herself, and much more slender. She was utterly beautiful - it was obvious where Kila had gotten his handsomeness from. But her prey-sense was telling her she was swimming with not a shark, but a dolphin. Less bloodthirsty - infinitely more intelligent.

She realized she'd been staring. “Um. G-good morning! Y-you must be Vixen.”

Vincent's attention pulled toward Vixen, now. He had heard of her, but only so far as her being part of the Justice League. He figured he shouldn’t be surprised that she was the mother to one of his new colleagues, given that this group were all heroes in their own right, from what Nightwing had told him. However, her status as a League member did nothing to make him think before he spoke: “Guess it’s no wonder how you got that name.”

Vixen responded to Vincent, understanding the innuendo but decided not to acknowledge it.

“I chose the name, no one gave it to me.” The woman swiftly shut that path of conversation down, which allowed for others' focus to be steered back to Alisa and her unusual problem.

It was a newer occurrence for her to suddenly grow weak to the point of her voice shifting. It wasn’t the first time that Alisa had exhibited odd little quirks, but not quite this rattling. The young lion chalked those issues up to her still trying to readjust to the new body, which they had learned was not constructed the same as her original. Kila could relate in a way, to waking up and his own body feeling foreign to him. So, he offered support where he could. However with his other teammates already aiding, as well as Justice Leaguers present, he kept in place.

Kila had his gaze still trained on Alisa up until Vincent had spoken, to which he turned his head to him. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond to what the new boy had said. What was that meant to mean? When his eyes roamed, he noticed that the views of the other teens shifted between the ailing android and his amai. Looking at the woman beside him, then to the stumbling Kassy, he wryly smiled.

“Idzi ndidzo-“ He paused, “These are my friends, amai. Kassandra, Viktor, Alisa, and…” He looked around for the black haired magician briefly before gesturing off to him still near Red Tornado.

Vixen was calmly reading the room. Her sharp eyes went from face to face. There were multiple types of energy shifting into each other. Emotional energy seemed to radiate strongest in the ones Kila called his friends. Her senses also picked up on an undercurrent of sorts. Noticing Alisa’s odd behavior, she addressed Red Tornado.

“Something is troubling her Red Tornado.” The android nodded and started towards Alisa and Viktor. The latter of which was studying his teammate's abnormal symptoms.

“Magnets? No. You should be charged, yes? Hmm…” He glared around the room. Something or someone is doing this to her, but how?. Viktor's eyes glanced between the three new members of the team. They didn't appear to be doing anything suspicious but he remained wary of them. He had always been skeptical about the Justice League's vetting process for their team. Sometimes he even wondered how easily the team could be infiltrated by a person with ill-intentions toward them. “Red Tornado, I think we should take her to the hallway. I think something here is bothering her.”

“I- hic- charged last- hic night.

”Uh. Wait. Wait, is she… A robot?” Cora asked with what sounded like genuine concern upon hearing the static come out of Alisa’s mouth. Viktor's sights locked on her immediately.

“Yes, Cora… Why?”

While the tension on one side of the room was soon becoming thick on one side of the room, the other end had a bit of its own…

Vixen wasn’t privy to the intimate details of the Team’s inner workings. She requested to be kept updated on important events, especially ones considering her son.

“I heard the Team had a trifecta of the natural forces, where is the third?” Vixen directed the question to both the Team and the League members present. Her attention then shifted to Kassandra. Her dark eyes appraised the aquatic heroine after she had introduced herself. The girl was a bunch of nerves. Sometimes she had that effect on people.

“Speak freely Atlantean.”

Kassy felt something in herself trying to shrink away from Vixen as they made eye contact. The desire to back away was strong. It was like being back in the throne room of Atlantis over a year ago, before any of this had started.

Then again, she wasn't the child she used to be. She had been chosen, tested and tried. She had even been broken, but was regrowing her teeth. Despite her scars, she was still here.

The shift in the young Atlantean was mostly invisible from the outside. She stood a bit straighter, and her voice was firm. “You are thinking of Daphne, or Nymph, ma'am. She's currently indisposed, unfortunately.”

An undercurrent would go unnoticed by the majority of the room, save for those like Kila and Vixen with the power to sense it. Kassandra looked Vixen in the eyes, her bearing respectful of the stronger predator. But there was no fear present anymore; instead a silent declaration that Kassandra wouldn't lie down if challenged.

“It's a pleasure to meet you in person. Kila always speaks of you with high praise, and I can see why.”

Oddly enough, Kila could feel the change in her demeanor. The way Kass acted when she approached versus the way she spoke now, indicated such. A subtle shift of strength that the shy water child had only displayed flashes of in the past. To see it, even up to the intimidating figure that his mother could present, caught Kila off guard. A warmth came to his chest, and the dry smile from before became more wholehearted. Golden eyes gleamed brightly and proud, but no words came from him. Even if he had something to say, it’d probably stumble out.

Vixen broke into a somewhat unexpected warm smile. The same energy she sensed before became more prevalent, the stronger Kassy’s presence became, but she wasn’t the source, rather the cause. Her eyes went from Kila to Kassy and back, something gleaming within them.

“It’s good to meet you Kassandra.” A smooth conclusion.

Meanwhile, Pei stood with Cora, Vincent, and some of the Leaguers, watching with her hands flat at her sides.

“Well, this is off to a rip-roaring start. Couldn’t even make it two minutes without a medical emergency. What are we supposed to do now? This is so awkward.”

“Well. Okay. I know what the problem is. Don’t freak out but… It’s me. Whenever electronic stuff gets around me, it acts… Off. It’s not gonna kill her but I kinda have that effect on stuff. If she’s a robot, then that’s awkward.”

“...Robot?” Pei blinked.

Alisa’s eye twitched. Her mouth resolved itself into a thin line. She was peeved. More than that- pissed. Of course it would get worse. Of course! “Are you- hic- for fucking real? Seriously?”

“Sorry… I can’t really turn it off.”

“You're kidding right? You interfere with electronics and you can't really turn it off?” Viktor shook his head as he realized the recruits were too good to be true. “How are we even supposed to conduct a mission with you around?”

“I don’t know! Just point me at somebody and I can blast ‘em out of existence. I can do that.”

Viktor simply sighed and averted his eyes, fighting not to say anything else.

“Sorry.”

Pei sauntered and set her arm around Cora’s shoulders, giving her the side hug.

“Hey.” She said to everyone. “Gang. It’s all good. We can work somethin’ out, probably. The robot could wear rubber gloves. Or…Cora could wear rubber gloves. I’m sure the answer is rubber gloves. We’re just getting to know each other!” She said.

“The robot has- hic- a name. I’m Alisa. And I’m not- hic- a robot, I’m an android. I’m AI.” The constant vocal interruptions seemed to be somewhat subsiding, but Alisa still felt off. She glanced at Red Tornado, then Black Canary. How had they thought this was a good idea?

“Alisa the Android!” Pei said, her palms skyward. She pat Cora reassuringly on the back and moved away, closer to Alisa. “Cora has lightning powers. Maybe they’re messing with your…sinuses? Your circuits? If ol’ Red here is fine, then I’m sure you can be, too.” Pei was nothing if not an optimist.

Alisa looked at Pei, not dropping her slightly annoyed look.

“It’s more- hic complicated than that. I just got a new body. I’ll- hic- have to call Cyborg again.” She grimaced. But… it probably wasn’t her fault. Or either of them’s. Alisa had no idea what it was to have powers you couldn’t control. She looked at Cora, expression softening. “I’m sorry. I’ve been- hic- stressed, lately. It’s not your fault.”

“You're right. It isn't her fault. It isn't anyone's but theirs.” Viktor's set toward the Leaguers. “I'm not a fan of this team being treated like a daycare.”

“Oh, it’s no one’s fault! Cora has lightning powers, Alisa is stressed because she just got this new body, whatever that means… I imagine it’s like spilling wine on a shirt you just bought.” Pei said. A little eagerly on the ‘it’s nobody’s fault’ part because, well…Leaguers! Yikes!

Wonder Woman carefully observed the escalating conversation between the established and new members. She had been briefed about the current state of the Team, fragile would be the word she’d use to describe it. This reaction wasn’t completely unexpected. She stepped into the center of the group.

“Everyone has a right to be here, we recruited you for different reasons. To learn control, to see the value of teamwork, trust in each other's strengths and cover for the weaknesses.”

She turned to Viktor, her blue eyes unyielding.

“It is not for you to say who deserves to be here and who doesn’t. At one time you must also have struggled with your newfound powers. Getting control over something that sometimes controls you is no easy task. Have more empathy.”

“Agreed. It's for you to say who deserves to be here and who doesn't… Your responsibility. And yes I have struggled with my abilities, but I was never operational until H.I.V.E. deemed me prepared. With that said, I'm willing to work with my new teammates as best as I am able. We'll find a way like we've done so far.” His last sentence was more so addressing the team as he looked at each of them as he spoke.

How Viktor didn’t turn into a shriveled up husk was beyond Pei, but she just clapped her hands together and shrugged happily at his response.

“Red Tornado’s an android too, right? He’s fine. Which means he’s built so he can’t be all staticked up by, well, static. That’s all it is. I just give off static, it makes phone screens flicker and sometimes speakers act weird, but it won’t kill her. I’m sorry you think my powers are annoying but if the League can build a teleporter, I’m pretty damn sure they can figure out how to work around me. All you gotta do is insulate Alisa’s… techy bits with something static-proof and do that with everything important. That’s how motherboards are kept safe. Ain’t that big of a deal right now. We’ll figure it out later.”

Nightwing nudged Vincent with his shoulder.

“You can cut the tension with a knife in here right..?”

Vincent had been watching his new colleagues attentively as he tried to get a read on them. A piece of liquid steel slithered around and between his fingers, as if it were a living piece of quicksilver. It was a quirk he had developed whenever he mulled over something, as rare as it was for him to sit back and think. This was why he preferred being on his own. There was no one to argue with, no toes to step on. Things were just easier if he only had himself to worry about.

“You’re telling me,” he replied to his mentor as the steel lifted away from his fingers. Now floating above his palm, it began to take different shapes; a star, a sphere, a tiny knife, so on and so forth. He sighed and turned his steely eyes toward Nightwing. “I’ll give them a chance. It’s the least I can do, since you did the same for me when you could’ve just as easily tossed my ass in jail.”

He clenched his fist around the steel floating above his palm and slipped his hands into the pockets of his overcoat with a smirk. “Besides, you promised me some good fights if I stuck with these guys. Gotta give you a chance to deliver on that, don’t I?”

With that, he approached the group and asked, “Everything good, now? Are we all best friends, again?”

“Were we ever not?” Pei asked. “Now c’mon, let’s scram, let’s look around, let’s get outta here!” Pei said, moving to the nearest door to see what was behind it. She opened it up and disappeared behind it as it shut.

“...It’s a closet!”

”Uh… Should we actually be running off yet?” Cora asked, looking to Wonder Woman. So far, she was the only person here that Cora actually knew, having thrown an entire thunderstorm at her, only to have it blocked by a sword.

Young Justice

Zach and Mateo

Somewhere in the month prior to Alisa's reassembly

---

“I told you babe, just come live with me. I’ll take care of you. You don’t need those losers.”

Mateo was changing into his work clothes (aka swimming shorts) in the changing rooms of the Youth Center. What started out as a workplace fling was slowly changing into a long distance relationship. From what Zach told him he got into some trouble when he told him about their mission while he was in Taos. At the time Mateo was under the influence of the Kobra and not fully in control of his actions. Zach could not have known that and he didn’t agree with the way the League treated the magician. It was not fair.

The lifeguard put on his jewelry and winked at Zach through the video call.

“I’m digging the black hair. it’s hot.”

Zach meanwhile was staying with his cousin in her mansion Shadowcrest. “Ugh, I’d love to babe. But my cousin would never let me hear the end of it if I left.” Zach rolled his eyes at the thought of it. “I’m apparently grounded. Can you believe it? I’m 19, and I’m being grounded by my much older cousin. Who does she think she is, my mother?”

Zach blushed and grinned at the compliment. “Thanks. I think it suits me better than blonde did… Although I am considering trying out galaxy colors next.”

“You can rock anything cutie”

Mateo laughed and turned on the shower.
“It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been grounded. Always gave my family a hell of a hard time though. So they’re probably happy I’m on my own.”

He let the water run down his shaved head.
“Gotta be honest though, sometimes it gets pretty lonely here. And I’m not just saying that to get you out here.”

“So what are you going to do now? You’re going back right..?”

Zach sighed. “I don’t know… I should… But… it’s become quite clear I’m not good at this superhero business. I got my ass handed to me on the last mission, and all I’ve ever done is fail. Besides, I’m sure everyone on the team hates me.”

“Tchh..” Mateo clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“No one could hate you Zach, dislike you maybe, but hate no way.”

“Besides you’re not allowed to be my trophy boyfriend if you give up this easily.I’d be willing to work for both of us, but only if I’ve seen you really try.”

He wrapped a towel around his waist and looked at Zach through the hazed over screen.
“So I’m going to watch your show from all the way here in Taos”

New Frontiers: A High Fantasy RTD

╔═════════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═════════════╗

The smell of burning flesh was unmistakable. It unsettled the young acolyte. As the group entered through the remains of gates Mira's hand hovered over her hunting knife. Who or what was responsible for this destruction? She passed several cabins, some were turned into unrecognizable piles of wood. A whispered prayer of protection was repeated steadily as she walked. It took away some of her trepidation and fear, ushering her forward.

Mira turned to the bearded man of smaller stature.
"Burt do you need me to tend to your cuts before we continue?"