Most teenagers go on dates to the movies. Others awkwardly try and make small talk over a cup of coffee. Thankfully for Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman, they were superheroes, which meant that dates provided a bit more excitement compared to your regular pair of horny teenagers. They were Wiccan and Changeling; New York’s own personal heroes. And Billy could not be happier about it.
After a long day of choring away at a school desk, the two had escaped up to their favourite rooftop, where the luscious Manhattan skyline ran out before them. The brownstone was aged, and not particularly in the best neighbourhood, but it was the perfect spot to sit back and watch the city. As such, they had dotted the area with a few of their belongings. It wasn’t anything too special; a simple blanket, a small portable speaker, and some well-hidden snacks. But it was enough.
Teddy called it the Watchtower. Billy had tried to tell him that it didn’t make sense since it wasn’t actually a tower, but he didn’t care and just thought it sounded cool. They had laughed about it at the time. It was like they were school children, and this was their secret hideout.
The two had patrolled here regularly over the past few weeks ever since they’d revealed their abilities to one another. It had brought them even closer together. Being a superhero was everyone’s dream, especially since the day Superman had risen above Metropolis for the first time. And what was better than enjoying that dream with the person you care about most?
On top of that, it always felt good to put a stop to some crime. Tonight, was no exception. Other than the fact that tonight was not just a bunch of regular thugs that the two of them were fighting.
It was the Terror Twins.
Teddy had recognized them instantly from their perch within the Watchtower, from their bleach blonde hair to the tacky combination of white wifebeaters and red suspenders. Apparently, they had been on a crime spree along the east coast before going tail to tail with a couple of the Justice League. Their breakout had been trending on Twitter just that morning. And now here they were in the big apple. From the damage before them, it was clear that they weren’t just here as tourists.
So far, the fight had been going well. Wiccan and Changeling had leapt triumphantly down onto the street to confront them, changing into their costumes through the power of Billy’s magic as they did so. It hadn’t taken long for the Twins to spot them, with the two moving away from the corner bank they were in the middle of robbing and flexing their bulging musclebound bodies in anticipation for a fight - Billy could only wonder what the two cared about more; the money, or the violence that came with it. They’d thrown the first punch, with Tommy Terror (as Teddy had identified during the info-dump he had given on their short flight down) leaping aggressively towards the two heroes.
Teddy simply shifted his body in retaliation, his now green skin growing larger and rougher. He caught Tommy’s fist with ease, before pulling him close enough to follow up with a quick jab in the gut. Billy only got a glimpse of the twin’s pain before he found himself under attack himself.
Tuppence Terror was slightly smaller than her brother, yet still brawnier than Billy. That wasn’t an issue however, with Wiccan lifting into the air narrowly avoiding her reach, as a wave of electrical energy erupted from the palms of his outstretched hands. Whereas Teddy had to ability to shift his body however he pleased, Billy’s gift was something much more magical. He could make things happen. More complex things he had to wish for, but after weeks of practice, firing energy like this was a piece of cake.
He moved through the air, red cape billowing behind him as he encircled his target. Despite packing a punch, the energy seemed to do little more than slow her down.
“That all y’ got boy?” She laughed mockingly; her voice enthralled with a southern twang.
As if to add further insult to injury, the brute reached out to her left and ripped a car door from its hinges, before hurling it like a frisbee toward him. Eyes widening, Billy dived down towards the floor, narrowly missing it as it crashed through shop window behind him. A cry from that very same shop caught his attention as he moved to scramble to his feet. Turning, he saw that a mother and her daughter were cowering in fear inside, having also just luckily avoided the door. Billy grimaced. They had to end this quickly or people were going to get hurt.
“
I don’t think Captain America would appreciate you stealing his moves!” Billy exclaimed, turning back towards Tuppence and moving his hands up over his head. “
Why don’t you take it backTakeItBackTakeItBackTakeItBack...”
Billy’s mind went into overdrive as he repeated the incantation. And as he spoke, reality warped to his bidding. The car door, now wedged into the drywall at the back of the shop, lurched backwards into freedom, before flying right back to its sender. What more, was that as it passed over the threshold of the store, the remains of the shattered glass window seems to lift into the air too, with the glass shards shooting through the air like bullets.
Despite her speed, there was nothing she could do, with the glasses tearing into her body, and the door itself knocking her to the floor.
Billy punched the air proudly, only for both his fist and smile to drop once he caught sight of his boyfriend.
Despite having had the upper hand towards the start of the conflict, Teddy now seemed to be taking a battering, with Tommy issuing punches and jabs like a boxer. Teddy did all he could to avoid the hits, his body morphing from side to side, yet it wasn’t enough as an uppercut from Tommy sent him flying.
Billy watched in horror as Teddy’s body tumbled helplessly across the street before coming to a stop in an awkward pile. Tommy Terror chuckled through coughs of blood, with the hulk of a man heaving the atm safe that they had been robbing off the ground and over his head, before menacingly walking towards his injured victim on the ground.
Teddy’s body could do nothing but twitch in pain as Tommy Terror raised it higher.
“
Stop!”
Billy’s cry rang out across the street, as a blinding light erupted from his body.
As it faded, Billy found himself high into the air, a magical aura of red floating around him as he drifted downwards. He panicked, his head darting around to see what had happened. The street seemed pretty much the same as it had been a few seconds ago; a few smoking cars and some rubble from the damaged bank and storefront. The only noticeable difference now was that the Terror Twins seemed to be laying on the ground motionless.
His eyes snapped over towards Teddy. Thankfully, he seemed to be rising to his feet, with the green-skinned teenager wearing a face of pure confusion. Billy’s heart leapt with joy. He did not know what he would have done if anything had happened to him.
“
Wha.. what just happened?” Teddy asked, scratching the back of his head as he pondered the crime scene before him.
The previous panic briefly returned to Billy now. What had happened? Had he caused that light? He watched anxiously as Teddy crouched down next to Tommy Terror, placing a green finger against his neck, clearly looking for a pulse. He simply let out a nervous laugh as he looked back up at Billy, who now found himself biting the tip of his thumb out of nervousness.
“
Well, they’re not dead at least.” He tried to sound jovial, in that very Teddy way, but Billy could tell he was nervous as well.
“
That’s a positive then...”
The two stood awkwardly, their eyes taking everything in. The fun had gone now, and all that was left was an eerie feeling of dread.
The sound of sirens thankfully snapped them both back to reality.
Teddy glanced in the direction that they were coming. “
We need to bounce. We do not need to try explaining a mess like this to the police again.” He said, before letting out a short laugh as he reflected on the aftermath of them having busted an arms deal a few weeks ago.
Finally smiling once more at the thought, Billy readied himself.
“
Right. I got this.” He didn’t like the idea of using his powers so soon after what had just happened, but they both knew that this would be the quickest way out of here. “
TakeUsAwayTakeUsAwayTakeUsAwayTakeUsAway…”
As Billy’s incantation rang out, the two costumed heroes vanished from the street. Billy then found himself reappearing several seconds later on a far-off rooftop.
It took him a couple of seconds to realize that he was alone. He let out a short gasp as he spun around on the spot, his eyes widening. Where was Teddy? Did his spell mess up? Had he done something to him?
Before Billy could dwell too long on these questions however, a voice boomed loudly behind him.
“
BILLY KAPLAN.”
Billy yelped in confusion as he turned once more. Standing in the air before him was the largest being he had ever seen. Standing at around 20 ft tall, the being’s body seemed to be coated in glimmering gold, with the blue cloak wrapped around him giving him a somewhat regal appearance. His eyes were as bright and blue as the sky around them. Billy would’ve considered them to be beautiful if they didn’t seem to currently be narrowed in anger.
As Billy simply stared in astonishment, the being spoke.
“
Your callous disregard for the precedents of time and space have forced my hand, Child. You have no idea the havoc your careless actions cause. As I am Tempus Fuginaut, you have given me no choice.”
Billy gulped. He was absolutely fucked.
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