Chapter 42
Anita Fite/Empress
Anita remembered before Smiley could pull the knife out that first aid ruled that you should keep those in to apply pressure and prevent bleeding out. Good thing, because He had been about to pull it out.
Mimikyu appreciated the new lesson on humans.
Was the location the Silicon Dragon gave them (before Smiley knocked him out with a brutal headbutt) the docks. Where else? The best way to illegally transfer human beings across continents was by boat after all. Cheaper than flying them in.
From on top of some shipping containers overseeing the docks, Anita stood, Mimikyu on her left, and Smiley on her right. She felt so strange, watching a truck waiting on the dock as a boat finished getting… docked? Anchored? Parked?
There were three men waiting by the truck, the storage container on the back of it open and ready. One stood out, a thickset man with white hair and a pair of giant steel gauntlets with a yellow dial on the back of each. The other two wore the silver colors of their gang, further marking the other man as different from them.
"What's the plan then?" Anita asked, looking at Smiley and Mimikyu.
"Fight like hell!" Smiley's recorder said.
"That isn't a plan," Anita said. She felt more than a bit exasperated when Smiley simply cocked his head to the side.
"Mimikyu!" the small magical spirit said cheerily. "Mimi, kyu kyu, Mi, Mimikyuuuu."
"..." Anita pressed a hand to her face. "Okay, communication issues."
She leaned over to watch as the boat was 'parked'. The three men were joined by two more, with a storage container on the boat being opened.
Inside were a group of people. They were dirty, tired looking. Anita saw some woman with pale skin and blonde hair, short men with Asian features, children that were horrifyingly young.
Anita was the daughter of a cop. She knew how common human trafficking was. She still wanted to throw up, seeing it. She focused. Use it.
"How about this? Mimikyu and I will head down and free the civilians. Smiley, you take out the guys by the truck?"
"You got it, dude!" A young girl's voice said from his recorder, Smiley raising his thumb.
"Mimikyu," the small Pokemon said, sounding a little confused. Wait, was that the plan the dark spirit had suggested the first time?
Anita pushed past that thought, instead leaping off the storage containers. Mimikyu and Smiley followed, the trio moving together.
Smiley broke off midway through, heading for the truck. Mimikyu hopped onto Anita's shoulder, riding along on the way towards the boat.
The two men at the boat weren't being very gentle to their captives. One tazed a man who moved a little too slow. Another tripped over a young woman and kicked her. He did so with such casualness. Like he was bored.
Empress pulled out her batons from their sheaths, gripping them tightly. She ran along the dock, going from concrete to wood as she went. The cadence of her feet echoed just a bit. One of the two men looked up in her direction while tasering a little girl.
She kicked him in the face.
"Oof!" the man reeled, falling on his back. The other man jumped in shock, turning in her direction.
"Mimikyu!"
The Pokemon took off her wooden tail and slammed it into the guys stomach like a tiny baseball bat, almost folding him in half as he was launched into the water with his eyes bulging.
"Go!" Empress waved at the group of people. "Come on, get out of here!"
One of the Asian men shouted something in Korean, running, the other people following him. Empress and Mimikyu ran along with them, the group running off the dock. As they came closer to the truck, the three men came to intercept them.
Smiley dropped down on them.
"Fuc-AAAAHHHH!!!" One man screamed when Smiley landed on his back, then grabbed his arms and pulled them backwards until his elbows snapped backwards. The other Silicon Dragon swung at Smiley, his fist landing into his chest.
Smiley headbutted that man, blood splashing across his yellow face mask.
Empress stopped at the edge of the dock and waved. "Go, go, go-"
She was cut off when the ground began to shake. She looked around, confused.
"An earthquake?"
"More of a tremble," a gruff voice answered her. Everyone looked at the man with the large gauntlets. He was twisting the yellow dial on the back of one, a smile on his square-jawed face. "Hold on, darlin'."
He slammed his palms on the concrete. The ground ripped out from under her. Screams erupted around her. For one moment, she was airborne, seeing Mimikyu fly past while Smiley smashed into a cargo container.
Then she hit the ground hard, air leaving her lungs. "Ah-ahhhh!"
Anita rolled to her back, trying to breath.
"Gotta say, I was hopin' for that Kahu fella. Not his backup band," the man stalked forward as he spoke, his voice half-chuckling the whole time. "Still, least I get to brawl with one of the little critters that follow him."
"Mimi," Anita heard to her left. She turned to watch Mimikyu rise up, readjusting her costume just a bit. "MIMIKYU!"
The small creature leaped forward, swinging out her wooden 'tail'. The man smirked, ducking under the tail and punching her out of the air, only to back away when Mimikyu snapped back up to her feet.
"Damn, you can take a hit for such little thang!"
"Mimikyu!" She lashed out with claws of energy that felt like the spirits of the dead to Anita, the ends of them ripping through the air.
The man pressed his palms to the ground, the earth shaking again and rocks snapping upwards in front of him to intercept the claws.
"But don' worry darlin'. Temblor can handle you just fine! Hehehehe!" He pressed down harder. The stones around him erupted.
Anita was on her feet, forcing herself to move. She yelled at the people who they had came to save. "Go on, get out of here!"
They ran for it, Temblor ignoring them in favor of Mimikyu, who sped forward, bouncing from stone pillar to pillar. She smashed into Temblor's crossed gauntlets with her full body, sending him sliding back. Temblor then grabbed her out of the air, a vibration in the ground followed by Mimikyu launching back like she'd been shot out of a rocket.
"Kyuuuuu!"
The small creature smashed through the side of a shipping container, ripping a hole the size of a computer monitor in the side and sending dust outwards.
"One down," Temblor chuckled. "Damn. Really thought this would be a good fight," his eyes landed on Empress. "How about you, Ponytail?"
Empress tightened her hands on her sticks, trying to breathe. Her chest and back were hurting like crazy. She wanted to scream. She focused instead. On the magic within her, around her. Then she pulled it out and forced it into her voice.
"I think you need to stop."
Temblor smirked. Then he frowned. His muscles bunched up under his trenchcoat and muscle shirt. His face twisted into a grimace, then fear filled him. "W-What the hell!"
Empress didn't let him stand still for too long. She rushed forward, her escrima stick raised high. Temblor watched her approach, eyes wide. At the last instant, he forced himself through her enchantment, her stick glancing off his skull rather than hitting him directly under his nose.
"What did you do to me!?" he roared, punching at her. Empress desperately dodged the attack, swinging her sticks at him.
"Just told you what I think," Empress quipped, surprising herself. She'd sparred before. Lots of times. But she'd never actually fought someone. Or used her magic on them.
Temblor didn't fight like anyone she'd sparred with. He used short and simple punches, but he also aimed to hurt.
He aimed a punch towards her. Empress stepped back. Then she realized her mistake when his gauntlet landed on the ground. Yellow energy flew from the palms, exploding the ground. She raised her arms in a block, chunks of rock smashing into her forearms and sending her flying back.
She landed in a roll, then kept moving when Temblor sent another pulse, then another, forcing her to keep dodging, rolling, and jumping while the concrete around them shattered apart. She jumped off a piece of concrete that rose under her, over a pillar of stone, then slid under another rock that nearly ripped her head off.
"Keep dancin, girlie!" Temblor crowed. "You fancy pants fighters can't do your kung fu bullshit when the earth swallows you whole!"
Empress shouted out, her voice raw with magic, trying to scream over the sounds of shattering stone. "Hold still!"
"Urq!" Temblor froze. Empress jumped into the air and pulled her magic around her, this time her whole body rather than her throat and mouth alone. She looked at a spot behind Temblor, focusing everything onto that place-
White smoke poured out of her skin, wrapping around her. Temblor broke out of her control and smashed his hands into the ground again. The earth exploded around the smoke, dissipating. Temblor stared at the spot where the smoke faded from, blinking behind his sunglasses in confusion.
No one was there.
"What the-"
Empress smashed him in the small of his back with a powerful kick.
"Oof!" Temblor stumbled forward, tough enough to take the hit. Empress desperately tried to hit him again, but Temblor spun around and grabbed her by the throat.
"That hurt, girlie," Temblor lifted her up. His metal gauntlet squeezed down, pinching and digging into her throat. Empress tried to gasp at the pain, but no air escaped. She kicked at his chest, but her boots bounced uselessly off his thighs. Blackness crawled across her vision. Her fingers grabbed uselessly across his gauntlet, gloves sliding on steel.
"Ohhh. Now that's nice," Temblor chuckled, pulling her close to look into her masks eyes. "Something fun about killin nice… and… slow."
Empress felt tears fill her eyes. Her arms fell to her side. Temblor's laugh filled her ears.
"Mimi…KYU!"
Spider Dance (Music Box / Adriana Figueroa Instrumental Version)
The storage container Mimikyu had flown into exploded apart, darkness flowing in its wake. The sound of something striking flesh filled the air.
"Gah!" Empress fell to the floor, air rushing into her lungs.
Temblor fell to the ground as well, spinning around to smash his palms against the earth. On his back, four long bloody marks had been slashed through his trenchcoat. Each mark was soaked in spiritual energy to Empress's senses.
"You tiny bastard!" Yellow energy flew across the ground, further destroying the area. Water began to rush in as the destruction reached the water's edge. Temblor ignored it.
Mimikyu did as well. She bounced around at high speed, unleashing waves of magical and spiritual energy, violet and pink. Stones shattered apart, water exploded, Temblor stumbled a step backwards and suddenly an empty jerry can came flying and hit him in the back.
An artificial voice sounded out. "Hold on to your lugnuts, its TIIIIIME for an overhaul!"
Smiley dropped into the valley ripped into the concrete, a metal car muffler in his hand. He crashed into Temblor like a falling meteor, bashing the muffler into the other man's head.
Temblor grunted, pressing a hand into Smiley's chest. The sickening sound of bones cracking was followed Smiley smashing into a wall behind him. For all of a second. Then Smiley rushed forward again, swinging the muffler out.
"What the hell!?" Temblor ducked the muffler and pressed a hand into the ground, exploding stone sending the masked man crashed into a pillar. The sound of a spine snapping filled the air. Smiley fell.
Then got up and rushed forward.
"What in goddamn!?" Temblor grabbed the muffler, vibrations ripping it to shreds. The piece in his hand became a long jagged piece of steel. Temblor stabbed it deep into Smiley's throat. Blood sprayed out.
Empress wanted to throw up at the sight of meat separating, the copper taste of blood in the air. The world seemed to hold its breath.
Smiley looked Temblor in the eyes. Then, slowly. Almost too slowly. He lifted up the music player in his hand. And pressed a button there.
PAYDAY 2 Jacket Trailer Theme Song - Simon Viklund - Breath of Death
Music echoed in the space around them. Empress got to her feet, breathing in. The spirits. They had gathered. Focusing around Smiley, Mimikyu… and herself. Something had changed in the air.
"What-" Temblor fell back, staring in horror at Smiley, who ripped the steel from his throat, ignoring the hole that remained there, blood splashing down to soak the ground and swirl into the water. "What are you?"
"Do you know what time it is?" the player said in answer.
Smiley ran at Temblor. The man growled, raising his gloves.
"Rest," Empress hissed.
Temblor's arms dropped. He blinked lazily, awakening seconds later when he realized what was happening, desperately raising his arms again.
Mimikyu, Smiley, and Empress struck as one. Mimikyu wrapped shadowy tentacles around him, holding him in place for Empress to kick him in the face and shatter his stupid sunglasses while Smiley laid heavy fists into his stomach.
When Temblor tried to fight out of Mimikyu's grip, Smiley dipped the fingers of one hand into the bloody hole in his throat and tossed blood into Temblor's eyes, blinding the man and making him scream in horror and pain.
Empress stepped in to kick him in the head again. "Pass out already!"
"Not happening!" Temblor roared. Mimikyu lifted him up and smashed him through a pillar, but the man only screamed in rage. Empress hit in the chest with her escrima sticks. Temblor didn't stop, fighting harder. "I'm Temblor! I don't quit on a job-"
Mimikyu lifted him up. Smiley's player cut off the music, with a man's voice speaking while Smiley jumped up, pulling a crowbar out. When Temblor realized what was about happen, horror filled his visage.
"It was at this moment that he knew," Smiley's crowbar hit Temblor between the legs as Mimikyu pulled him down. "He fucked up."
They all froze. Smiley, Mimikyu, Temblor, and Empress, just staring at each other.
"..." Temblor, mouth opening and closing, his face pale as sweat began to pour, seemed unable to speak. Empress finally spoke.
"Sleep peacefully."
This time, Temblor didn't fight the magical compulsion. He seemed grateful.
As he fell into blissful unconsciousness, Empress looked around.
The dock was destroyed, water slowly filling the giant hole Temblor had created. The trafficked people had run off. The Silicon Dragons were somewhere in the mess. And in the distance, she could hear police sirens.
"Oh god… dad is going to kill me."
Smiley considered that for a moment. Then he hit his player again.
Fail Sound Effect
"That is not funny!"
Smiley's shoulders shook, while Mimikyu poked idly at Temblor. "Kyuuuu."
God. Was anyone else's first superhero fight this chaotic?
One day, she'd learn that, yes, it was fairly common. For now, she needed to get out of there. "Come on. What do we even do now?"
"Mimikyu!" Empress looked down at her. Mimikyu was pointing outwards.
"You have a plan?"
Mimikyu nodded. "Mi, Kyu, Mimikyu!"
Empress thought on that, then looked at Smiley. He didn't seem confused, which Empress wasn't sure about. Anita Fite breathed in, sighing. "All right. Lead the way."
"Mimikyu!" The spirit hopped on her shoulder, and the three took off running, leaving the devastation behind them.
It was only after a mile of running that Empress remembered she'd left her bike in a random parking lot.
Chapter 43
July 8, 2010
Kahu Kiaʻi/Mahmoud
"So then Alakazam led you here and that's the end?" I asked, trying not to look annoyed.
"Um… yes," Empress… goddamn Empress of all people, looked nervously at me. Smiley, in the meantime, ignored me in favor of running a whetstone along a metal baseball bat. No, I didn't understand why.
I'd had Alakazam teleport the pair into the Gym once he'd met them. It made sense to me. It was a location where I held all the cards. Orca, Gurdurr, and Mudkip were watching the conversation, while Alakazam floated just behind me and Mimikyu napped peacefully on his lap, tired from a long night.
Empress kept glancing at my Pokemon, but she couldn't stop staring at Orca. Orca noticed, but gracefully ignored it as best as she could. Empress also glanced at Orca's chest, but I was used to seeing people do that.
Gurdurr, on the other hand, eyed the blood dripping off Smiley and landing on the floor. He looked annoyed at it, and I reminded myself to clean up later for him. Smiley, unlike Empress, had refused to drink any potions. He didn't seem bothered by his wounds. Gurdurr looked like he wanted to hit him with every drip of blood.
"Goddamnit," I mumbled, rubbing my forehead. "Do you realize how much danger you were in?"
Smiley pointed at himself.
"Not you, the teenage girl who was with you."
Smiley lowered his finger, but his shoulders moved like he was laughing.
"I'm not a teenager, so it's fine," Empress said, sounding annoyed.
"You are lying. Badly."
"Well-"
"Anita."
I heard her mouth click shut under her mask. She stared at me. "How-"
"I'm not going to tell you. But I know who you are, and I know how old you are. You shouldn't have been involved in that fight at all," I sighed. If I wasn't wearing my own mask, I would have rubbed my forehead.
"That isn't your choice!" She snapped. "We had to help those people!"
"Oh, and you couldn't have, I don't know, called your dad and his friend, two people currently aggressively taking steps to fight the Silicon Dragons?"
"There wasn't time!"
"Which you can say with the benefit of hindsight," I pointed out. "If you're going to keep doing this, you need to call for backup before going in."
"...Wait, 'keep' doing this?" she asked, surprised.
I ignored her to continue. "You were with this guy," I pointed to Smiley, who waved back at me. "And Mimikyu. Two beings you'd never met, who you didn't know the true allegiance or abilities of. And rather than calling for backup in case, oh I don't know, a supertech wearing merc showed up to attack, you rushed in. Things could have gone a lot worse."
Empress stared at me defiantly. I let her for a moment before speaking again. "You realize I'm not saying this to be mean, but because I don't want you to die, right?"
At that, her defiance slowly faded away. Orca spoke up next.
"I'm still learning too. But you can't just rush in this business. We need to think before we move in."
"You can talk!?" Empress squeaked.
Orca just stared at her, while Empress sort of curled in on herself and looked as embarrassed as she could under a mask.
"She's not a Pokemon, she's a mutated human," I explained as gently as I could.
"I can understand the confusion though," Orca said awkwardly. "Anyways. My first time on a mission, I rushed in without thinking. I learned from that."
"That aside," I waved a hand, sighing. "So. Empress and Smiley. A magical girl teenager-"
"Magical girl?" Empress asked, offended.
"And some kind of ghost infested guy who talks through an MP3 player."
"Thaaaat's me!" Smiley waved again.
"I'm guessing you're not exactly going to worry about your safety while fighting the Silicon Dragons, are you Smiles?"
The yellow masked man nodded quickly. I uh… couldn't get a read on him. He acted like Deadpool or something. The sort of self-amused attitude. Except, in the memories Mimikyu cheerfully shared, he fought like a Terminator. Constantly going for the finishing blow, ignoring lethal damage, unflinching in the face of any odds.
"Any chance you're gonna tell me where you came from?" I asked more curiously than anything. "Can never get enough of a good origin story."
"..." He pressed a button on the MP3 player. "Get busy living. Or get busy dying."
Apparently he considered that answer enough. He went back to sharpening his baseball bat.
"Um," Empress said, looking at him. "My dad had a theory. About a type of spirit. Huaka'i pō. The Night Marchers. There are traces similar to ones in our books, but if uh, Smiley is one, then he's acting very differently."
Smiley raised the baseball bat to his eye and looked across it. Seemingly satisfied, he put away his whetstone and pulled out a rag, running it along the bat.
"Very different," Empress added.
"Hm… Doesn't matter I suppose," I looked over at Empress. The thought struck me again. She was so young. And yes, I know. A lot of the sidekicks and heroes of the modern day were young. But I hadn't met them. Kaldur was an 18 year old man, with maturity far beyond that. Empress, on the other hand, was a teenager. She shouldn't have been involved in all this.
But she had gotten herself involved. Would keep getting herself involved. If I didn't step in, she might end up in some serious danger. The Silicon Dragons were upgrading daily.
"...I'm going to ask you both the same question," I said. "Do you want to team up?"
The sound of a record scratch came from Smiley. He and Empress looked over at me at the same time. It was almost cute how in unison they briefly were. RECORD SCRATCH Sound Effect
"What?" Empress asked, surprised.
"I was already planning on asking Smiley. Now I'm extending that to you as well. The Silicon Dragons are a continuing threat. They need to be taken down. You guys agree. But if we all run around like chickens without heads, we'll get in each others way."
"Technically the easiest thing would be to ask you guys to retire-"
Oh no no no laugh Smiley's shoulders bounced silently as the video played, the man slapping his knees.
"Kiiiip?" Mudkip looked between Smiley and me, grinning. At least someone thought Smiley's antics were funny.
"Yeah, I'm with him," Empress said firmly. "Those guys were bringing in kids! As slaves! I can't just let them get away!"
"Then yeah. Let's work together," I said, crossing my arms. "I've got resources, connections, and a team of superpowered family."
"Gurdurr!" the man himself grunted, swiping at his nose with a grin.
"You've got magic. You've got a host of ghost abilities I don't understand. So let's join up, and take down those Dragon fucks. How about it?"
Smiley and Empress shared a look. Smiley rose to his feet and put his baseball bat on his back. He pointed at me as his MP3 player turned on again.
You son of a bitch, I'm in.
"Me too!" Empress got up, fists clenched in determination. "How do we start!?"
"Well first," I turned away from them. "I'm grabbing a mop. Smiley's blood is all over the floor."
"GURDURR!" An emphatic agreement sounded out behind me.
As I walked off, Mudkip hopped onto my shoulder. Orca followed. "Kahu? You okay?"
"Kind of," I admitted. "I'm glad I can tell Sam that I got Smiley to join us. But Anita is almost his niece. If he ever finds out," I opened a door and reached in for the mop, sighing to myself. "But we also can't let a teenager run around fighting without help. It's more irresponsible than fighting alongside her."
"Is it?" Orca asked, befuddled. "Can't we tell her dad?"
"Sure. And then he'll lock her away, leaving her to sneak out." I shrugged. "Maybe I'm not being a responsible adult either. But I know how this shit goes," I closed the door to look up at Orca, her black and white face looking down at me. "I want to help her. Maybe she'll retire one day. Maybe she'll be Justice League A-Squad. Either way. Kids need people who have their backs through shit like this."
"...You're a good person," Orca said, smiling down at me.
"I'm a shit person," I snarled back, annoyed. "I wish anyone else would do this. But I'm here, so she's got me until I can get Kaldur or somebody to take her on."
Orca was still smiling at me for some reason, while Mudkip hopped onto her shoulder to give me the same smile. Like they knew better.
Trust me. Empress was going to join that team of Young Justice kids. Orca would probably join the Justice League. And I'd go back home. This was all temporary. Just until we took down the Silicon Dragons. Then we'd amicably go our separate ways.
I'd teach her what I could for now though.
"How positively fascinating!" Later, in my base, Clock King stood. CLOCK KING. What a damn world man.
The man who once fought Green Arrow was currently holding something that reminded me of the Ghostbuster EKG meter, holding it out as he scanned over the group. He was dressed in his 'superhero' outfit, right down to the clocks replacing the eyes of his mask and the derby hat. He glanced over at me and Orca.
"I knew that I would have some research ahead of me, but not on this level!"
Empress, unmasked, and Smiley, still masked, watched Clock King circle them with varying levels of wariness.
Clock King had been teleported in by Alakazam. I needed time to trust him honestly. He seemed like a nice guy. But he was a former supervillain. I'd be an idiot not to take that into consideration. This was DC Comics. I believed in reforming people, but this was also a universe where Lucifer was a real thing, where men, women, and other species of folk ran into temptation all the time, but monetary and magical.
...Then again, Lucifer did retire to run a piano bar in Los Angeles in many versions of DC so who knows.
And even if he fought temptation, I'd rather err on the side of caution. I'd trust him later maybe. But not before a week had even passed and we hadn't gone on a mission together.
Smiley and Anita were easier to trust. Anita was young and idealistic. Maybe she'd reveal the location of the base if her dad was threatened, but I doubted it. Smiley, on the hand, reminded me of Deadpool mixed with Punisher. He was goofy, but also filled with an unending hatred and rage. He'd more likely rip apart anyone trying to get the bases location out of him.
So I told them. Anita had something about being glad she was next to the beach.
Smiley got a motorcycle inside. I don't know how. I was afraid to ask. He left it next to mine.
And yeah, call me prejudiced. Look, I'd let Clock King into the base, I'd probably reveal it's location to him down the road. Sue me for being careful with the guy I'd seen on the internet saying an actual supervillain monologue.
My god, the clock puns had flowed.
Still… his story was sad. He'd went villain to try and get money for his sister, because health care in the United States is a fucking travesty. Giovanni, always keeping his nose to the ground, heard about it. So he'd provided legal and financial assistance after Mr. Tockman had been arrested. His sister was doing much better, and Giovanni had another former supervillain on the payroll.
If this Giovanni had something over the other versions, it was knowing how to instill loyalty. William Tockman would likely never turn on him.
Today, he was simply scanning Empress and Smiley. "This compares well to scans taken of your adorable costumed friend."
"Kyu!?" Mimikyu poked her head up from behind her drawing board where she'd been drawing Wonder Woman in a variety of costumes for her online classes.
"She's asking how much?" I translated.
"Hm…" Clock King tapped at his EKG meter thing. "Miss Balin? I believe you have some knowledge on the subject. Tell me, what do you see?"
He handed her the device. She took it gently in her larger hands, looking it over. "I… It's almost like Mimikyu's signature energy was split up and joined to others?"
"Indeed," Mr. Tockman stroked the chin of his mask, pacing. "I believe, my friends, in the research done in the field of magic by some colleagues of mine. They were laughed out of academia of course, the snobs in higher learning are extremely stiff when it comes to new information. No sense of the times at all I tell you. But the truth holds. Magic is a blending of energies. You and Giovanni," he pointed at me. "Called Mimikyu's energy 'Fairy/Ghost'. If we can imagine that Fairy is pure form of magic, and Ghost is the spiritual energy of the departed…"
He stopped, nodding to himself. "There is something useful here. Beneficial to mankind even!"
Then he froze. "Oh! How rude of me!"
He walked up and raised his hand towards Empress and Smiley. "My apologies! William Tockman, the Clock King!"
"I was wondering about that," Empress said as she shook his hand.
Yeah. He'd kinda just walked in and started scanning the second he could. Scientists man.
"Oh, how fun," Clock King mumbled when Smiley turned the handshake into a more complex one, somehow matching him.
"Okay," I told the group. "Science stuff can wait-"
"Actually, my good man, science is always right on time!" I was going to hate these puns. "For you see, I've come back with the reports on Temblor's technology!"
"Temblor?" Orca asked.
"The earthquake guy we fought," Empress explained.
"It would be more appropriate to call him a 'vibration' guy," Clock King said.
"That sounds… dirty."
"Hm?" Clock King thought about it. Then visibly winced. "Ah. I see now. T-That aside, his gloves are actually quite ingenious. They project a precisely calibrated force that engages with any item it touches, violently vibrating the object. But it can be better. It's all in the timing!"
Course he had to end that way.
"With your permission, I'd like to incorporate the technology into your base," Clock King said. "I can think of a few ways to use it. And I can even help improve your defensive and offensive options."
"..." After a long thought, I shrugged. "Sure. Just have to make sure it doesn't disturb the goddess that lives under here."
"I'm sorry, the what?" Clock King asked, befuddled.
"Pele," Orca said. "She lives under the base."
"Really!?" Empress asked, Smiley looking down at the floor and kicking at it curiously.
"Really really," I said in my best Shrek impression. Only Smiley seemed to get it. "Smoking volcano goddesses aside, Gurdurr and Alakazam have been improving the base. Talk to them for anything we need."
Kaldur had mentioned something about a Zeta tube, but I didn't know if that was a possibility I had to look forward to.
"Excellent!" Clock King flipped his EKG meter away. "Before that. I believe I should hand you these."
He reached into his coat again and pulled something out. As he did, he continued speaking. "Thankfully, Giovanni informed me I may need several of these for later, so I had a couple more for our young Empress and Smiley."
"A pocket watch?" I asked, looking down. It was gold, with a chain coming off it. The front was a old school showing Roman numerals and golden colored hands. I flipped it open, then blinked at the buttons and screen there.
"A smartphone!" Empress said, immediately tapping at it.
"Precisely!" Clock King said proudly. "Something I made myself. It's powered by clockwork, of course. Branding is everything after all. Despite it's advanced design, it is much tougher to hack or shut down thanks to the mechanics within it. Sadly, that does mean it can't download 'apps'."
"Awww," Empress, Orca, and Smiley's MP3 Recorder said in unison.
Clock King chuckled. "But it is a workplace device. It is made to only communicate with similar devices through a specific frequency, while still being able to receive missions, police reports, and coordinate our patrol routes."
Mimikyu got one of her own. She glanced at it, then went back to drawing.
When I went through the device, I was honestly impressed. The watch wasn't huge, but the screen was intuitive, and the buttons helped. I like buttons. I don't mind certain aspects of touch screens, but when I fat finger on a piece of glass, my brain aches for the certainty of buttons.
"Your device, Kahu, is the Alpha model," Clock King said. "You control all the others. So you can decide on certain things ahead of time-"
"Nope," I grabbed his and gave him mine. As he blinked at me, I continued. "Mr. Tockman. You are literally the clock guy. We want someone to make an efficient schedule for patrolling? That's you."
It was both a test and a way to slide out of the responsibility. I had never been trained in how to make a good schedule, so I'd give the job to the man obsessed with time. And it was a good way to see how reformed he was. Alakazam could keep an eye on things.
There are benefits to having a supercomputer brained friend.
"A capital idea! It will also help me show you I can be trusted."
That's the problem with potentially evil people being smarter than you, you can't figure them out before they figure you out.
I looked down at my new watch, spinning the dial on it. Huh. Familiar feeling.
"So that's that," I told Kaldur later over a video call on the Gym's computers. "Clock King, Smiley, and Empress."
"You're assembling quite the eclectic team," Kaldur said, sounding amused. Behind him I could see the library of the new base.
I don't think Batman and the rest of the league knew that I knew the base was in Happy Harbor, but I'd guessed it. Granted, I could have been wrong, but I had a hunch considering one Wally West had uploaded some photos of him hanging out there recently.
"Says you," I scoffed. "I'd argue that any team is made up of weird individuals in the hero world."
"I suppose that is true," Kaldur said, though he was still smirking.
I turned serious. "Speaking of teams. Superboy."
Kaldur became just as serious. "Batman took your warning under advisement."
"Under advisement," I said as tonelessly as I could to convey just how much I loved that idea.
"Superboy reacted… strongly, to the idea of having someone in his mind," Kaldur said. "I can not blame him. He spent every day of his life under the mental control of others. I would not be eager to allow even those I knew into my mind after such a thing."
"Goddamnit," I sighed. Apparently, this Superboy was more like the brooding and serious one from the 2000's comics, rather than the 90's fun-loving kid who would eventually end up in Hawaii. "Well. What about the Cadmus G-Gnomes?"
"We've been speaking with them. Well, the League has," Kaldur amended. "I am not privy to what they have been doing, but Aquaman ensures me that they are doing what they can to protect the G-Gnomes and provide them with better environments."
"They better. I'm telling you man. The world is changing fast. Earth is going to end up home to a whole host of aliens, mutations, magic-folk, cyborgs, and gods with a small g."
"You speak with such surety," Kaldur said lightly.
"I do. Keep in mind, I come from a world that is like that," I ran a hand through my hair. "Pokemon are called by a single name, but they fit dozens of different archetypes, origins, and powersets. If Earth is anything like I think it is, you'll need to start preparing the world for that. Or we'll end up in a horrific state."
Some versions of DC's future were fairly peaceful. Still had enemies, monsters, and threats. But still peaceful.
And sometimes? Bad futures are all too common in comics.
"We should meet," Kaldur said suddenly. "Our two teams. Join together, trade ideas, get to know one another. It is possible we will have to work together one day. Having an established relationship will help."
"It would be good to finally meet the group," I mused. "You wanna say, the 18th?"
Making plans to meet then, we said our goodbyes and hung up. Nice to see Kaldur so happy. Seemed like having a new team would be good for the 'sidekicks' as it were.
More importantly, removing any mind whammy's Superboy had. That kid had potential to be more dangerous than Clark.
Still. That wasn't my responsibility. My goals still remained. Take down the Silicon Dragons, go back home to my Earth. Once I did that, I'd say my goodbyes and introduce my family and friends to my Pokemon.
Man. My old discord buds would freak out.
I went to sleep that night dreaming of my nieces and nephew playing with Mudkip, Mimikyu, and Tyrunt while Magcargo kept them warm.
July 12, 2010
Grace Balin/Orca
Grace's life had changed in a dozen ways since the Silicon Dragons had attacked her. She lived in a cave now, but in a room three times the size of her old apartment. She had roommates that were adorable animals from a different dimension. Oh. And she was a giant Killer Whale hybrid.
Learning to sleep with a dorsal fin had been tough until she put a pool in her room and found out that sleeping while swimming was far more comfortable. Mudkip joined her sometimes, and she loved that.
Lots of changes. But in her heart of hearts, she was still a scientist. So when Giovanni announced she was getting a new laboratory, she was excited. No matter who she was sharing it with.
"My word!" Clock King said as Giovanni led them into their new shared laboratory. "Giovanni, this is far beyond what I imagined!"
"Spared no expense," Giovanni said confidently, the handsome billionaire (He'd apparently become one after his recent medical advances and merchandising businesses began selling) chuckling. "After all, you both are quite the minds. I'm sure I'll be reimbursed for this little investment."
"Little?" Grace asked, her toothy maw gaped wide as she spun in place, looking around. "This place is insane."
The new lab was large, and situated in Giovanni's research facility. They'd been given a section connected to a pool outside, which itself was connected to the ocean, allowing Grace to easily enter the lab through there while she had the security tags for the gates. The lab itself was split diagonally.
Tockman's section was filled with his clockwork technology, including a massive clock in the center of the roof pointed towards the sky. Combined with the bookshelves, gears, and the plush furniture, it all looked very steampunk, if it wasn't for the advanced monitors and computers resting on the antique desks.
Grace's own section was much more contemporary. Same tiles, but with more modern stylings, though still colored to match Tockman's section. It gave the place a very warm coloration.
Also, there was an aquarium in the center and a chair sized and shaped for Grace. She walked over to it, sighing as she rubbed at it. "Wonderful. You know how hard it was to sit on normal chairs now?"
"I did. Thus why I made the effort," Giovanni said with a chuckle. "But of course, this is all in service of our greater goal. The defense of Hawaii."
"Until we defeat the Silver Dragons?" Grace asked.
"Not at all! I can see it becoming a real fixture of the state," he said with a small smile. "After all, Hawaii has long served as an easy stopping point on the way to the mainland! We'll need to keep crime at a level I can approve of."
"...Something about the way you said that-"
"Anyways!" Giovanni cut her off. "I have some thoughts on our next project. William?"
"Of course," Clock King said cheerily. "As you asked, I've monitored the comings and goings of our opponents. Your own advice was quite helpful. It was only a matter of time before I discovered the pattern!"
Grace smiled a bit softly. "You really do like the whole time thing, don't you?"
Tockman chuckled. "Well, admittedly, it's more fun now that I'm not as stressed. Now. Based on what I've put together, I believe I've come up with a plan on how to defeat the Silver Dragons. Or at least, a plan to put together the plan. We need more information, and we need to make sure whatever plan we make is a final strike."
"A dismantling of the organization, rather than a blow," Giovanni said. "I don't mind missing one or two of the individual members, but preventing the whole of the Silver Dragons from coming back is imperative."
"Am I really the one you want here for this?" Grace asked. "I'm not a… what, a war strategist?"
"No, you are a scientist, my dear," Giovanni said gracefully. "And thus, you can give us advice on the best ways to counter their scientists. Including the creatures they've made with your research."
"...I have some promising results using a compound that can be turned into a gas?"
"An aerosol?" Tockman rubbed his mask's chin, the clock eyes ticking away as he thought. "Why, that may be just the thing for one of my more hair-brained schemes."
"Let's chat then," Giovanni sat down in a comfortable looking armchair, steepling his fingers before his face as he leaned back. His smile was particularly vicious now, almost… evil? "I'd like them defeated before my next big announcement after all."
Sitting down, the three minds worked as one.
Kahu Kiaʻi/Mahmoud
Empress dropped down from a rooftop with her baton flashing. Below, three men were accosting a couple and their child. I watched from the roof above as she smashed it into the face of one guy, lashing out with a roundhouse kick on another. While she dealt with his friends, a third one ran off.
"Empress, try out what we talked about."
"Tyrunt!" She half-yelled, half-yelped.
"Ty!" My violent dino-dragon came out of an alleyway, ramming into the running thug with his stone head, sending the guy flying back into Empress's clothesline. He roared triumphantly, his mask tied on perfectly around his eyes Ninja Turtle style.
The three thugs knocked out, Tyrunt and Empress looked over at the couple and their kid.
"Uh… hi!" Empress said nervously. "You guys okay?"
"Y-Yes!" The dad said, sounding surprised. "T-Thank you so much!"
"Ty!" Tyrunt came over to them. The little girl nervously held a hand out towards him. The mom tried to stop her, only to pull back when Tyrunt gently pressed his head against the girl's palm, the small child giggling at the purring sound he let out.
"That's why I didn't send you down," I told Smiley next to me, watching Empress call the police while she calmed the couple and Tyrunt played with the child. "You aren't as good with comforting people."
He tapped on his tape recorder. "All we're saying is… give war a chance!"
I rolled my eyes but kinda smiled at the familiar voiceline. I looked over at him, my eyes landing behind him. I froze. "Smiley. Can you go somewhere else? I need to have a conversation apparently."
Smiley cocked his head to the side. Looked behind him. And stared. After a long moment, he got up and walked over to the roof, dropping down. Unusually, he didn't use his recorder to make a joke or comment.
Or maybe that was understandable. The figure who had been standing behind him came forward into the light.
I'd met Bruce Wayne. It didn't prepare me for meeting Batman.
Sure, his chin was the same. But the set of it was different. Even without that armor and the flowing cape that seemed almost to meld into the shadows, his stance, posture, everything about him, screamed dangerous.
Combine that with my own impression of him, built by years of media, and I was very impressed.
"Batman. Sunnier climes than you're used to, aren't they?"
"Hn," Batman grunted. "Kahu Kiaʻi. Robin, Aqualad, and Aquaman all speak well of you."
"Thanks."
"But you keep some very untrustworthy company." His voice had a sort of gravely tone to it, giving his every word more weight. "Even ignoring your pets."
"They're no more pets than Robin is," I snapped immediately.
"...I see," Batman acknowledged.
"Why are you here?" I finally let my genuine confusion come out. "Seriously? I know you have no jurisdiction, but this is still a little out of your way."
He seemed to have been expecting that. "Because Kaldur has invited your team to meet his. Members of your team, as well as your own affiliations, worry me. Grace Balin is a gifted scientist. But Smiley," hearing Batman say his name was ridiculous. "Only has a reputation as a violent vigilante."
"So do we."
"Don't pretend that's the same," Batman said firmly. "Then there is the final member of your team. Empress," Batman glanced down into the alleyway. Empress was looking up at us, Tyrunt next to her. The young girl's mask prevented us from seeing her expression, but I could easily imagine how gobsmacked she was. "Another unknown."
"She's good," I said.
"Hm… and Giovanni?"
"Giovanni isn't good. But he is self-interested. And our interests align," I sighed. "Batman, I'm not going to reveal anything about the team, if that's what you're worried about. Kaldur and I are friends, and we want our friends to meet. That's all."
"Is it?" Batman didn't sound angry or anything. Just matter of fact. "I'm willing to give you a chance. As I said. People I trust believe you are trustworthy. But break that trust. And it won't matter who you have by your side. Understand?"
"Yeah. Yeah… has anyone ever told you the difference between caution and paranoia?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Yes. The difference is knowledge. Such as knowing that William Tockman's problems are as much because of his own psychological issues as his familial ones."
How the hell did he know about Clock King?
"...What was it, the watch?" I asked. The stopwatch was in one of my pockets, but maybe he'd figured it out based on the shape poking out or something? Empress or Smiley might have taken it out as well at some point.
"It doesn't matter," Batman said. "I'm willing to give you, and your team, the benefit of the doubt. Don't waste it."
"Don't plan on it," I said. I turned my back on him and hopped down into the alleyway. When I landed across from Empress, she ran over.
"That! T-That was, that was-"
"Batman."
"THAT WAS BATMAN!" she said, sounding her age. "You were talking to Batman! Did he ask about me?"
"Yeah."
"Eeeeeeee-"
"Tyrunt?"
"Uh," I looked down at him. His tail was wagging and he looked very excited. "Yeah, we talked about you too."
"Tyyyyyyy-"
The dinosaur and girl let out twin sounds of excitement. I sighed, chuckling. The two hero nerds (Like I had room to talk) geeking out was cute. But I had to focus on that encounter.
Batman had dropped into Hawaii to give a warning/threat. A relatively light one honestly. Granted, a bit of a hypocritical one considering how dangerous or untrustworthy some heroes could seem, but I had to see it from his perspective. A bunch of unknown's suddenly interacting with the future leaders of the hero gig was rife with potential for sabotage and spying. Even if the kids were sincere, mind control, cloning, or simple blackmail, it could all happen.
Batman just wanted to keep them safe while allowing them freedom. I could respect that.
"We're going to move to the next location," I told Empress and Tyrunt as they stopped squealing.
Empress suddenly looked around. "Uh… Where's Smiley?"
A very manly and not at all screeching voice echoed in the distance. I sighed, turning and running towards it. "Never a dull moment I guess. Empress, let the police know they might need the hospital."
Thank god that, without fail, every person Smiley brutalized was some level of evil like a rapist or murderer, rather than merely some desperate idiot. Yay for magic ghost powers…
Alakazam
Alakazam watched as his trainer ran through the streets below. The Psychic-type was flying high above the streets, floating on a bed of thought.
After a quiet moment, he looked to his left. Coming towards him was a powerful mind. A mind as powerful than any he'd ever encountered, and more powerful than any he'd met in this world. He'd heard of some Psychic-types with similar levels of power, though he had yet to meet all of them. The being flying towards him was likely on a similar plane of power.
Alakazam turned in the direction of the flier, watching it approach until it came to a stop floating in front of him. "Hello."
"Good evening," the being before him was familiar. Only from television and the internet however. And none of that matched the presence of the being in person. In appearance, he was tall, human-shaped, with a blue cape on over a black bodysuit and a red pair of straps over his broad chest. He had green skin, and pure red eyes that shone oddly in the light.
But his mind pressed against Alakazam's. That was something much more than his false form could contain.
"You know of me?"
"The Martian Manhunter, as they call you. The media of this world is comprehensive," Alakazam sent waves of amusement, which the other being returned with similar amusement. "Your companion just threatened my trainer. Were you planning to do the same?"
"No. And Batman was simply warning. He is overprotective?"
"And you?"
"I wished to speak with another telepath," The green man's lips flickered. "On this planet, many of my meetings with others are antagonistic."
"I can imagine," Alakazam thought. "You would love my own world. While Psychic Pokemon fight, we are a wide and varied type. Would you like to see? In trade for your own memory?"
"Please," Martian Manhunter said politely. "I cannot share anything confidential about Mars, you understand?"
"I do."
With that, they opened their minds, sharing their memories, emotions, and impressions. The process didn't take long, both because of the speed of it and the fact they understandably still kept their guard up, but when it was over they shared a deeper understanding of each other than before.
"Your world…" J'onn J'onzz, as his true name went, spoke aloud for the first time. "It is beautiful. So much like this one, but the beings like yourself…"
"Thank you," Alakazam said. "Your own people seem a worthy race."
Although Alakazam wasn't a fan of the idea of living underground. Well, technically he did live underground, but at least he could go above whenever he wanted.
"Strange that the nature of psychic power in our universe should be so similar and yet different at the same time," J'onn's mind was filled with wonder. "I wonder how our techniques may be taught to one another."
"Something worth exploring indeed," Alakazam stroked one of his long whiskers. "It would be to our advantage if it could be done. Let us discuss."
The two minds, among the most powerful on Earth, came together to work the problem to the bone.