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The Watchtower
August 1st, 2016
12:00 EDT
“Thank you all for coming,” Batman said as he addressed the group of young heroes before him, Bart Allen (Impulse), Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle), Tim Drake (Robin), Cassie Sandsmark (Wonder Girl), and Gavin Cethin (Night Master). Behind Batman was Zatanna, Red Tornado, Martian Manhunter, and Bria Reynolds (Red Death). “The Earth is in debt to you all for your work against the Reach, but that doesn’t mean they are the only extraterrestrial threat. As many of you know, a few years ago, the Justice League had an encounter with Darkseid from Apokolips.” Batman waved his arm and old news segments and paper clippings appeared on the holographic board behind him. “While the League was able to repel his attack, we were hard pressed to do so. After learning from our past experience with team failure training, we opted for a more controlled environment.” Batman pushed a button on the Watchtower’s control panel and five doors opened from the wall. Pods with reclined chairs slid out on the floor and filled out the openings in the wall. “These are the League’s new failure training virtual reality pods. When you sit down your consciousness will be uploaded into virtual space, they are programmed with all of your powers and weaknesses. Using the latest technology and the Watchtower, your bodies will be completely safe while you can go full out against enemies we put into the program.”
Bart raised his hand and practically bounced as he waved his hand for attention, “Ooh, Ooh!” He said to get draw Batman to him.
“Yes, Impulse?” Batman said with a sigh.
“So, this is a video game?!” Bart asked.
“It is a virtual reality simulation,” Batman stressed. “While it does follow the basic conventions of video games, it is meant to simulate threats without actually hurting anyone.”
“Will it factor in everything?” Tim asked. “Like magic?”
“Yes,” Batman answered and gestured to the team behind him. “Zatanna, Red Tornado, Martian Manhunter, and I worked hard to make sure the machines and program worked to accommodate all known forms of every hero’s powers. While it may not have everything you can do, the program is designed to learn and adapt with the scenarios. Magic is hard to calculate, as we can’t quantify it with science, which is why Zatanna is here to monitor the training, she can adjust the program as needed.”
“Thanks for not mentioning me,” Bria sassed and rolled her eyes. She stood shorter than the others in her row, besides Zatanna, who was around her height. Bria had dark tan skin, black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and a black business dress with long sleeves. On her right middle finger sat a ring made of a gold band and a blood red stone set in it. She appeared to be in her mid-20’s.
“You’re here to monitor the training,” Batman deadpanned. “You had no part in the construction of the project.” He turned back to the teens, who were snickering at the scolding. “Training will take place in groups of five, each chosen for the compatibility of the participants as well as a diversified skill set. Leadership isn’t an issue within the program, although most teams work best with someone calling the shots.”
“What skills were you looking for?” Bart asked, completely ignoring the whole hand raising thing now.
“Each team has one analytics person,” Batman answered. “One powerhouse, one mage, one versatile member, and one distraction.”
Bart went down the list and then a frown formed on his face. “I’m not a distraction!” He pouted and stomped his foot while throwing his arms down to his sides.
The other teens laughed.
“Prove me wrong,” Batman challenged with a rare smirk. “That’s part of what these trainings are for. Prove to me that you are more than my analytics. They are also designed to give you the necessary skills to hold back the next attack from Apokolips, should the Justice League fail.”
The room went quiet at Batman’s statement.
“If there are no further questions, then please take a seat in one of the chairs,” Batman motioned to the cushioned chairs.
The group walked over to the seats and sat down.
“You’re more than a distraction, hermano,” Jaime said to comfort Bart. The chairs were about three feet apart and appeared to be a blue cushioned exam chair that would be at home in a dentist office.
“Thanks, Blue,” Bart said with a weak smile.
The machines whirred to life and a helmet lowered over each of the member’s heads.
“The machines will induce a sleep-like state in your bodies,” Batman explained. “If you should fall in the simulation, you will wake up here and be able to observe your team’s progress with the rest of us. Best of luck.”
Each helmet flashed on a blue light and each member of the team drowsily reclined and drifted off to sleep. The doors of the pods slowly drifted shut as well.
*******************************************************************************
The group appeared in the middle of an alley, the sounds of busy traffic and the smells of the sewer system wafting up at them. Everyone was in their superhero attire, just like on the Watchtower. Bart with his tan and red spandex speedster suit, Jaime in his blue and black beetle armor, Tim in his red Robin outfit, Cassie in her black tank top and red pants with her lasso at her side and bracers on her wrists, and Gavin in his black robin-like outfit with a black hooded cloak.
“Bart,” Tim said as he looked around. “Find out where we are, please.”
“Back in a flash!” Bart smiled as the others groaned, having stolen his grandpa’s signature line. He blurred through the city streets and saw the familiar sights of his local shops and restaurants, and the sights he had blurred by hundreds of times, Central City Hospital, the Flash Museum, Central City Stadium, and Ivo Laboratories. He reappeared back to the group as a gust of wind ruffled Tim and Gavin’s capes. “We’re in Central City.”
Tim brought up his holographic display on his wrist, a blue image appeared and showed a map of the city. “Good to know they even calculated for our tech too. Thanks Impulse.”
“Anytime!” Bart beamed.
“How do we know when the training starts?” Jaime asked.
A booming sound echoed through the streets, and it was quickly followed by the screams of civilians. The team ran out of the alley and looked up at the source of the sound. A large yellow boom tube floated in the air. A huge humanoid hovered just outside of the boom tube, his grey rocky skin and red eyes marked him as the being they all learned as Darkseid.
“I claim the Earth in my name,” Darkseid announced to the masses of screaming and fleeing people. Several more consecutive booms sounded, and four more boom tubes opened up.
Parademons in their yellow armor and large wings flew out of the portals. Their slobbering fanged mouths chomped at the air and each of them held a large pike-like weapon with a blaster emitter on the end of it.
Parademons, the Scarab said to Jaime. My scans indicate their armor is tough, but I have been able to calculate some specific weak points.
“Scarab says he can target the parademons weak spots,” Jaime said.
“Then work on the parademons,” Tim said. “Impulse, clear the immediate area of civilians. Wonder Girl, see about taking on Darkseid, and Night Master, see about getting those boom tubes closed.”
Everyone nodded and took off.
Jaime’s armor extended its wings while his right arm transformed into his plasma cannon. He kicked off the ground and his jetpack whirred to life, and he took off to intercept the parademons. He used his left hand to steady his aim by bracing on his right elbow. He fired blue bolts of plasma at the parademons and with the scarab’s help, every shot connected with the creatures and resulted in them falling lifelessly to the ground.
The parademons fired back with yellow plasma beams from their weapons, but Jaime dodged and whirled out of the way.
Cassie flew up at Darkseid with a grin on her face. “Hey! Ugly!” She shouted as she flew directly at him. She raised her fist to punch him, but he simply caught her fist in his massive hand.
Darkseid then threw Cassie to the side, sending her spiraling through the air before she righted herself.
“Unimpressive,” Darkseid scoffed. “This is the best the Justice League has to offer?” His eyes glowed red and two beams of red energy shot from them. Instead of following a straight trajectory, like Superman’s heat vision, these beams were a darker red and seemed to zigzag through the air.
Cassie’s eyes darted back and forth to follow the rays, but she raised her bracers up and intercepted the beams. She groaned at the power unleashed in the rays but held her spot in the air until the attack ended.
Gavin flew up into the air, surrounded by a shroud of darkness. “Quae,” he said and raised his hands. Globes of inky darkness appeared around the five boom tubes and surrounded them. As parademons flew out of the boom tubes, they collided with the spheres and shrieked.
The parademons gnashed their teeth and fired their plasma pikes, but the attacks bounced off the globes and they were trapped by their way in and out.
Tim watched everything unfold and began pondering the next course of action. He grapple-gunned his way to a rooftop to get a better vantage point.
Bart darted around and moved civilians to a safe distance, making sure to leave no one behind. In a matter of moments, everyone within a two-block radius was out of the way and they continued to flee on their own. Bart looked up and saw his friends engaging the enemy. “I can do that too,” he huffed. He saw Cassie get thrown out of the way and deflect the ray attack. “Now’s my chance!”
Bart took off in a blur and ran up the side of a building, completely ignoring standard laws of physics thanks to the speed force. He leapt from the building and swung a punch at Darkseid.
Darkseid staggered slightly as Bart appeared before him and hit him square in the jaw. He growled and watched as the speedster continued in his arc and ran down the side of the next building, back to the ground. His eyes glowed and he fired two beams at the red and tan blur.
Bart saw the two dark red rays begin to chase him. He turned and ran through an alley, but the rays made a 90 degree turn and followed him. To Bart’s amazement, the beams seemed to be gaining on him. He took in more of the speed force, or at least this simulation’s version of the speed force, and kicked it into high gear. He ran around the city, making sure to stay in the cleared area, but each twist and turn was matched by the beams.
Bart made one more turn and saw that only one beam was following him. “Crash!” He exclaimed. “They must be on a timer of some sort.” He turned in front of him and saw the second beam barreling right at him, it must have split off and moved to cut him off. He did his best baseball slide, tucking his left leg underneath himself and extending his right leg out. He ducked at the last moment and the two beams slammed into each other and exploded.
Jaime watched as Bart darted away, chased by the rays. His job at cleaning up the parademons went smoothly, with his Scarab keeping track of their movements and their weak spots.
We must find a way to close the portals, the Scarab said in Jaime’s head. The Gavin Cethin’s magic won’t hold up forever.
“Scan and find a source we can take out,” Jaime commanded.
Scan complete, the Scarab announced almost as soon as Jaime’s command finished. The Darkseid’s belt contains a boom tube emitter. If this unit can access it, we can shut down the boom tubes.
“Sounds like a plan, hermano,” Jaime said with a smirk and flew toward Darkseid, his jetpack roaring.
“Blue, what are you doing?” Tim’s voice came through the group radio.
“Scarab says Darkseid has a boom tube emitter on his belt,” Jaime explained. “If I can grab it, I can shut down the boom tubes.”
“Be careful,” Tim warned. “He’s not just going to let you take it.”
Jaime switched his weapons to make his arms into two sonic cannons. He fired them at pointblank range, aiming for Darkseid’s head.
Darkseid groaned and brought his hands up to cover his ears. He turned to face Jaime and fired his eye rays at him.
Cassie flew up in front of Jaime and deflected the beams with her bracers, while Jaime flew further up and continued his sonic cannon assault.
Bart ran back and saw the fight between Darkseid, Jaime, and Cassie. He had heard the conversation over his radio and saw the opportunity to try for the belt. He knelt down to take his runner’s stance and took off in a blur. He ran up the side of a building and leapt up to Darkseid. He grabbed onto the back of the villain’s belt, but it didn’t budge. Instead, Bart dangled in the air, roughly 60 stories up, his hand wrapped around the golden metal belt.
Darkseid looked down at the speedster dangling off his waist. His eyes began to glow red.
A batarang flew through the air and connected with Darkseid’s chin. A red light flashed off the batarang and it blew up in a small, controlled explosion.
Darkseid’s head rocked back, and he closed his eyes in pain.
Bart worked his fingers around the clip of Darkseid’s belt and undid the article of clothing. He hadn’t thought it through though, as when the belt came free, Bart’s anchor to Darkseid came free. He began to plummet to the ground below.
Jaime watched as Bart began his freefall toward the ground, and although his rational brain knew that this was a simulation, his instinct was to protect his friend. He morphed his hands back from the sonic cannons and willed the Scarab to fly down. His jetpack roared to life again and he dove.
Darkseid gained a moment to compose himself without the constant assault of the sonic cannons. He scanned the battlefield and saw Tim standing on a nearby rooftop, readying another batarang. He flew forward at great speed and raised a fist to strike him.
“No!” Cassie shouted and pulled her lasso off her belt. She threw the lasso and wrapped it around Darkseid’s wrist, stopping his forward momentum and attack. She grit her teeth and lightning began to course through her lasso. Unlike the lasso of truth that Wonder Woman possessed, Cassie was gifted the lasso of lightning by Ares, which couldn’t compel her opponents to do anything, but it could channel her anger in the form of electrical attacks.
Darkseid screamed at the electricity that surged through him.
Jaime flew down and caught Bart, bridal style. He course corrected their fall just before they hit the ground. “Gotcha, ese!” Jaime said as he landed on the ground beneath the battle. “What were you thinking Bart?! You can’t fly! That fall could have killed you!”
“But you didn’t let that happen,” Bart smiled up at Jaime. He waved Darkseid’s belt in front of him. “And I was thinking about getting the thing you said to get. Although, gold doesn’t go with your blue and black scheme.” He smirked at Jaime as he flirted with him.
Jaime was incredibly thankful for his faceplate to hide his blush. Even when Bart did stupid heroics to prove himself, he still got flustered when the speedster turned it around on him. Jaime sighed and gingerly took the belt from Bart. “Thanks, hermano. Sorry for yelling.”
“It’s crash!” Bart exclaimed and threw an arm over Jaime’s shoulders. “You yell because you care. Although, I’d take chicken whizees instead of a lecture next time.” Bart laughed.
Jaime groaned in response but smiled all the same. “Ok, you head back and see what you can do to help. Scarab and I will work on hacking into this belt.”
“Can do, hair-man-oh!” Bart gave a salute with his horrible Spanish and zoomed off in a blur.
“Ok,” Jaime said and placed his right hand over the center disc of the belt. “Let’s get to the hacking, Scarab.”
Connecting, the Scarab said as it changed the fingertips of Jaime’s armored gloves into compatible ports and plugged into Darkseid’s belt.
Darkseid groaned at the magical lightning coursing through him and jerked his wrist toward his core. Cassie was pulled suddenly toward the villain, and he backhanded her in the face with his stone-like hand.
Cassie went spiraling to the ground.
Bart saw her falling and ran up the side of building, leapt through the air, and caught her before running down the side of another building. “Watch it there, Wonder Girl. Falls can be pretty wicked here.”
“Ha ha,” Cassie laughed sarcastically and stood on her own on the ground. “But thanks.” She smiled at him before turning back to Darkseid, putting on a scowl, and flying back up to the villain.
Darkseid once again turned toward Tim, with no one to stop him now. He raised his fist and slammed it down at Robin.
“Motus!” Gavin shouted from his vantage point above everyone else. He held out a hand toward Tim and watched as Tim’s own shadow stretched up and engulfed the hero.
Tim felt an icy chill run through him as he disappeared right before Darkseid’s hit and reappeared on another rooftop across the street. “Thanks,” he sighed through the radio to Gavin.
“Anytime,” Gavin replied and then turned his attention back to the portals. His shadow globes were beginning to take a beating, and small cracks began to form across them.
Darkseid growled as he looked around for all his opponents. He saw the mage keeping his boom tubes from sending reinforcements, the blue armored individual with Reach-tech attempting to hack into his belt, the blur running around on the ground, the girl flying back toward him, and the annoying boy in a cape that seemed to be calling the shots. “I grow tired of this battle.” He flew down to meet Cassie.
Cassie raised her fist to strike Darkseid, but he was faster than her. His fist met her face and sent her flying back toward the ground. She connected with the pavement and left a crater the size of a truck around her.
Darkseid continued flying down and landed on top of her, further cracking the ground and pushing her into the debris. He smiled down at her before turning his attention up, to the others above him. His eyes glowed a dark red and two beams shot out, one for Tim and one for Gavin.
Bart watched as Cassie was crushed beneath Darkseid and saw the two beams fly up at his teammates. Knowing he couldn’t outrun the beams and that he couldn’t take a direct hit, he quickly scanned the area and saw Cassie’s lasso that had fallen from her grip. He ran toward it in a blur and grabbed it. He ran up the side of the building that Tim stood on, thankfully faster than the beam at the moment, and threw the lasso toward it, in his best rodeo style.
The lasso’s mystical energy caught the beam as easily as it caught a limb of an opponent. He spun in a fast circle, bringing the energy in a wide arc and released it. The beam flew from the lasso and collided with the other beam, causing them both to explode before they could reach their targets.
Darkseid growled in frustration at the speedster.
“Thanks Impulse,” Tim sighed in relief.
“Yeah,” Gavin said over the radio. “Thanks. Remind me to make Bria pay for a big fancy dinner for you.”
“Will do NM!” Bart beamed up at Gavin. “And anytime team leader!” He smiled at Tim. He rolled up the lasso and looked down at Darkseid. That’s when an idea clicked in his head. “Hey Blue, how’s the hacking coming?”
“Almost done,” Jaime answered. “Scarab kept shouting ‘incompatible’ in my head, but now it seems to be working its way through.”
“Good, then I’ll get stoneface off of WG,” Bart said as he blurred down the building. “You get his minions back through the portal.” Bart blurred around Darkseid, who was fast, but not speedster fast. Bart worked with the lasso in his hands, tying it into a big loop. He ran up Darkseid’s back and slammed the lasso down over his eyes. He dug his heels into Darkseid’s shoulder blades and pulled the knot tight, blindfolding the villain. He then jumped off and ran a little way away.
Cassie came too as Darkseid fumbled with the lasso. She gripped his foot on her chest and pushed off the ground. She corrected her grip to get his ankle and flew straight up before turning around abruptly and slamming Darkseid into the pavement, making a new crater.
Calculations complete, the Scarab said.
Darkseid’s belt began to glow a golden light in Jaime’s hands, and it thrummed to life. The boom tubes within the black spheres made another booming sound and the parademons within them began to be sucked back through them.
“Excellent work Beetle!” Tim said over the radio. “See if you can open a new tube behind Darkseid and we can get him through.”
Jaime worked with the Scarab and after another loud boom, a yellow boom tube opened up on the street behind Darkseid, just as the villain stood back up.
“Everyone, converge on Darkseid!” Tim said from the rooftop and began repelling down.
Gavin released his hold over the boom tubes as the last parademon was sucked back to Apokolips through them. He then turned and began flying down toward Darkseid.
Jaime threw the belt around his shoulder, like a bandolier and clicked it around himself. His jetpack roared to life, and he took off toward Darkseid.
The group began to move against the villain in a unified way, two from above and three from his level.
Cassie flew forward and hit Darkseid in the face with a quick punch with each fist, left then right, which staggered the new god.
Darkseid growled and swung a punch at where he thought Cassie was, but her quick movement kept her from being hit.
“Nocere!” Gavin shouted as he approached. Several bolts of black energy shot from his outstretched hands and connected with Darkseid’s shoulder in rapid succession.
Bart dashed in a blur back and forth, hitting Darkseid’s abdomen repeatedly with punches.
Jaime switched his right arm to his plasma cannon and fired a beam of blue energy at Darkseid, hitting him in the chest.
Tim watched as Darkseid staggered with each additional hit and slowly stumbled backward toward the boom tube. He ran to where the portal opened and shot his grappling line just above the surface of the ground and anchored it to two buildings, making a trip wire. “Keep pushing him back guys!”
Cassie kept hitting Darkseid high, along with Gavin, while Jaime focused on Darkseid’s upper body and Bart worked on his midsection.
Darkseid roared in frustration. He reached out and grabbed Cassie in his large fist, wrapping his fingers around her stomach. He finally ripped the lasso from his eyes and cast a dark glare around the battlefield. He threw Cassie with all his might at all his might at Jaime. He also discarded the lasso onto the ground.
Reversing thrusters to lessen the impact and catch the Cassie Sandsmark, the Scarab said. Jaime’s jetpack lifted him off his feet and began to propel him backward, allowing him to somewhat catch Cassie, even if they both ended up toppling onto the pavement in a heap.
Darkseid turned his gaze to Gavin and fired two beams of red energy at him.
“Contego!” Gavin yelled and a black shield surrounded his body.
The omega beams hit into the shield and sent Gavin flying backward, connecting with a glass building and sending him sprawling through the panes, shattering them. Gavin disappeared out of sight as the dust from the collision flew up.
Darkseid turned his attention to Bart next, the tan and red blur before him. He attempted to stomp down, but only hit pavement, sending bits of black debris into the air around himself. He growled and turned to Tim. He charged at the young detective; his fist held high.
Bart picked up the lasso once more in his rush of movement and quickly undid his knot work from before. He ran at Darkseid and threw the lasso, catching his opponent’s right wrist as it was raised. He waited for the moment when Darkseid’s feet were off the ground as he charged, then he planted his feet to the ground and spun himself in a circle, snagging Darkseid in his centripetal force.
Darkseid was pulled away from Tim and sent hurtling toward the boom tube. He managed to right himself as he was partway through the tube, gripping both edges of it to keep himself on Earth. He groaned at the force the boom tube was exerting on him to pull him back to Apokolips.
“Now!” Tim shouted. He threw a batarang and it exploded against of Darkseid’s left hand. He then pulled more out of his utility belt and began peppering Darkseid’s hand with them.
Jaime and Cassie got off the ground. Jaime’s hands switched to his morning stars, heavy metal spheres with spikes on them. He and Cassie flew at Darkseid’s face and swung at him while he couldn’t move. Heavy thuds and smacks could be heard from the entrance of the boom tube.
“Nocere!” Gavin shouted as he flew out of the debris of the building. He came down on Darkseid’s right and aimed his bolts of darkness at the villain’s right hand.
Bart looked around, still holding one end of Cassie’s lasso. He couldn’t get close to Darkseid with everyone else leveling their attacks at the villain. He pulled the lasso back to him completely as he saw the boom tube beginning to take its toll on Darkseid, but also on Jaime and Cassie.
Darkseid finally gave into the attacks, his hands and face not able to take anymore punishment. He groaned loudly as his grip loosened and his eyes began to swell shut. He let go, stumbled backward and fell through the boom tube.
Jaime and Cassie began to feel the suction of the boom tube, without Darkseid in the way, blocking it up, they were beginning to be pulled in.
Bart threw the lasso and got it around Jaime’s waist. “Grab on!” He shouted to Cassie.
Cassie grabbed onto the lasso just as Bart began to take in the speed force and run in the opposite direction of the boom tube.
Both Jaime and Cassie were pulled free of the boom tube, which boomed shut without anyone near it.
Cassie let go of the lasso with no more immediate danger nearby.
Jaime wasn’t so lucky, with the rope tied around his waist. He was pulled along until Bart stopped a couple of seconds later. Then he was sent hurtling into the speedster, landing on top of him on the ground.
Both Jaime and Bart groaned at the impact and laid still for a moment.
“Lo siento, ese,” Jaime groaned as he felt his head spinning from the speed.
“It’s crash, Blue,” Bart laughed from under Jaime. “We made sure Darkseid felt the mode.”
The two of them laughed and then stood up.
The world around them began to quake and they could see the sky disappear and things began to close in around them. Just as darkness enveloped them, they woke up in their pods.
The pods opened up and the helmets came off each of the members.
“Well done, Team,” Batman congratulated them as he stepped forward. “You were able to neutralize the threat with minimal collateral damage, and no loss of life on your side. Excellent work.”
“That was totally crash!” Bart exclaimed and jumped up from his chair. He pumped his fists into the air. “Based on your doom and gloom talks, I was expecting him to be much harder.”
“That was difficulty level 1 of 10,” Batman said with his usual monotone delivery.
“But you all did exceptional,” Martian Manhunter said with a smile. “You each played to your strengths and helped each other out. I have no doubt you will do well with each of the other difficulty levels as the training moves forward.”
“And I did more than distract him,” Bart gloated and smirked up at Batman.
“You did,” Batman said and then smiled. “Well done.”
Bart beamed at the compliment.
“You are all dismissed until the next training session,” Batman said.
The Team and members of the Justice League began to break up and move in different directions.
“Don’t think I didn’t hear you promise a meal from me,” Bria sassed Gavin as they moved toward the Zeta tubes.
“It’s one meal!” Gavin defended with a smile on his face. “You’re not telling me you don’t have the money for it?”
“That’s not what I meant you little…” The two were enveloped in yellow light as they were zeta-ed away.
“Hey Blue,” Bart blurred over to Jaime. “Want to come over to the Garrick’s? We can keep playing games.”
“How about I treat you to supper?” Jaime asked as he retracted his armor to reveal his caramel skin, black hair, and dark eyes. He wore his usual blue jeans, black t-shirt, and grey zip up hoodie. He was blushing fiercely. “You know, as a thank you for getting me out of the boom tube.” He averted his gaze bashfully and scratched the back of his neck.
“I’d love to!” Bart exclaimed. He blurred in a circle, making a mini tornado, and when it stopped, he was in his own blue jeans, and white and red raglan shirt with a red dot in the middle of the chest. “But just so you know, if you buy, this counts as a date!”
“Then consider it a date, hermano,” Jaime laughed as the two of them walked off toward the Zeta tubes together.