Fandom Young Justice Legacy

[The Succubi Queen]

The IC thread for Young Justice Legacy, an RP that follows the new Omega Squad in their work to keep the earth safe from within the shadow of the Justice League. I never really know what to put in this thing, so It's gonna stay pretty simple for now. Maybe I'll add a floor plan of the cave eventually.

Tag List: WhispFlick Arne ShadyAce Sir Les Paul RingSlinger

 

[The Succubi Queen]

The Cave 6:30EST
The sun had just barely begun to rise over the waters of the Atlantic, but for those who stood in the artificial light of the Cave, awaiting the first briefing of that career that would define their lives, the sunlight hardly seemed to matter.

The training area that doubled as a briefing room for the covert ops team known only as “The Team” was much more populated than normal. Among its usual smattering of metahumans, aliens, and other such beings were more established faces. The heroes of legend that anyone might recognize from television and newspapers. For most, to stand in such a room would be an honor beyond imagining. For those in it, this was mostly routine.

Black Canary stood in the center of the space, commanding attention in her nonchalant way, simply by existing. It was clear she had something to say, but she was waiting for something. She raised an eyebrow at Batgirl, a small indication to the younger woman that she was growing impatient.

With what seemed liked eerily perfect timing, a hologram filled the room, the masked face of the Batman taking the center of attention. “We’ve assembled this squad to to do the jobs the regular members of the Team cannot. They’re all valuable assets to the Justice League, and their skills over the years have become highly specialized. We need raw talent, and here you are. Welcome to Omega Squad. Don’t make us replace you.”

Black Canary rolled her eyes. “You could at least say good morning.” She muttered. Somehow hearing her, Batman narrowed his eyes, the fabric of his mask crinkling. “Good Morning, Children. I know none of you have met before, but you much trust myself and Batman when we assure you that you have each been carefully selected for this team. Omega Squad will specialize in covert operations and stealth missions that the League cannot handle, due to their public attention, and that Alpha and Beta Squad cannot handle, due to their…. Direct connection to the league.”

“I know most of you will have one thing in common, but I’ll leave you to figure that out on your own. Consider it your first team-building excersice. Now, we won’t be putting all of you newbies to work alone. You’ve got a couple of vets on the team, who have experience in Delta and Gamma Squad. Don’t be afraid to rely on them, or on myself, or Batman, should you ever need anything. I know that not all of you are delighted to be here.” SHe said, her eyes locking with an atlantean man with dreads and detailed tattoos. “But I hope that eventually, you will find a sense of companionship here.”

Batman then spoke again, as though Canary has never opened her mouth. “You will have roughly an hour to settle into your assigned bedrooms. They match your zeta tube call numbers. At 8:00 hours, report for training with Nightwing. Batman out.” He hung up.

Canary looked at where Batman had been displayed, and gave a short laugh. “Well, with that out of the way, take a few minutes to introduce yourself. You’ve got plenty of time to settle in. Might be nice to know your team first.”

((Your post can go as far back in time as you need it, to establish what led your character here, but try not to make it too crazy. Call numbers are as follows:
Impulse: 15 Emerald Warden: 16 Green Lantern: 23 Flux: 24 Riptide: 25 Karma: 26 These do reflect the Order these characters "joined" the team but how long they've been involved in hero work is up to you))

 

[RingSlinger]

"Just remember, kid. If they don't like you, to hell with 'em."

"Guy, that's horrible advice." Lantern Rayner's face pinched into one of clear disapproval as the larger man with short, copper hair mouthed off to the third person in the room. He had wished they could make the journey back to earth with the younger lantern. They had been, however, called to the other side of the galaxy. All three men, clad in hard green light, stood in a semi-awkward triangle, an observation deck built off of a tower at the very center of the Universe, on Oa.

"Nah. Bound to be a stick or two in the mud. If they don't like you who gives a crap." Guy reiterated his point, to which Lantern Rayner placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose, a clear sign of frustration.

"Trip. You're going to get along with everyone just fine." Kyle spoke softly, after a deep breath. "You're going to fight along side the members of your team. you'll come to rely on them and them on you. This is a great experience, Trip."

"And Rayner would know, he was a teen titan after all."

"I was a Titan."

"That's what I said."

"Well, no, I was..."

Guy, chuckling as Kyle became more visibly flustered, grinned a deep, wide grin. Kyle's tone escalated slightly before they were interrupted by a third voice. It was strained. He wanted to seem strong. He wasn't afraid of showing emotion, but this felt different. Trip shifted his weight from one green boot to the other, placing one hand over his forearm uncomfortably. "Thanks," he finally said. Pausing in the moment. both older Lanterns had become silent, turning their attention to the youngest of this group of three. "Thank you both... For everything." With a soft smile, Lantern Rayner pulled the younger man into a hug. After a moment and a very visible eye roll, Guy wrapped his long arms around the other two figures.

"You're gonna do great," Kyle grinned, as the embrace ended.

"And change that costume up, you look like Hal."

"Nothing wrong with looking like Hal... but... yes, you could probably personalize it a little bit."

"Knock 'em dead, kid," Guy said finally, tussling the younger man's hair with his hand. The two older lanterns spent another moment wishing the younger luck before rocketing into the sky, off towards their latest mission. Trip cast his eyes across the Oan skyline one last time. He'd see these buildings again. At the end of his excursion, when the Guardians decided whether or not he got to keep this ring. Subconsciously his left hand gripped his right carefully. With a deep breath and a few self-encouraging thoughts, Trip Suzuki tore into the sky, flying back, for the first time in over a year, to his home planet, Earth. His arrival to the cave was unceremonious. He found himself arriving as many other young heroes did. He exchanged a few pleasantries, but kept himself slightly reserved. He would likely not be teamed up directly with the majority of these other kids, so he'd wait until he knew who he'd be working with directly before trying to form any of those bonds that Lantern Rayner had suggested he'd make. Another green aura caught his eye. He'd have to remind himself to scan that hero later. As Batman appeared, Trip fought hard not to present the lopsided grin he felt inside. His knowledge of Batman came from information passed on by Lantern Gardner and was fairly one-sided.

Once the Batman had disappeared, Trip found himself tasked with the one thing he wasn't quite sure he knew how to just do: make friends.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Riptide​

Κύρος (Kýros)​

Location
Edwards Air Force Base, California

Tags The Succubi Queen

"You will do as told, Kýros..."​

"...by whomever your new superior is." Ash'ra, the Atlantean Guard Officer currently acting as his escort made certain to reinforce this point. She was militant. Blunt. Stern. Rip knew her less than a week, and in that time, he had grown to respect her, fear her, hate her, and oddly enough, appreciate her. She was not part of the team that brought him back to Atlantis. That was a group of able-bodied Altantean Enforcers. Not that Ash'ra wasn't able. She was skilled in Atlantean Sorcery--to such a degree that her abilities outright dwarfed his own in all but the closest of range, but then came another problem: experience proved she could kick his ass up and down the ocean currents.

He learned this after their very first meeting. After being placed into her custody and of course leaving the courts of Atlantis, Rip thought it entirely appropriate to hit on his Guardian. She was a decade older, sure, but she had the vibrant red hair so rare in Atlantis. That toned body one attained as an officer. The only thing brighter than her hair were her magnificent set of emerald eyes. With her hair pulled back, they could cut glass. But, when it was down and free flowing in the water, they were nothing less than gems. Perhaps the coastline of Coast City made Rip a little cocky with women, but whatever it was, it possessed him to try his best to sweet talk her. Not only did he fail, an example was quickly made out of his disrespect. She had him grappled to the ground in the most excruciating arm lock of his life in a half-second flat--all in front of the same Judicial building that put him in her care.

Needless to say, a poor idea on his part. Not that it was the last poor idea he had. He found any attempt to escape met with a severe and painful shock due to what was literally the Atlantean equivalent of an ankle bracelet. Fucking Sorcerers.

Their relationship didn't end there. Ash'ra may have came off as a drill sergeant, but she had her compassion. Over the time it took Atlantis to come to an agreement with the League on what to do with Riptide to "reform him", he spent a majority of the time with his Guardian. Her official duties were as a Supervisor for Guard Patrols outside of Atlantis, but she did far more than just that. She tended to a flower bed daily. Gorgeous flowers, actually. A beautiful breed that could only grow under the pressures of Atlantis. She never plucked them, however. Her home had a handful of vases she could have used, but she never touched them. The answer to why was the stereotypical one of 'if you really appreciate something, you let it grow' and so she did. Ash'ra was not just a gardener, however. She volunteered to the Youth Academy three times in the week that Rip was with her--and made him come along. She was the strictest person in the world with him, but around those children, she was as delicate as the flowers she tended.

It wasn't the worst time he had ever had, but it certainly was dull. What Rip also found out was that he wasn't the only one that admired Ash'ra for her beauty. In fact, those that did were quite... jealous. Jealous that a young miscreant like Rip was spending so much apparent time with her. This led to potentially the most egregious event that took place in his short time back in Atlantis. Two Guards that worked under Ash'ra found themselves laughing when Ash'ra left Rip at a way station while she left Atlantis borders to meet with the patrols. See, they found Rip to be a lot like a puppy. Altantis didn't quite have dogs, but the idea of a pet in any culture was pretty universal. The longer Rip waited, the funnier it was. Then one of them made a remark. When Ash'ra returned, she found four different guards for her next patrol surrounding Rip while he had two unconscious guards behind him. He was calmly waiting. The Guards were agitated to say the least.

What they also were was honest. While they definitely could have made Rip out to be an aggressor, they told the actual truth: the other two were goading him. Ash'ra took this to the courts and explained. She went to great lengths to not let this actually ruin the chance Rip was getting. Months prior, Ash'ra had filed complaints on one of the guards and he was sent to a different duty for some time as punishment. He made advances on her and didn't exactly accept the decline well. With the testimony from the other guards, a statement from Ash'ra herself, and the fact this was a habitual problem, Rip got off with just a warning. But, that warning took two days for Ash'ra to clear up.

The question was why. Rip asked. Of course he did. The answer he received was the only time he saw a glimmer of the compassion he saw Ash'ra give to the children she worked with or even the plants she tended. Everyone needs a chance. First, second, last--whatever. Rip had most of his taken from him. The Royal Guard. His time in Coast City. Sometimes it was his fault, sometimes it wasn't. The argument didn't matter. What did was that Ash'ra wasn't going to let what could be his last chance be tossed away entirely by an insubordinate border patrol that couldn't take no for an answer. This wasn't some sentiment about being a hero. Not even that Rip was special. Just that he deserved the same chance as everyone else.

That's why when she told him to listen to whomever, he listened. He didn't like it. He didn't like her tone. He didn't like the fact he was surrounded by soldiers in the Air Force Base or that Ash'ra was being escorted by a Naval Officer with an equally stern look in his eyes. But, he still listened. The Atlantean Court pulled a few strings to get Rip on the next generation of Young Justice. If he was an actual criminal or perhaps even someone a little more tame, they might have found another place. Any crime Rip ever commit didn't hurt anyone, aside from those two guards. And, the action he might see with Young Justice might just be enough to keep his attention. Not to mention, it was always good to have Atlantean eyes on the next wave of heroes.

"I'll do my best," he answered her. The Zeta Portal was fired up.

"I know your best, Kýros," Ash'ra responded with a gentle smile, "you may need to try a little harder."

Blunt but accurate. Definitely honest. Exactly what he came to expect from Ash'ra. "You'll see me again, Ash'ra. When you do, I'll give those guys something to actually be jealous of," he told her followed by a sly wink. Absolutely inappropriate. Exactly what she came to expect from Rip.

She didn't get a chance to respond. Just a stern glare as he stepped into the Zeta Portal.

USER ID 25: Riptide. Confirmed.​

With a flash, he was a gone. Straight to the Zeta entrance in the Cave. It was a bit unsettling. Not the shift in environment; just the act of Zeta Beaming. Rip was used to being submerged in water, but this feeling was still different than that. It was a flash of a moment where he felt nothing. No sensations. Nothing to perceive. Just bam. One place then another. Nevertheless, the Cave was a little more quaint than he had anticipated. He was accustomed to the traditional decor of Atlantis as well as the neon lights of dance clubs from Coast City, but the Cave was somewhere in between. It was a literal Cave. It just struck Rip as odd.

It wasn't long after that Rip was ushered into the meeting Black Canary was to have with Batman. Holograms. Rip wasn't unaccustomed to them. Again, the more upscale clubs of Coast City used holograms just as detailed. They were often just recordings of women dancing or projections of them actually dancing. An effective way to bypass a law about that particular behavior and with the technology becoming more common, not absurd. High end clubs in California had the money to spend. It was odd and somewhat overkill in his opinion to use them for communications. That had to be less practical than a large screen.

Then came Batman. Rip didn't exactly follow heroes. Didn't even recognize Black Canary. But he knew Batman. It would be a lie to say that didn't garner his attention. Their quick introductions were less than professional, at least by Atlantean standards. Etiquette obviously wasn't as well-enforced here. While Batman may have been ominous, there was a definite aura of him just being a boss that entirely lacked enthusiasm. Oddly enough, Black Canary decided to put a slight spotlight on him with her emphasis on those that didn't want to be there. It wasn't untrue, just something to watch out for. Then again, Black Canary was proving to be something to watch in and of herself. Rip had absolutely no problems eyeing down Ash'ra and despite the voice in the back of his head screaming it was a terrible idea, he had the same ideas for miss Canary herself.

An avenue to perhaps explore later.

For now, Batman darted out and they had just a little over an hour to put their belongings in their respective rooms. Black Canary gave them the simple instructions of introducing themselves. A quick glance around the room gave Rip the impression of reluctance. And, while teamwork was by far and large not his best skill, socializing wasn't at all hard for him. "I'll go," he said, taking the reigns of the introductions. "I spent the last year in Coast City. They called me Riptide--Rip for short. I'm from Atlantis, not really here by choice, and I'm not gonna lie to you guys, this cave is a little bit of claustrophobic for my taste. I like little more... room," he explained to all of them. It wasn't the most in-depth or personal, but it was a start. Likely more than expected.

 

[WhispFlick]

|Winston Ashton Kramer |Impulse|
Mentions/Interactions: @Arne @ShadyAce @Sir Les Paul @RingSlinger The Succubi Queen
​

Speedsters. They were hard to track down. The question you may be asking is why.. kind of self-explanatory, though. They moved too fast to be found unless they stopped. People like Winston Kramer didn’t stop, though. People like Barry Allen were always running from something. These people were speedsters, they seemed average but moved at a rate too fast for anyone to truly notice. Some faster than the speed of sound. Winston, well, Ashton.. he wasn’t that fast just yet.

On a track in, practically, the middle of nowhere, stood two men in suits. One was an older man clad in a red and yellow suit. You may initially be thinking two businessmen are lost. But, no, that suit would be best associated with the Flash. Central City’s scarlet speedster. A true hero. The other fellow was a rather tall fifteen year old by the name of Winston Ashton Kramer. Mostly called Ashton. Famously known around Central City as Impulse. Another speedster. If you were to look at the two very closely you could see their lips moving with sound coming in late and sounding like mere gibberish. Speed speak. Point is, Allen and Kramer understood each other extremely well.

“First things first, Kramer, you’re starting this off looking cocky.” The older speedster noted, handing quickly reaching out to knock Ashton in the head. Not that it’d hurt. Mostly because Ashton’s suit was a lot harder than it looked and it covered his head and face, aside from his eyes and mouth.

“Hey!” Ashton attempted to intervene, hands shooting up to block the smooth smack. He was slow but he was close enough. Or so it felt. He was planning on going on about how rude Barry could be towards him but he was immediately cut off by his mentor.

“I’ve done everything I could to train you so far, and this isn’t your first team. You worked with the Beta Squad before. Don’t act like this is your first rodeo.” Barry lectured, shifting from one foot to the other. Despite his serious tone, the Flash adjusted his mask and reached out to clamp Ash’s shoulder with his hand. “I trust that you’ll get the job done when you need it and I know you can do great things, Ashton. Get the job done and make me proud. You’ve excelled at so many things and I’ll be here to guide you but now you have a better team.” Ashton stared up at him, nose scrunched. He wanted to make this into a joke so badly. The situation seemed far too serious at the moment. But Barry was right, the two had gone through a lot in the year they’d known each other. More than expected. They had grown close like a family, learned each other’s little secrets, worked together in hard situations. Now Ashton was going to be working with others in a larger situation than before. Or at least, it felt like a bigger shift than anything else.

Ashton couldn’t help himself, though. He needed to lighten up the mood. “No worries, Barry! You act like we’re breaking up, I’m still gonna be around to do your bidding.” The fifteen year old spoke with a grin on his pale lips before reaching out to give the older blonde a hug. It wasn’t as awkward as other hugs had been. It was genuine. They’d formed some type of relationship over time. “I’ve got this, I promise. I know exactly what I’m doing and how to do it and I won’t fail you. Promise.”

The two then followed with a handshake, one which looked like a blur to outsiders, but to them was a strange little chest bump and a twisted handshake that ended in two interlocked pinkies. Ashton’s idea. Obviously.

Barry, lovingly, pushed Ashton back and gestured around them. “You need to head off. Get going or you’ll be late.” He shooed Impulse off, making Ashton stick his tongue out before he was gone in a blur. A flash. The trip wasn’t long but it was enough for Ashton to recount several different occasions. When Ashton first lost control of his powers, it was only a matter of minutes before Barry caught him and took him away. Out of sight of anyone else in the town. Ashton had been scared out of his mind, legs and arms moving out of control with no idea of how to stop. Well, he knew how to stop, but he was too scared of doing so. What would happen to him if he ran into a wall or stopped and he was dead or something? Sure it sounded stupid but the fear was real. He thought it was justified.

Barry had gotten an alert of an unknown form moving at an accelerated rate. The form had been caught in several images that STAR Labs used to keep track of speedsters if need be. The photo could be captured at just the right speed. More than fast enough for Ashton. He’d been moving fast, but not as fast as the Flash himself. They spoke, a confused hero and a scared teenage boy. But when they finally came to understand the situation, it seemed everything shifted. For better or worse, Ashton didn’t know. He had secrets from his family now but he knew he was going out and saving people. He was making friends and learning new things. He had extraordinary powers that he’d never been able to dream of.

Particularly, these powers led him to be at a Zeta Portal in Central City. With a sigh, Ashton looked around, having wished he’d given his mentor a more proper goodbye. Now he was like a lost puppy. Confused and in need of guidance. He was anxious from the mere thought of a new team. But he didn’t allow this to get to him, at least not too seriously. He stepped into the portal, lightning rippling behind him.

Recognized: Impulse. 15. ​

Ashton was beamed rather quickly into the zeta entrance of the cave, something he was used to. It was fast, maybe not as fast as he was, but it was fast nonetheless. What Ashton questioned as he now stood in the cave was whether he should take off his mask or not. He trusted everyone and there was no doubt about that. He just wasn’t sure what the code was. How were they supposed to act? How did they get to know each other? As he glanced around, he even wondered who was already there. Sure, he knew where he was, just a little bit. He’d worked with and for the League before. Like Barry had said.. this wasn’t his first rodeo.

Soon enough, Ashton found himself where the others were. A fish guy.. ah, Atlantean. Right? That was probably it. A lantern guy. Green lantern, right. Oh, oh, Black Canary was there! Ashton jumped up and down for a second out of excitement, sure he was moving so fast he questioned whether anyone had actually noticed him. Didn’t matter, though. Everyone here was clearly a diverse group of heroes. Some old and some new. Some he’d met before and some.. well, he didn’t know them at all. But he didn’t care for that. He was obviously about to get to know them.

Then came Batman, well, a hologram of the big guy on campus. It made Ashton let out a strange, rather loud, squeak of excitement. But he tried to play it off as a cough, covering his mouth as he let out a wheeze. “Wow, excuse me..” He murmured under his breath before a smirk came onto his lips.

The lecture, or welcoming, had gone in one ear and out the other. He didn’t tend to listen extremely well. With that it appeared the older, more experienced personnel, had disappeared. In a flash. The thought even made the young speedster snicker. He assumed they were now supposed to introduce themselves as the Atlantean began to speak up and introduce himself.

Ashton suddenly did the same, speeding to stand I front of the group. With that, he pressed a button on his wrist and his mask unfolded to properly reveal his face. “Since we’re doing this, my name’s Winston! Don’t call me that though, or I’ll punch you in the face. I go by Ashton.” He spoke quickly, rambling, really. “I’m from Central City and.. I’m a speedster. In case you couldn’t tell. Like Rip here, I suppose I don’t really like small spaces. Need more room to run. Otherwise you might find me on the floor ‘cause I ran into a wall.” The words he spoke probably sounded a bit strange but they were honest. That’s what really mattered.

 

[The Succubi Queen]

KarmaKarma had stood off in the corner, occasionally rubbing at her eyes as she resisted the urge to fall asleep. Canary had dragged her through the Zeta Tube at some ungodly hour in order to be here "early" and the young girl was furious about it. She had never been a morning person, but to be awake even before the sun had risen? It was like something out of her nightmares. It almost made her want to go back to villany- at least they kept reasonable hours.

Still, not that she had much of a choice, anymore. Less than a week ago, she'd been in a solitary cell somewhere in Gotham, waiting for the news that she was going to rot away forever. But that news hadn't come- instead, she'd found herself face to face with Black Canary, the very woman who'd busted her in the first place. "Anjali-" The woman had began, a tone of pity in her voice, before she'd been cut off.

"Listen, you and your fake 'i care about you' crap can screw off." Karma snapped, bolting to her feet. With a few short paces, she was less than an inch away from the glass pane that seperated them. "Just get to the point. What do you want?" As she spoke, her breath fogged up the glass, which really ruined the punch of her statement. Just her luck.

Canary sighed, and looked away for a moment, as though contemplating what her point had been at all. "Why did you fire your public defender?"

Karma froze. Of all the questions and demands Canary had made, that wasn't the one she had expected. Nothing about Jinx, or the Five, or even about why she'd done it. it was a question that implied Canary cared, and Karma knew that was nonsense. "No point. I've got too long of a record for some useless Gotham pencil pusher to save me. I'd need Lex Luthor's lawyer to even stand a chance." She told the older woman, truthful, to an extent. She didn't want to explain that she had wanted to stab the sad mop who had been her public defender, just because of that disgusting look in his eyes as he'd told her she had basically no chance. "just to be clear" he'd told her, his eyes full of that pitying look that filled her with rage. She'd spent her whole life destroying anyone who had been stupid enough to pity her. All that had saved her supposed defender was the steely handcuffs around her wrist.

Canary gave her a sad smile, that same pitying look Karma hated in her eyes, and if Karma hadn't been physically exhausted from the steel of the cage, she might have just blasted her way right through the glass. There was moment of tension, the energy in the air so thick that one could almost taste it, before Canary spoke, her voice steady beyond imagining, as if she had spoken to teenagers about to recieve life sentences every day of her life. "So you are aware of you situation then. I might not be Lex Luthor's lawyer, but I might have the means to save you."

A short laugh bounced off the walls of the cell. "Is it a bullet in my mouth? Or one of your stupid screams right in my ear, which will cause my brain to bleed out?" Karma asked her, her voice still full of mocking venom. Just like Jinx had taught her. "If it is, can we just get it over with so I don't have to be in this cell anymore?" She'd honestly started to lose track of how long she'd been in here. She was somewhere in the second week, but was this day 10, or 12? Who knew.

Canary's sad smile didn't shift. Like she was a nervous mother in a cartoon, trying to please with her cartoon daughter to bring up her grades. "It's not so harsh. We- the League. We're putting together a team. You'd be well suited for it-"

"Not interested." Karma interrupted yet again. "I'm not joining the Little Leaguers."

"That's fine. You're under no pressure to accept. I'm just asking that you hear me out." Canary talked like Karma had imagined a therapist would sound. All calming words and soothing voices- like she was singing a lullaby instead of blackmailing you. "If you join, we won't pursue legal action, and you'd be able to work off what you have been sentenced. Think of it as.. very intense community service. You have your first hearing in two days, and I'm not sure you want to be defending yourself. I'll leave you to think about it. If you want to see me again, just tell any guard when they come by."

She walked out of sight, towards a door that Karma had never seen. In frustration, Karma spun, and slammed her first against the wall. There was a resounding crack, but all that showed on the wall were the bloody spots from where her skin had ripped. "Don't really have much of a fucking choice, do I?"

Now, nearly a week later, she stood sullenly off to the side as Batman's face hovered above them. She'd seen him before- narrowly escaped from him once or twice when he'd confronted the Five about some plan or other. Being on his side didn't make him any less intimidating. She hoped someone in the League would be a little less terrifying now that she was, for all effective means, one of them.

She wouldn't have spoken- couldn't think of anything to say, but eventually, Canary urged her forward, with a pointed look that told her that she'd get yet another lecture on behavioral patterns in youth if she didn't at least try to socialize. Just her luck- her new slave owner was also their nest mother. She couldn't think of a worse fate. How was she supposed to convince anyone she was Canary's sidekick when it would be so obvious the two barely knew each other? She stepped forward, her arms crossed in front of her chest, leaning into one leg. "Karma. I also hate this cave. It stinks of metal, and its really flipping cold. I don't mind small spaces, but tiles are always cold and I hate them." If anybody had cared to look, they would have notice her toes, as they wiggled lightly on the tiling, emphasizing her point.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Riptide​

Κύρος (Kýros)​

Location
Edwards Air Force Base, California

Tags The Succubi Queen

Since his introduction, two others spoke. A speedster being one of those two. Rip couldn't help but feel a sense of irony in that he beat a Speedster to the first introduction. He wasn't a stranger to the fact icebreakers weren't a literal race, but still. The second one was just a hair more interesting. In all honestly, Ashton came across as a try-hard. Karma, on the other hand, made it quite plain she shared his distaste of the cave. Not that Ashton didn't, but there wasn't some overbearing joke tied to her sentiment. Her demeanor was enough to pique his interest even before the others introduced themselves.

Black Canary had some special interest in getting her to introduce herself. Even when she did, Karma kept her arms crossed. A cold gesture. She wasn't interested in conversing and even though she was, she was still closed off to whatever they said. Rip had seen plenty of this body language; beaches were full of uninterested women being hit on. Even her slight lean gave away something about her attitude. She told them more with her body than she did with her words.

This is the part of the exchange where what would be his common sense or perhaps his conscience chiming in, but the problem is that whatever force that would normally advise him against less appropriate actions rang in the voice of Ash'ra. Right this second, she was telling him to focus on team building. That not everyone had even introduced themselves yet. Right this second, the voice of Ash'ra was fending off every idea Rip had and each ambition he was building. The problem was that... Rip didn't really listen to Ash'ra.

Right as Karma finished her introduction, Rip quickly eyed Black Canary all while a mischievous smirk crawled across his face. It was likely at that point that anyone even remotely observant would have guessed something was about to happen. His eyes were quick to shift right back to Karma and set his baggage onto the ground, kneeling down to keep them from making a thud. After he did, he stepped up and let his eyes focus solely on Karma, looking up to her with that same playful grin. As he straightened back up, he ran his hand through his hair and parted his lips right before speaking.

"You know," he told her, his right hand now tugging on his neck, "we could always warm things up." A straight face. He delivered that line with a straight face. In front of everyone.

A little part of him honestly hoped Batman was still listening.

 

[RingSlinger]

"we could always warm things up." Gross, Trip thought to himself, eyeing the Atlantean carefully. He wasn't Trip's type. He didn't need to know that though.

"Hmmmm." Trip wondered aloud, "Is that offer open to everyone here?" the corners of his lips tugged into a confident, if not sultry grin. His left eye, milky white below the green mask, winked playfully, as Trip folded his arms over one another. He cocked his head, casting a glance across the room full of young heroes.

"Trip Suzuki. I'm a Green Lantern. I'm gonna assume you all know how my powers work." He shrugged, arms still folded. "I suppose I could explain them if you don't... You can call me 'Lantern' or 'Trip' or 'Lantern Suzuki'... maybe other things, I'm open to just about anything. He shrugged, casting another playful look toward the Atlantean. As he spoke he strolled slightly forward, finding the natural center of this circle that had formed. It vaguely reminded him of a introduction activity he had participated in during one of his very short-lived group-home stays.

His arms finally unfolded, as he interlocked his fingers behind his head, still cocked slightly to the side. "I've got some experience working on teams, but they've all been teams of other Lanterns, so I'm genuinely looking forward to getting to know how all of you function."

He began to stroll back out of the center of the circle, towards where he had been standing when he started to speak.

"Oh," he said with another soft grin, "If you'd ever like to see what actual cold is, I'm happy to take you up out of the atmo and show you the vacuum of space... If you've never seen it before, there's no better view than from the inside of a hard light bubble."

 

[ShadyAce]

Ada Montgomery

Flux

Ada didn't sleep, at least not the night before. Instead, she'd spent the dead hours of the night in her father's mechanic workshop working on miscellaneous projects, whilst having to ignore some of the catcalling of the drunken men outside. Gotham was uncharacteristically inactive, she had been waiting for something to pop up as she cycled through radio frequencies in her head, something to do. As she absentmindedly tinkered on her motorbike, her attention was piqued by a frantic voice, Requesting back up! Out on the pier! There's at least... 10 - No! 12 men with-, which cut off inexplicably. Instinctively, Ada changed and revved her bike up, zooming out of the garage and towards the pier she assumed the broadcast came from.

But by the time she arrived, Batgirl had completely sorted the issue. "Considering you ride a motorcycle, you're a bit slow."

"Har, har." Ada replied satirically as she dismounted the bike.

"But you can't be late today. Remember, 6:30AM Flux." Batgirl crossed her arms, staring the younger girl down. It was an honest miracle Ada actually got anywhere by the time she was asked. For just about anything in her life, she was late or only just made it. But it was clear Batgirl was not going to take any excuses, and Ada begrudgingly sighed, "Yeah. I'll be there."

"Look, I understand you don't really want to work with others, but you need to stop... I can't let you continue harassing the public, no matter how much good you do."

"But clearly you don't understand that the things I did are a necessary evil." Ada spat back.

"Girls like us always find a way to fight the good fight. And I know you will." Batgirl, at that moment, would have put a hand on her shoulder if not for Ada's innate electric production. And Ada would've loved for that, but of course she wouldn't admit it. "Believe me, this is the best outcome you could've hoped for."

They parted ways, and in a blur, Ada found herself standing in front of one of many hidden Zeta portal locations around Gotham. With a shaky breath, she stepped inside.

Recognized. Flux; 24.

She'd heard of the Zeta tube technology, and Batgirl explained it was a strange sensation at first, and yet Ada was still caught off guard. No one could have expected, let alone warned that she could sense the machine messing with the particles that composed her body, and she would want to throw up because of the feeling. Forcefully, Ada swallowed and walked into the Cave. That was a feeling she would unfortunately have to get used to, although hopefully it wasn't something she'd have to deal with forever.

Batgirl shrugged back towards Black Canary. Batman was supposed to be briefing the younger individuals, but her similar alias didn't mean she had any idea what was taking him so long. Upon looking back to the group of younger individuals, she noticed Ada and gave a small smile. Suddenly, Batman appeared in holographic form, and Ada resisted a scowl at the sight of Batman. He hadn't taken her seriously when she worked against him with Ivy, or worked hard enough to save her mother. Batgirl eyed her carefully, which only made Ada scoff lightly. She wouldn't be here if Batgirl hadn't forced her to come, but during the past year in which she worked partially under her, Ada had grown to admire her skill, and her ability to be a pure hero. Ada never had the choice to always be 'good'. She was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Batgirl letting out a laugh at Canary's muttered comment, which silenced as soon as she got a glare from Batman.

Introductions. Introductions? Ada looked on with disbelief, and rolled her eyes at how excited some people were to introduce themselves. The Leaguers were treating them as though they were kindergartners, entering into a first year of school - something nerve wracking for every child involved. "Flux." she stated before looking pointedly at Trip and Rip, her tone disinterested, "And you realize both of you are the definition of pathetic, right? If you want to warm up, or perhaps cool down indefinitely, I'll gladly shock you." Ada snapped her fingers, allowing a small burst of electricity to be seen, followed by crossing her arms in front of her chest.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Riptide​

Κύρος (Kýros)​

Location
The Cave

Tags The Succubi Queen RingSlinger ShadyAce WhispFlick

Trip was not the first man to hit on Rip. In Atlantis, that type of behavior was... never seen. It just wasn't. However, the past year on Coast City had opened Rip up to the idea. It wasn't for him, but aside from that, he had no contempt for it. No. What he had contempt for was the last line the Green Lantern spat out. Something about the exact words he rambled off and just how much he spoke. Trip perhaps alone said as much as three of them combined, but that last line. That last word. He was being cocky. Disgustingly smarmy as he just had make another play on words that brought the condescension straight into outer space. Literally.

Aside from the Speedster making a lame joke about his abilities, no one had even spoke about theirs yet. Trip boasted about his status, about having been on teams, offered some 'explanation' of his abilities. If Rip wanted to start a fight, he'd ask for a real detailed demonstration. But, he didn't. No, he wasn't going to get thrown out of this group just yet. However, his frustration didn't end. The other girl, cute as she may also be, was just as condescending and yet again decided to just jump to this abrupt conflict. This was a pissing contest, Flux included. Rip was having no part of it.

He sighed, wiped off his smile and stepped back to his luggage.

"Yeah... on second thought, fuck all of you," he said calmly and quite indiscriminately as he headed off in the direction they were pointed in for their rooms. He had enough of the bullshit and bravado.

 

[Arne]

Joshua Scott

Who were the biggest heroes in history?
That's a question with so many answers that even the most wise couldn't find a sole answer independently of how much they discussed it, something bound to create endless conflict in every super-hero forum in the world whenever it's asked due to the sheer quantity of heroes who've been active on Earth for the last decades. Many would reserve this position to the ever-famous Justice League, some would tentatively name smaller groups of vigilantes, a few may even attribute this whole title to a sole figure such as Superman or Batman, but if any American veteran of the infamous World War II was asked this question, the answer would come more than instantaneously out of their mouths: The Justice Society of America.

Of course, most of the people born after their era would instantly contest this decision: "How the hell would one backwater group that was disbanded before they were even born could be compared to the teams that saved Earth multiple times and had reputations well known even in other worlds?" - They'd ask. And the answer, of course, was a swift one: Without them, none of those super groups would exist. They were the first ones to ever group together to stand for the ideals of justice and liberty, using their powers to defend the world from tyranny before most of the modern super heroes were even born, they confidently stood in defense of the beliefs of a whole nation, upholding justice for the oppressed without ever receiving anything in exchange: They were the paragons of everything that generation believed in... And yet one of those figures was now wavering as he tried to deal with a situation that made even him nervous: Trying to deal with a young adult.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Alan Scott's voice once more ringed from the speaker of his son's car, snapping the young man out of his daydreaming and pulling back his attention to the absolutely unbearable reality of being stuck in the traffic jam that always took over Metropolis during the peak hour, his wavering voice - together with the fact that it was the fifth time he asked it since calling his son - letting more than clear that he wasn't specially favorable to the idea of letting Joshua join the team.

"Yes, Dad. For the fifth time, I am absolutely sure that this is what I want." The young adult answered while rolling his eyes, barely having the opportunity to open his mouth again before his father cut him. "But... Are you sure? Can't you at least wait until you graduate before?" He said, earning yet another roll of eyes from Josh as he once more tried to explain his point to his ever-so-worried father. "We discussed that before, Dad: There won't be another team opening in a year. Specially not one directly under the Justice League where I'll be completely safe to hone my control over my powers without having to worry about causing some major disaster." He said without even taking a brief second to breath, avoiding doing so even after finishing his explanation as he anxiously waited for his father's answer - something crucial for his entrance into the Omega Squad, since in despite of his already more than confirmed acceptance he didn't doubt even for a second that it would take less than a full sentence from his father to convince the responsibles for the team to suddenly decide to refuse him - that would come after three oddly long seconds of silence.

"Ok. I got it. You're an adult now, you're more than responsible enough to make your own decisions" His father said, instantly causing him to sigh in relief as he once more started to breath normally, taking only a few more seconds to exchange more personal matters with his parent before he finished the call - conveniently at the same time as the traffic congestion started to lessen, as if the world reacted to the sudden relief that he felt and started to move again - and quickly drove his way home, anxiously waiting for the end of this day and the start of the following morning - the moment that would futurely mark the start of his career as a true hero.

Recognized. Emerald Warden; 16.

Josh couldn't help but stumble for a bit as he came out of the Zeta-Beam into the safety of the cave, his whole organism screaming for a while as he struggled to keep his powers in check in despite of how they instantly entered into danger mode as soon as he entered the teleportation device, barely managing to hold back solely due to the fact that it wasn't his first time dealing with the ill reaction that his power demonstrated to this kind of device and thus already expected the reaction in first place, having just a bit of trouble before he managed to recover his usual nonchalance and made his way towards the training room.

Being the second generation hero, it wasn't that surprising that Joshua managed to keep his nonchalant mask even when faced by all the well known figures in the room as well as the well known heroines that were there to brief them, but even him couldn't help but forcefully straighten his posture as Batman appeared in the form of a hologram to give them a brief explanation of what was expected of them, keeping a serious posture even as Batgirl and the current Black Canary explained what their functions would be as well and briefly suggested relying on the veterans that participated in missions with other squads - a tremendously vast group consisting of Joshua himself and Impulse - should they have any trouble, only recovering from his surprise after the Batman voiced their first instructions for the day.

His first reaction after receiving Black Canary's suggestion to introduce themselves was, of course, to wait a few minutes until everyone else was done with their brief intros, nonchalantly watching as the first few individuals - Namely the Atlantean Riptide, the already known by him Impulse and the eccentric Karma - introduced themselves and ultimately talking only after the last two members introduced themselves and a few rounds of unpleasantries had been exchanged by three of the newcomers, motivated solely by Riptide's attempt to leave. "Since you all are already familiar to the point of going at each other's throat, I guess it's my turn to introduce myself." He made a brief stop to glare at the three specially hostile members of the group - Flux, Riptide Rupture and the newly crowned Green Lantern Intern - before continuing, clearly reproaching their attitudes. "I'm Joshua, though I normally answer by Emerald Warden around here. Like Ash, I'm one of your so called veterans as well as a second generation Hero." He once more made a brief pause, locking his gaze on Trip and displaying the smallest grin before finishing his introduction. "You all can think of me as some sort of improved Green Lantern."​

 

[RingSlinger]

"I can tell we're all going to be the best of friends," Trip grinned. In a way he was relieved. The Atlantean had collected his belongings and headed toward the dormitory area. Had he done this? Had Trip orchestrated a scenario in which he wouldn't be forced to connect to terribly with any of the members of his team? That's better his internal monologue rolled along When the Guardians take that piece of shiny off you at least you won't be losing any friends.

"I'm actually pretty content with my temperature where it's at, but thanks your the offer, I'll keep that in mind," Trip cast a sideways look at Flux. He was fairly certain his active shielding would protect him from most electrical blasts, but he didn't know the extent of her powers, or what sort of charge she'd be able to control. The small charge had taken on a yellowish hue, which would also lean towards something his armor might have a difficult time warding off.

He'd want to get a better understanding of her powerset. Surely they'd be given a dossier on one another at some point. He was already devising methods by which he could find out more about his teammates without actually speaking to them. Lantern Rayner had made him promise not to do exactly this. Lantern Gardner hadn't really cared. Although theoretically one of the things he was being tested on was his ability to work on a team. His ability to play well with others.

It was then that the Starheart kid had spoken up. He looked a little older than Trip. He was certainly taller. Height had never mattered to the younger Lantern, and now for some reason he found that it did. Odd. He shook himself on a mental level, revealing nothing on the exterior of his being that would imply the stiff kick to the gut everything that had just happened felt like.

"Emerald Warden!" Trip's smile would look genuine to almost anyone. "You're Sentinel's kid, huh? He used to call himself the Green Lantern of earth. Sorta like Columbus calling this country India, huh?" The corner of his mouth tugged up into a very soft smile. "Improved? I had assumed you were more of a retro-act. Wonderful to learn that you're not. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two. I assume you've done something to take care of that whole embarrassing wood weakness!"

On a strange small level, Trip did hate being antagonistic with this kid. He had nothing but respect for the Sentinel. In a perfect world this Emerald Warden was someone he might genuinely have loved to be friends with.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Riptide​

Κύρος (Kýros)​

Location
The Cave

Tags The Succubi Queen RingSlinger ShadyAce WhispFlick Arne

Rip waited just a moment longer before making himself completely absent. There was one other guy. Perhaps it was curiosity. No... definitely not. Hope. He hoped this guy wouldn't be touting the same attitude as the others. By God, was he wrong.

How. How did each subsequent person make it worse. What was boiling inside of Rip at this point wasn't frustration. It was rage.

Again, he sat his suitcases down and turned back to the group. There was no lack of subtly in his body language or tone that he was irate.

"You two," he said, looking specifically at Rip and the Emerald Warden. "Stop with the dick measuring contest for a half second. You're gonna listen," he told them. Anger was apparent, but the observant was spot on. The exchange between the two was nothing less than a needless pissing contest.

"I didn't come here by choice. I don't fight crime. I don't even commit crime. This shit is community service for ditching Atlantis to go to Coast City," he told them, really venting out his distaste for them.

"So let's get this clear. I don't give a fuck what you've done or who you are. You're an asshole," he pointed at Trip, "You're an asshole," he pointed at Joshua, "and, you're a bitch. Just a cute bitch," he pointed at Ada, pretty much following the trend he started with. Notably, he exempted Karma and Ashton. He had nothing against them--yet.

"We are not a team. You're nothin' special, either. If you were, you'd be in the League. I'll tell what you are, though: You're a two-year alternative to a prison cell," he said, this time specifically focusing on the two wannabe alpha males in green. There was no avoiding the ferocity of his statement. He meant it. Every word that came out of his mouth seethed with that special sting you could only get from someone that genuinely disliked you. Something that these two specifically and the others to various lesser degrees managed to do in the whole of five minutes.

 

[The Succubi Queen]

KarmaShe didn't need to respond to the Atlantean- didn't even have time for much beyond raising her eyebrow at him, before the Green Lantern boy butted in. Just her luck, two flirts on her new team. She couldn't think of anything much worse.

She took a silent tally of the room. The speedster boy, the Atlantean, the punky looking lantern, some girl who looked like she'd walked out of the pages of a teen magazine, and a boy who she couldn't quite place. A motley crew, for sure, but most of them seemed to have one thing in common: they didn't want to be here. The other girl confirmed it. Her simple introduction couldn't have been more rude if she'd spit on the floor. Canary had taught Karma next to nothing this past week, but she had learned that if you didn't have something nice to say, you should probably shut up so no one wants to kill you.

Riptide seemed to be the one who wanted to kill Flux, now. Within a mere moment, he'd gone from trying to egg Karma on with his flirting, to angry. Interesting. Before he could actually leave, however, the last of them, the boy with dark hair in green, interrupted, chastising them as if they were bickering children. It was interested to see which of them had offered up their names, and which had only provided their Aliases.

The bickering continued from there, some nonsense about whether Joshua's powers or Trips were more impressive- apparently they were similar, though she'd been lucky enough to have never had an encounter with... Sentinel? What crap. None of them cared who had cooler powers. The whole thing reminded her of home, in the worst way. Hopefully these two weren't about to destroy this entire cave in their argument. Not that she wouldn't mind that alternative to being stuck working with these clowns.

Finally, Riptide snapped. She was a little taken aback at how quickly he- who had initially struck her as the most relaxed- had turned to anger. He really didn't like show-offs, it seemed. She'd keep it in mind. But what shocked her the most was how quickly he had announced his reason for being here. It was the same as hers, to an extent, but he had the guts to admit it.

She couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Part of her wondered, then, how many of the others had been forced into this? When Rip finally finished, she shrugged. "Might wanna-"

Black Canary intervened then, cutting Karma off. "Enough. You all have different reasons for being here, but this team was assembled for good reason. You're all here because you have potential to do excellent work on this team, and because your powers balance each other out. You are each unique, and there won't be a need to showboat about who is best at what. You are young, yes, but there is no need to behave like children."

Karma scoffed. Some hand-picked power team this was. Canary had probably just picked all the worst meta-humans she could find and pulled names from a hat. She spun on her heel, grabbed her bag from the corner, and walked away from the group. No one had said she couldn't. Besides, Canary seemed to have bigger fish to fry right now.

"An-Karma is right. You might all want to take a break to cool your heads. You'll be working together for a very long time, so you might want to come back, and make getting along as a team a priority." Canary finished, her tone dismissive. It was obvious she wouldn't hear another word from any of them. "You still have about half an house before training."

Karma didn't quite here her, already trying to figure out which room was hers. 26... Black Canary had already explained that the rooms wouldn't be a home for all of them, so she wasn't let down when her room turned out to be little more than a bed and a desk. It was carpeted, generously, but she could still feel the cold concrete beneath it. She threw her small duffel bag on the bed, and sat, not bothering to shut the door behind her. Not much need for privacy, really. There was something that caught her eye though. A small potted Jade Plant, with a card beside it. "A bit of nature for your new home" the card read. A gift from her "mentor." Karma was a little touched by it, admittedly. Black Canary had figured out that she was going to hate living in a steely warehouse underground, and thought to give her a little bit of earth. She placed her hand against the small spot where the plant met the soil, and took a deep breath. It wasn't a lot, but the cool soil helped soothe her. She was going to need a lot more plants if she was going to survive being on this team.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Riptide​

Κύρος (Kýros)​

Location
The Cave

Tags The Succubi Queen RingSlinger ShadyAce WhispFlick Arne

If anything, Rip was a consistent man. Black Canary, for all she was, was not Ash'ra. She didn't earn the respect she tried to demand when she cut off Karma. Her attempts to tear into him were met with a quick turn, in part following suit with the exit Karma made. Back to his bags, back to the hall, back in the direction of his room. All he had to do was look for the number 25.

It wouldn't be Rip, however, if it were as simple as him walking off. He tried that once, he failed. What these people were about to learn was his absolute disregard for authority. Before that jarring turn, he made a solid connection with eye contact with Black Canary before spurting off, "Fuck you, too, lady." He held it just a moment before he made his turn, following Karma and literally ignoring everything else that followed.

A different reality soon hit him. He was literally following Karma. Room 25 and 26. He was pissed, but he was sure it was awkward, and it appeared neither of them immediately knew their place. He didn't say a word to her, however. Just a dead stare off at the floor--or the wall if he was looking for direction. He did find his room just a moment before Karma found hers; he was only one number closer. If she paid any attention at all, she likely even heard him entering it. There was no hesitation in retreating to his room from the others. Less hesitation in sitting down on the bed and looking around to examine his new room.

"Now Rip... is this really better than a prison cell?" he asked himself in the solitude of a room.

 

[RingSlinger]

Trip placed a single hand, balled, on his hip, while his other stayed grasping the back of his head. He stood through Riptide's scolding for a moment in silence before the corners of his mouth tugged up into what could only be described as a very big, very genuine smile. He stifled any noise for as long as he could, which ended up being a very short amount of time, before letting a loud "Oooh ho ho ho ho" out, covering his mouth with a his flattened hand.

"Dear dear dear," he said quietly, shaking his head at the outburst from their Atlantean teammate. He allowed himself his little laugh. He folded his arms over themselves once more before shrugging in a very nonchalant manner.

"For the record" Trip spoke, weighing his options for exactly how much he wanted to push his luck with this new group of people. "I definitely think I'm much more of a Cute Bitch than an Asshole..."

With a little bit of a skip in his step, Lantern Suzuki reached out with a hard beam of light, scooping up the two bags he had brought with him from Oa. "a break to cool off... makes sense..." with another grin he put on a deep, booming and cartoonish voice, "Will our plucky teens be able to set aside their differences?" He strolled holding eye contact with each of the remaining team members in the room, "Will they ever find true love? Will they be able to come together? If not, who will save the rec center?!" His stroll felt paced, as he did a small twirl for effect, "Will they ultimately discover that the REAL Crime-fighting was the Friends they made along the way?"

He finally turned his attention Black Canary, who he met with a very polite and in earnest smile, "Bats said our rooms match our zeta signs, yes?" he asked, waiting for her confirmation before nodding politely, "Perfectttttttttttt."

"Find out on another exciting episode of..." he paused, having now strolled to the hallway entrance that would ultimately lead to their dormitories, casting a look back at the motley crew of remaining teenagers, "of whatever we want to call this bullshit... I'll see you at training my beautiful new friends," he called out, having turned and headed down the hallway, ambling toward his room.

Catching sight of Riptide and Karma entering their own rooms, Trip nodded to himself, "100% I'm neighbors with them, right? I have to be." As he confirmed this information he allowed himself another laugh, before nodding, "good good good good good good good," he opened the door to his room and placed his belongs on the floor. For a moment he was touched. He'd be living here. This was his space. It wasn't a cold, turquoise bed in a set of barracks on Oa. It was a room. It was something he frankly couldn't remember the last time he had. It was small. That didn't matter. It had a bed, a desk, a small couch, and most important, walls, a roof and a locking door.

He wiped the wetness that had accumulated at the corners of his eyes away as he threw himself contentedly on his new bed.

"Alright then. I guess we'll have to make this work."

 

[WhispFlick]

|Winston Ashton Kramer |Impulse|
Mentions/Interactions: Arne ShadyAce Sir Les Paul RingSlinger The Succubi Queen​

Whilst everyone seemed to be conversing in a rather.. complicated manner with a lot of attitude, Ashton stood in front with a puzzled look on his face. Yeah, he was definitely a bit puzzled. He didn’t know why. He shouldn’t have been surprised by this at all. There was absolutely, positively, no way in the damn world that he had thought this would turn out perfectly with everyone being happy and shouting out love and family sayings. This was their first meeting and clearly nobody wanted to be there. Perhaps it was the fact that he was used to this sort of lifestyle that Ashton wasn’t even the least bit fazed when the Flash, Allen, had told him the new plans of switching him from one team to another. This was what he’d been doing for the past year or so. Nothing new aside from the team and directives they’d be given from that point on.

Aside from his disappointment of the arguments going on between the Atlantean, Green Lantern guy, and the lightning girl, Ashton was amused. His arms were folded over his chest, lip curled into a grin of a smirk (or however you’d describe an amused smirk) as he watched everyone. He’d already introduced himself, nothing more for him to do. He also didn’t really care to comment on what was going on. He didn’t really want to get on anyone’s bad side.

Plus, according to the calculations he’d done in his head, if he spoke up things wouldn’t go much in his favor. He didn’t suppose anyone had acknowledged him so much since he hadn’t said anything as intrusive as Trip or blunt as Rip. Trip and Rip. Drop the ’t’ and you’ve got Rip. But they couldn’t get along. Ignore the random thoughts, speedsters tend to think quickly. Accelerated everything. Literally.

It was when Ashton heard Emerald Warden, or Josh’s comment, that he snapped out of his own daze to pay attention to what everyone was saying. And the fact that some appeared to already be leaving. Specifically Karma, Rip, and Trip. Which would leave Ashton with Josh, or Emerald Warden, and Flux. The interaction between Trip and Josh made him roll his eyes. But at Josh’s acknowledgement of the young speedster, Ashton finger gunned him with childlike grin.

Unlike the others, Ashton had allowed Barry to transfer some of his things to the room he’d be occupying in this specific cave. Not that he knew exactly what he looked like yet considering he hadn’t stepped inside.. yet.

As far as Ash could tell, he was the most relaxed. In the sense that he had a lot of energy jumbling around within him but he wasn’t trying to snap at anyone just yet. Maybe he’d get to that during training later. Or maybe he’d be too shy. Ha, no, Ashton isn’t shy.

Nonetheless, Ashton sped up towards Josh and put his hand on the familiar hero’s shoulder. “Nice to see you again, buddy.” He said simply, a quick hello to acknowledge the guy he’d worked with.. well, maybe just once before but definitely at some point. Sort of. Rip and Karma were already far gone. He supposed he ought to do the same, especially as of the recommendation from Black Canary. He did just that, running past Flux and Trip but not before giving them quick hugs and disappearing. Literally, he just sort of.. vanished. Aside from the gust of wind and streak of lightning that was left in his pathway. Room 15.. 15..

Boom! First one. Yes, dibs on first. Is that really even dibs? Ashton couldn’t care less, he’d already stepped into the unfamiliar room. Adorned with.. treadmill. Some posters, all the basic stuff. Anything that was his from previous rooms was now here. Treadmill was a little new but he wasn’t complaining. It was probably placed there by Barry, his mentor, to track his speed at some point. No biggie.

 

[ShadyAce]

Ada Montgomery

Flux

Ada shrugged as Riptide made his departure. She couldn't give a damn for how people reacted, though her first introduction - in fact, all of her attitude currently - was uncharacteristic. The female was in the opposite of a good mood, because of the circumstances of her being in the Cave, and the lack of sleep likely didn't help. God, she was making this experience worse for herself, wasn't she? Joshua - Emerald Warden, then introduced himself, and she merely raised an eyebrow when he looked at her, but she couldn't really follow along with the humor between him and Trip. Again, she raised her eyebrow quizzically towards Rip as he addressed her as a bitch. Ada didn't care for his accusation, especially because of his palpable anger. A few more unpleasant lines and tones were thrown around, before Karma, followed by Rip went to their rooms. No matter what else was said, she kept out of the discussion. Could they even call that a discussion with how uncivil it all was?

She locked gazes with Batgirl who gave her a condescending glare, forcing Ada to prepare for an apology for when the group met as a whole. letting her crossed arms fall. God, it's not as if she was actually going to shock them! Batgirl would've had her head. Her father often told her that first impressions were more important than she could understand with her young age. Ada had a suspicious feeling she'd just learnt her lesson, or at least, her hostile reaction today would be something she was going to have a tough time to live down.

In a flash, wow, that's ironic, she felt Ashton hug her middle before racing off along with Trip. He was perhaps too energetic for her liking, but she didn't hate them, let alone anyone in the mismatched team. Luckily the speedster didn't touch her bare skin, or else he certainly would've felt a dangerous shock. She let her eyes glance around the room again, shrugging over to the only other person left, Joshua. "I don't think my comment went down well." Ada's tone was sarcastic, and along with a small grin, it seemed she didn't regret it. But as she turned away picking up her things, the smile melted away. Paradoxically, she regretted it, and yet she was thankful for her rare hostility. At least Ada doesn't have the chance of getting close to anyone, which is something she feared, and a reason she didn't want to work with others.

There was nothing left to do but hunt out her room... 24. She entered and threw her belongings into a corner, where they'd likely stay for as long as she had to be here, no matter how much she would tell herself to do it. Cautiously, she sat on the bed, then lay down on it. It wasn't exactly her bed at home... proven by the fact her fingertips contact with the bed spawned a small fire. "Shit!" Ada sat up, grabbing the blanket and smothering it. Yes, she would definitely need to adjust this room to suit her abilities. Again, she lay down, though even more carefully, and not having to listen to any other bickering that occurred, or pay attention to anything, allowed her to sift through her thoughts. And from that, Ada's calm demeanor returned, at least in some sense, and she'd been missing that attitude since Batgirl informed her she'd be joining this new team. But being angry was not going to make this annoying experience any more bearable, in fact, it did the opposite. She let out a groan. Pleasing Batgirl felt impossible considering the hand she's been dealt.

 

[Arne]

Joshua Scott

"Heh. I like to think of myself as a 2.0 version, this time without constant need for charge." Joshua said with a smirk letting it more than clear that he wasn't as offended by the comment as he was amused at the Green Lantern's ability to keep his composure and instantly come up with a comeback. After all, he couldn't help but almost respect someone who could instantly recover a jab without even losing the smile on their face. Almost. "Gotta admit that I didn't get to fix my wood-related issues yet, but I do feel that it's a valid price to pay in exchange for a plethora of extra abilities that Lanterns can't even dream on having." He continued, the absolute nonchalance in his voice making it seem like he was actually actively trying to explain his thoughts to the Green Lantern rather than directly antagonize the other green-colored hero, though that was mostly debatable not only since the way he choose his words most certainly gave a condescending undertone to his sentence but also due to the clear playful wink that he directed to Ashton, as if letting him know that everything was under control.

"Well, I guess that in the end it's all a matter of point of vi-" He started as soon as he noticed how his words soured the black canary's mood, visibly trying to use an apologetic excuse to recover his mature attitude, though that was ultimately fooled by how the ever so irritated Atlantean suddenly turned back to the group and exploded not only with him and Trip but even Flux, that had seemingly already walked out of the conversation, instantly souring Joshua's mood.

"Dully noted, Riptide. Good to know you're as excited for this as everyone else." He said, the clear sarcasm in his normally nonchalant voice letting more than clear how displeased he was at the Atlantean's attitude - after all, he ultimately was one of the few willing members here and the attitude of the Atlantean up till now was undoubtedly what irked him the most, not only directly antagonizing the Hero himself but also harming the integrity of the team as a whole. "I hope you get to enjoy your time here as much as you enjoyed your period as a runaway." He finished, the Green of his eyes glowing unusually as he waited for the Atlanteans response.

However, the situation ultimately didn't escalate as far as he expect since before they got to say anything else to make the situation worse the Black Canary ended up finally losing her patience, directly sending them to their rooms - an order that Joshua was more that happy to obey, directly making his way towards the room assigned to him as soon as the heroine stopped talking, making only a brief stop to acknowledge Ashton as he took the time to greet him, though he barely had the time to voice a "Hi." before the speedster vanished from his surroundings and entered his own room - conveniently neighbouring Josh's own room.

What greeted Josh when he arrived at his own room was in no way special, being just the standard combination of bed and a carpet with the only differential of following his love for emerald and black plus quite a few books and posters that the youth had left behind in his previous stay with the League and a study table that was previously at his room in his parent's house - probably an extra sent by his father, specially when considering how it was filled with academic books that he most certainly purposefully left behind. Ultimately Joshua simply decided to sit in the bed for a while and quietly scroll through one of his old books as he waited for the training time. Hopefully, that would be at least marginally more successful than the team's introduction.​

 

[RingSlinger]

It started as a soft buzz at the base of his spine. A little rumble that crawled upwards, one bony disc at a time. We've ruined it. This could have been something real and permanent and we made a fool of ourselves in front of Black Canary and ALL of our team mates. He paused, continuing to lie on his back, staring straight up at the ceiling above him. Well I'm not apologizing. He blinked hard for a moment. I'll apologize to some of them. Maybe. I don't know.

"Buh." He said out loud to nobody.

With a grumble, he rolled to one side, staring towards the wall. It had only been a few minutes now and he had already grown very attached to this wall.

"Ring," he said out loud, rolling to back to his back, and nodding confidently, "Contact Lantern.... er..." he paused at this point. His instinct was to contact Lantern Gardner. But why? On some level Trip knew that the only thing he'd receive from Lantern Gardner was validation as to how he had just treated his new teammates, and that perhaps wasn't what he needed at that point.

"Contact Lantern... Rayner..." he said with a sigh. The validation from Guy might have been nice. Maybe they'd still be together and he'd still get some of that. He considered the two of them, flying together through the vacuum of space, Kyle's jet black hair whipping gracefully in the artificial atmosphere made within the bubble of his ring, Guy's short, buzzed cinnamon hair arched forward like a missile.

His attachment to the two older Lanterns was as pure as the driven snow. He could acknowledge that Lantern Rayner was objectively beautiful, and he understood how Guy would be at least someone's type, he simply couldn't bring himself to look at either man this way. He had gone, in a VERY short amount of time, from having zero dads to having two of them, and he didn't plan on doing anything that might shake that new familial relationship up. Guy pretended to loath it when he referred to the two lanterns as "My dads," but deep down the angry brawler found it endearing.

Kyle would talk him down. He'd like chastise him for some of his behavior, but he'd also give him advice and maybe help him figure out how to better interact with the other kids here.

"Lantern Rayner is currently unavailable," his ring chirped back to him a few moments later.

"Of course," he grumbled. He'd have to reason through this himself. He had a second chance in just a little bit to make a better impression. His banter with the Emerald Warden had at least been, on the surface of it, friendly. The speedster had hugged him. Flux had insulted him, and Karma hadn't said much to him. Riptide was... well... he had no misgivings about winning that young man over. At least not in any sort of short term scenario.

"Well," he said to himself aloud, shrugging before retreating to his thoughts. First Impressions are overrated. We'll just have to do better.

"Trip?" Lantern Rayner's voice called through the ring on his hand, "You tried to call? Is everything alright?"

"You know what I think it is."

"Trip that sounds disconcerting."

"Yeah I mean. You're not wrong. But I'm gonna figure it out."

"Well. I believe in you. So does Guy. We're going to be out of radio contact for a while on this mission... but I'll reach out to you just as soon as we're done... is that alright?"

"Of course," Trip replied, smiling as he sat up in his bed. "Be safe, you two. We'll trade updates next time you're able."

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Riptide​

Κύρος (Kýros)​

Location
The Cave

Tags The Succubi Queen

Rip didn't have much. He never needed much. With the exception of one suitcase, he was entirely unpacked with most of his belongings put up in a solid twenty minutes. A phone, charger, old radio clock. It didn't seem to get signal on any station, so really, just a digital clock. Considering his phone didn't get a signal either, it was likely intentional. He threw it all in a drawer. While he could have wasted a substantial amount of time letting himself be eaten by his last outburst, he had other ways of dealing with those negative emotions. Not all healthy, perhaps, but still. Ash'ra didn't let him bring any pot. Not that he had any in Atlantis, but you can best be assured he tried to convince her to stop by Coast City just for it. Probably best not to show up stoned anyway. Or maybe not? Depending on what he smoked, a stoned Riptide might be far more compliant.

Ideas for later.

Rip looked to his last suitcase. It wasn't quite like the others. It was the one given to him by Ash'ra. She said it was the best the Conservatory could come up with to suit his abilities. He unlatched the solid, steel hinges and inside of it was a vest. Not modified armor like he once used. This was built to suit him, and he never liked added bulk. Rip had to smile at the details put into the vest. Six channels were dug into the straps that held it in place. Those would give his arms a place to rest. He wasn't sure what material it was, but he knew it was solid and lightweight. There was so little of it on the front and sides that it didn't need to be flexible. It was almost like wearing nothing at all.

In fact, when he put it on, he did so shirtless. Once he did, a whole new feature arose. Runes on the vest glowed faintly for just a moment, matching the runes that covered his body. He wasn't sure what it did, but it felt natural. The back of the vest was the real customized portion. Form-fit to his back was a series of water-containing compartments. Following the natural line of his tattoos were outlets for those compartments and six holes that aligned on his back. It felt perfect. When the magic flowed through him and he brought the water to life, summoning his tendrils, it was almost thoughtless. On land, this had to be the easiest sorcery had ever been.

And, somehow with six large tendrils each roughly six feet long, he could still feel water in the back. Not a lot. Perhaps a third or less. Enough to replace a tendril or two, or manipulate the ones he had. It was an important note to make, however, given whatever he had on him would be all he had if there was no available source.

There was one thing left in the case. Something far less... progressive. Something more traditional. Left under the vest was a solid, brass-colored "A" in the same font Aquaman and Aqualad had used. It was embed into a piece of material similar to the rest of his vest. It didn't take long to figure out what it was or where it went. A large gap in the vest over his bare chest had perfect grooves for the symbol to rest in, and if it acted as a fastener, it made even more sense given the straps didn't have one. An Atlantean symbol wasn't his thing... at all. But, he was enthralled enough by this vest otherwise that he pressed it into place.

It didn't just pop in. It sealed in with a bright flash of teal light that followed the rest of the runes. The vest locked into place onto his body, making that natural feel he had previously shift into feeling like this vest was an extension of himself. Like flesh itself. He could feel the magic flowing through it like the blood in his veins. Like the currents in the ocean. Like the pull of the moon on slow, ocean tides. He knew it was there. If it wasn't for an odd, indescribable feeling that overwhelmed him at the idea they would give this to him, he would have been irritated that to acquire this feeling, he had to wear the symbol of Aquaman. But, this time, he was appreciative. In his own way.

This wasn't how he intended on clearing his mind, though. It sure helped. Instead, he took a seat on the cold, concrete ground and decided to try something else. Something that they taught in the Conservatory and very few actually picked up. Feeling the world around them. Rip found himself able to do this, with a clear mind. In fact, it was how he conjured the massive waves that earned him his moniker. Once on the cold ground, he let each of his tendrils harden and literally drill through the ground itself until he was anchored deeply to the floor. Each one of them were almost like magical antennae and now he cleared his mind to reach out into the Cave.

The place definitely had magical residue. His mind released whatever he felt about Trip and Josh to instead tap into the magical lifeline of the Cave. He didn't know anyone of its past, but he could feel the remnants of spells used by Zatanna. Chaos magic that was used by a magician far more powerful than him. He could feel that previous Atlanteans used their magic here as well. He could feel the Cave. The more clear his mind became, the stronger his connection became, and the more he could feel. The strong taste of this sorcery radiated from his room, but more importantly...

He realized he wasn't the only user of magic in the group. No. He could feel another.

 

[The Succubi Queen]

KarmaInteracting with: Arne
Mentioned: All
Karma sighed, heavily- if anyone else was in the hall, they probably would have heard it. She had basically nothing to unpack. 2 changes of clothes, which she'd have to replace sooner rather than later, they were s ragged, and now, a plant. She fiddled with the ring on her fingers, twisting them back and forth while she pondered- what had she yet to do? She had more time than she needed to prepare- she didn't exactly have a hero uniform- unless Canary had magically supplied one of those for her too. Just the jumpsuit she liked to work in... she'd change into that when they actually had work. Her skirt was fine for now.

Her stomach rumbled- when had she last eaten? Canary had fed her dinner last night, in the small hotel room Karma had been staying in for the past week or so, but she had been too nervous to eat more than half a meatball and some pasta. She was regretting it now, and well... the meeting with her team had gone better than expected. No one had immediately recognized her as a henchmen they'd fought in the past. The rest of this would be easy enough, if she didn't accidentally set the building on fire or put them all underwater. Food was probably the best idea.

Maybe, just maybe, she could use it as a chance to socialize? Canary would be on her case forever if she didn't make at least one 'friend'- she'd told Karma as much over dinner the previous night. She had to get to know her teammates, and prove to Canary she could be an actual asset to the team. She was starting to wonder if any of this was worth it. "Oh my god, Anjali, just talk to someone- it's not like you're a freak with two heads." She chastised herself. Now she was commited, just to prove it to herself, as well as Canary, that she could function like a regular human: she would find someone, and ask them to help her find the kitchen. She stood, leaving her bag on the bed, and walked out of the room, running a hand through her hair, fixing it up just a bit for anyone who cared to notice.

She started at the room she had seen Riptide enter. A part of her recalled what she'd heard him say to Canary as they had both made their way to their rooms. She had decided he was tolerable, in that moment, provided he didn't actually flirt with her too much. She'd dealt with enough sleazy men in her life, between the Fearsome Five's seedy associates. She hoped Riptide's pick-up lines were more innocent in nature. But before she actually knocked on the door, she hesitated. She could sense water- a lot of it, moving around. He was using magic. He had seemed a little hostile earlier- she didn't want to deal with a hot-headed Atlantean who was channelling magic. They'd probably have time to relate on their similar powers later.

She then eliminated the Green Lantern, and Flux. They're be just as lost as she was in this maze of a cave, and she'd rather not waste all her time looking for the kitchen, rather than being in it. And the Impulse kid seemed eager to help, but she wasn't sure she actually wanted to talk to him. So that left....

She knocked on the door that she had spotted Emerald Warden going into, hoping he actually cared to socialize. "Hey- where's the kitchen? I need to eat, and this place is confusing as heck."

 

[Arne]

Joshua Scott

Joshua couldn't help but frown as he once more lost his focus his thoughts once more drifting far away from the book he was trying to read to the utter failure that was the team interaction, constantly replaying the events that just happened inside his mind as if trying to force himself to realize how much of a mess he could've avoided if he was at least a bit more tactful - and truth being said, that pretty much resumed the young adult's own thoughts about the situation: Whether he wanted or not he was not only a veteran but also one of older members of the team, and the fact that he actually lost control over his attitude just because of the unexpected appearance of a green lantern amongst the team's members was undoubtedly a major disappointment, specially when considering how he was in front of actual heroines that could as well be counted as his superiors.

It was under such a conflicted state of mind that the Josh was when his door was knocked, and it was under a similarly distracted state of mind that he opened the door to his room while still carrying the book he was supposed to be reading, taking about 3 seconds of awkward silence before he escaped from his daze and realized that not only it was one of his new teammates that was standing in front of his doorway but that she was also apparently asking something that he failed to register immediately.

"Uhh... Kitchen?" He awkwardly voiced in the following moment - just enough time for him to realize what she was talking about - taking a couple extra moments to recover from his sudden break of character and answer to his own question. "It's just down that corridor, together with the loun-..." He started, just to immediately stop himself again and start yet another new sentence over his unfinished one. "Now that I think about it, I actually didn't eat anything since the last afternoon. Just follow me, I'll take you there and take the opportunity to have a snack before training." He said, putting the book that he still carried over his study table without even bothering to mark the page and directly leaving his room to make casually his way towards the kitchen while occasionally throwing a glance to Karma, as if to make sure she was actually following him - a clear sign of how terribly anxious he was.
​

Interacting with: Karma ( The Succubi Queen )​

 

[The Succubi Queen]

KarmaInteracting with: Arne
Just her luck- he had been busy. Studying something. Great, now she was the annoying girl who bothered people. Still, it was nice of him to offer to show her, so many not a total annoyance? She noted that he had taken a moment to register what she asked. Had she spoken too fast?

"Oh, yeah. Sure." She followed him, not quite sure what to say to him as he led her to the kitchen. He kept glancing back towards her- either to figure out if she was actually following him, or trying to guard against an attack from behind. Did he know? Was he scared of her? Had she given herself away already? But, she wasn't going to play her hand yet. Best to play it safe, and if he challenged her, she could always just kill him and run away before someone caught her. She didn't like killing much, and they'd catch her again sooner rather than later, but she wouldn't be any worse than when she'd started.

So their walk to the kitchen progress in silence. When they had finally arrived, she managed to find a safe topic. "What were you reading?" Part of her wanted to ask why it had been so long since he'd eaten- did his mentor not feed him? That could either be a good or bad thing, depending on what Josh's situation was, so she didn't really want to broach the topic just yet.

She opened a cupboard, and found some bread. Surely there was butter in the fridge. Toast wasn't exactly a meal, but carbs would tide her over for a bit, right? "What are you having?" She asked, pulling down the bag of sliced bread, and pulling out two slices. She then phanagled the small plastic tab back on the bag, and returned the loaf to its cupboard.

She looked around the kitchen. Wait. Where was the toaster. Surely they had a toaster in this high tech superhero dorm building. But she wasn't going to ask, only to have him point it out somewhere stupid and make her feel like an idiot. Maybe just... "Hey, put this in the toaster for me, I'm gonna grab butter." She handed him the plate, not waiting for a response, instead making her way right towards the fridge, and opening it with a cold whoosh of air. Now where the heck did the Little Leaguers keep their butter?

 

[Arne]

Joshua Scott

Luckily for Joshua, it didn't seem that Karma actually noticed all the anxiety in his actions, as the girl nonchalantly accepted his offer and actually tried to start a conversation with him once they reached their destination, directly asking him about the book he was reading in a seemingly attempt of breaking the awkwardness between the two of them - something that Joshua himself was planning to do as soon as possible.

"Just a random study guide that I left on my old room by accident." He said as he made his way towards the stove, unceremoniously grabbing one of the frying pans and examining its surface as he talked, seemingly checking how clean it was - an habit he developed due to his last stay in the cave, as some of the junior heroes were a tad too lax with their cleaning of the kitchen utensils. "I wasn't really paying attention to it though, only wanted to clear my mind for a bit and felt that reading would help." He quickly added before putting down the perfectly clean pan, realizing that his words could make the girl misunderstand the situation and think that she actually disturbed him in the middle of a study session.

Fortunately, it didn't seem that the girl took his words in a weird way, as she quickly proceeded to continue making some small talk, successfully driving away any awkwardness that may have arose from their previous interactions. "Probably a couple toasts and fryed eggs... If someone didn't clean the fridge already, that is. Ashton tends to do that pretty often." He mentioned as he made his way to fetch a plate from the cupboard, carefully putting it besides the fridge before once more turning towards the girl, intending to fetch the eggs and butter from the fridge at once.

Before he could actually realize his planning, though, the girl unceremoniously gave him her plate instead, asking him to put the bread on it in the toaster for her in a casual way that actually made the man feel pretty glad - after all, it was good to know least one of his teammates wasn't downright antagonistic. "Sure thing, ma'am. I'd appreciate if you could grab a couple eggs for me too... And extra ones if you also want some. Since I'm already at it, could as well let you have a taste of my amazing culinary skills." He chuckled, clearly amused by the situation. It was more than clear that the original awkwardness that he felt was more than gone now, as he even had a small smile in his face as he made his way towards the shelf that held the toaster while simultaneously making use of his powers to make a small hand-shaped construct to fetch a couple extra toasts from the table for him. "By the way, the butter is normally hidden in the lower door shelf to avoid the eyes of hungry speedsters so I'd check there first if I were you."
​

Interacting with: Karma ( The Succubi Queen )​