I think gaps in his knowledge actually help his case. If it was a perfect recall it would be suspicious.
Life Is But A Game [Young Justice/Gamer SI]
- Thread starter ZFighter18
- Start date
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
It's not perfect recall, it's just remembering important information. Batman Comic Books!
Genesis 1.8
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
Genesis 1.8
HAPPY HARBOR MALL
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 11TH, 2:36 EDT
After coming to terms with the fact that he was a partly amnesiac universal immigrant, there were some things that Zeke had quickly understood, chief among those the idea that things would not exactly be as he expected in the DC Universe. Even further, that certain parts of the world wouldn't match up with what pop culture he could remember from his old life.
Dragon Ball not existing was sad, but it was far from unexpected. After all, what was the point of having a Japanese Superman character when the actual Superman was already a real thing, flying around and fighting all the giant monsters and kaiju? Pokemon not being a thing was also a letdown but apparently, it's place had been taken over by Digimon which was… interesting, to say the least.
This, though? Zeke wasn't sure how to feel about this.
His lips pursed as he leaned forward on the glass counter, purposely ignoring the dirty look he was getting from the clerk not too far from him. I mean, it makes sense - diversify your portfolio or whatever - but still… weird.
Zeke's train of thought switched rapidly, shifting from inquisitive confusion to excitement as another blue box replaced the previous one.
As weird as it may have looked, the excitement he was displaying was entirely justified. At least it was, in his opinion. After a month with almost no luck, he had somehow created a new skill just the other day, the notification for it appearing almost out of nowhere.
Shocked at the sudden appearance of a brand-new skill out of nowhere, Zeke found himself performing a glorious spit take, drenching the table in front of him with milk and cereal. Unbelieving eyes blinked at the notification, only for it to vanish in front of his eyes after a few moments.
A low growling noise made its way into his ears, the sound disrupting his feeling of shock and bringing him back down to earth.
Glancing up, Zeke found himself facing Superboy, the Boy of Steel glaring murderously at him as soggy cornflakes and droplets of milk dripped from his upper body. A little off to the side, Miss Martian seemed to shift between a mortified expression and a constipated one, the green girl obviously holding back the urge to laugh.
Zeke gave the clone a weak grin. "... My bad."
Zeke wasn't exactly sure how staring really hard at Superboy had ended up creating him a skill, considering how he didn't get anything from the act but a notification box full of question marks. Strangely enough, the cereal accident hadn't done anything to help his relationship with Superboy at all, the clone still as heated as ever towards him.
Thankfully, Superboy hadn't gotten to that same level of anger from his first day in the cave. Otherwise, Zeke doubted he could feel safe while in the cave's gym, especially when Superboy seemed to spend even more time in there than he did.
"Zeke!"
The kid jerked to attention, head snapping up as a deep voice called out his name. His musing cut short, Zeke hurriedly stepped away from the "LexGo" on the counter to the obvious relief of the clerk and quickly turned around, internally grimacing at the sight of the man standing at the doorway to the game store.
"I take it you have a good reason as to why you went off on your own?" Blue eyes narrowed at the boy, making him have to fight the urge to wince at the question. Thick arms folded over his chest as he awaited an answer, solidifying the stereotypical pose of an annoyed adult. And to the eyes of those who were looking towards him right now, that's all he appeared to be.
Not Captain Atom, quantum-powered member of the Justice League.
Just an annoyed adult.
Albeit a tall, muscular and white-haired one.
Unsure of what to say, Zeke gave him a sheepish grin, even as the taller man stared down at him with a stern expression.
"Uhhh, you see," Blue eyes narrowed further and this time Zeke couldn't help the urge to wince. Well aware that 'Oooh, shiny' probably wasn't gonna be a reason that his mentor would accept, Zeke shook his head slowly. "No… not really. I just got… uh, distracted," he replied, casting a glance back at the white device resting on the display counter. He couldn't help but be drawn to the futuristic looking console, the shiny golden L on it drawing his attention. "There's a lot of cool stuff in here."
"We're supposed to be getting you some clothes, not…" Captain Atom gestured at the video games and consoles that lined the walls of the store, muscles visible underneath the blue dress shirt he had on, "playing around with these…these things."
"Sorry… again," he parroted, offering the captain a lame shrug in addition to the grin, neither seeming to soften the look on the man's face. Zeke frowned slightly as the words left his mouth, realizing how weak the apology sounded as well. Is there a better way to say 'sorry' than sorry?
The white-haired man shook his head, his arms dropping down to his sides. "Just don't do it again." With that said, Captain Atom began to make his way out of the aptly named 'Games and Stuff', Zeke quickly following behind. "We still have to find you something to fill your closet."
Brushing shoulders as he squeezed through a group of people crowding outside the game store, he tilted his head at the statement. "Actua- excuse me", Zeke cut himself off to shoot a dirty look at an older teen who had bumped into him, the guy not even bothering to look back.
"Jerk."
Turning back to Captain Atom's steadily retreating form, Zeke's eyes widened slightly as he realized the incognito superhero hadn't bothered to slow down as he made his way through the mall's summer crowds with his military gait. With a sigh, the young man shook his head and began to pick up the pace.
"I… uh, I actually don't have a closet," Zeke corrected as he caught up to the captain, trying to keep the conversation going. Walking even faster to keep up with his mentor's long strides, he glanced up at the man, one side of his mouth turned down in an odd frown as he spoke up again. "It's more of a set of dressers, to be honest."
Captain Atom nodded curtly. "Well, then, we'll fill those up."
The conversation ended there, Captain Atom's simple response leaving Zeke unsure of what to say to keep it going. Other than information of what he knew of the Justice League and a few questions on how he had liked S.T.A.R. Labs, he and the captain had never talked much in. After all, it wasn't like there was much they had in common.
So many radical differences and cultural roadblocks existed in general that Zeke was working overtime not to come off like a rube, constantly looking stuff up on his S.T.A.R. Tab. Thankfully, Miss Martian was pretty much in the same situation as he was, having just come over from Mars like a week ago. For all Zeke knew, Superboy was in the same boat as well, but he couldn't say that with any certainty. Apart from intense glaring, Superboy wasn't really in the mood to communicate.
Again, the young teen had to give thanks for the fact that Miss Martian was around, the green girl managing to draw Superboy's attention away from him with her perky attitude.Talk about silver linings, Zeke mused with a tilt of his head. Man, if it wasn't for her, Superboy might have actually put me through a wall by now.
"Ah, here we are."
Pulled out of his thoughts, Zeke glanced over at his mentor, the man nodding to himself as he came to a stop in front of what was obviously a clothing store, the mannequins in the windows already making that clear.
Huh. Forever Sixteen Suburban Outfitters. Zeke let out a slight hum as he read the sign above the glass double doors. His face turned down into a slight frown, the expression one of confusion rather than displeasure. Why does that sound familiar?
"Let's head on in." Zeke turned to face the captain, the man's large hand patting him on the shoulder as he stepped forward. "Best not to waste any time."
Captain Atom pushed open the door, the glass pane swinging open at the same time as someone else seemed to be pulling it from the other side. Nearly slamming her face into the glass, a woman stumbled forward into the doorway as she left the store.
"Pardon me, ma'am." Stepping back and out of the woman's way, Captain Atom pushed the door open wider and held it for the woman, nodding at her to go on ahead. "Allow me."
"Oh, a gentleman." The woman gave Captain Atom a smile that Zeke thought might have been pretty if her eyes also weren't trailing up and down his mentor's body. Altogether, it was a lick of the lips away from being full-on creepy. "That's nice to see."
"It's no problem, ma'am," Captain Atom responded, hand still on the door. "Just common manners."
"I wish," the woman added, punctuating the sentence with a wink. "But thank you all the same."
Is this really happening right now? Rolling his eyes at the obvious attempt at flirting, Zeke waited for her to move out of the way.
Nearly an entire fifteen seconds later, he was still waiting.
Instead of moving on like he expected, the lady continued to exchange glances with Captain Atom, the man still dutifully holding the door for her with all the patience in the world. Zeke's eyelids drooped, his shoulders slumping slightly as he realized she wasn't gonna move on her own.
Okay, let's wrap this up. Stepping forward slightly to fall into place next to Captain Atom, the teen let out a loud, obnoxious throat-clearing noise, drawing both of the adult's attention onto him.
The woman seemed to stall, her train of thought coming to a screeching halt, as her eyes landed on Zeke. Her gaze switching back and forth between Captain Atom and Zeke several times, slowly enough that he could swear he saw the gears turning in her head. A smile appeared on her face, this one slightly forced, as she stared down at the boy sending her a bored look.
"Well," she began, after a long moment of awkward silence, "I'll just be going, then."
Captain Atom nodded, as patient as ever. "I wouldn't want to keep you."
"That's… Thank you again." The woman nodded hesitantly, giving him an awkward grin and a wave before quickly retreating into the passing throng of people, leaving Captain Atom and Zeke to walk into the store, albeit at a much more measured pace.
"Mmm" Zeke lifted his eyebrows as they entered, letting out a low breath of air. "That was kinda… weird, right?" Not as weird as a time-travelling silver man that can fly, but still weird.
"Was it?" Captain Atom let out a soft laugh as he spoke, pausing his stride for a moment as he glanced over at Zeke. "I couldn't tell."
Oookay. Pursing his lips, Zeke opened his mouth to say something but, as he noticed the smile on Captain Atom's face, he decided not to ask the question on his mind. Odds were the man already knew.
Honestly, how couldn't he know?
It didn't take any sort of super-powered eyes to see that Captain Atom's human form was only slightly less attention grabbing than his superhero look, in Zeke's honest opinion. While there wasn't any rush of people clamoring for a photo or an autograph or whatever, Zeke couldn't help but notice the steadily increasing number of women, both older and close to his age, whose attention seemed drawn to his mentor as the man walked by them. Huh, that must be nice.
"Zeke."
"Huh?" Blinking, the young man brought his attention back to his mentor, the man standing near a rack of clothes in a random aisle. Holding up a black shirt with a familiar red S on the front, his mentor tilted his head towards him.
"Any interest in these?"
HAPPY HARBOR MALL
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 11TH, 3:19 EDT
"So,why are we here again?" Zeke asked, glancing around the store they were in with a half-hearted expression. Both of hands were free, despite the fact that less than five minutes ago, he had been laden down with several large bags full of clothes. One trip to the bathroom later and his inventory had several new additions.
Eyes focused on the tall shelf full of books in front of him, Captain Atom didn't turn to look at Zeke. Instead, he let out a low sigh, his mouth turning down into a slight frown. "I'm just trying to find something important. It won't take long."
In a bookstore? Zeke tilted his head to the side, lips pursed in obvious confusion. I mean, books are good and all, but important? "No problem, I'll just wait over there," Zeke replied, gesturing over his shoulder towards a set of comfortable-looking overstuffed chairs near the front of the bookstore.
"Go ahead. I'll be done in a short while." Captain Atom said with a nod, the man folding his arms over his chest as he turned back to the bookshelf.
As he began to walk away, Zeke glanced over his shoulder again to see the captain picking up several books and flipping through them before replacing them back on the shelf. By itself, it didn't seem all that weird but the specific category of books he seemed interested in did make Zeke more than a little curious. I wonder why a superhero would be in the self-help section.
Shrugging off the thought, he walked over to the section full of furniture and dropped himself into the thick leather chair, letting out a sigh as he felt himself sinking deep into the piece of furniture. His action didn't go unnoticed by one of the store workers and a few store-goers, the clerk in question looking over at him… questioningly.
Returning the clerk's look with a faux-innocent grin and a not-at-all-mocking wave, the kid leaned back into the leather chair. Man, this is one nice chair, he thought as he nodded to himself. It's actually comfortable, too. Better than the ones in the Cave by a long shot.
He leaned further back and closed his eyes, nestling the back of his head into the material in an attempt to maximize his comfortability. Now, if it only was a recliner. That'd be heaven. The armchair let out its own noise as he continued to settle into it, a small little squeak of leather that Zeke couldn't help but snicker at, the sound just similar enough to a fart to trigger his sense of humor.
A moment later, there was another noise, this one both not quite as funny and not from the chair. Zeke opened his eyes, a slightly annoyed bent to his expression as he glanced down at his stomach. A moment later, his stomach growled again.
"Aww crap," Zeke let out an exasperated breath as his stomach continued protesting, the churning feeling in his abdomen just adding to his general feeling of annoyance. Shaking his head, Zeke reached into his pocket, the whispered words of "Inventory" on his lips and the image of what he wanted in his head.
As he pulled his hand back out of his jeans pocket, he held a thick golden object in his grasp, the plastic crinkling as the item left a pocket that really shouldn't have fit it. Glancing down at the bar in his hands, Zeke whispered another word. "Observe."
The Kalteen bars had been one of the few things that he had received while at S.T.A.R. Labs, along with the jumpsuits and the tablet device. Apparently, the bars were supposed to fix his malnutrition problem, or so they had told him. It wasn't like he doubted what the lab-coats said, to be honest. No, he was just wondering how long the whole thing was supposed to take. Almost a whole month of having these bars twice a day and I'm still seeing malnourished on my status.Taking another bite of the bar, Zeke sunk lower into the seat. I seriously need that status effect gone if I'm gonna get anywhere.
It was an annoyance, to be honest. Putting in hours of work most days trying to make himself stronger and for what? All of that effort just to see his stats get slashed by a third and his health decimated by a status effect that he couldn't remove. Zeke turned his head to the side, pausing in the middle of a sigh as he spotted Captain Atom approaching him. As he had just begun to get comfortable, he couldn't help but grouse under his breath, "That was quick."
"I suppose so," Captain Atom nodded, not missing a beat as he responded. "I did say I wouldn't take long, after all. Are you ready to head back?"
Why not? Shrugging, Zeke pocketed the remainder of the Kalteen bar and pulled himself off of the chair. "If you are."
"Actually," the captain responded, his voice low, "I forgot to ask. Are you sure you didn't want to pick out something for yourself? You mentioned that you remembered spending a lot of time reading before."
He remembered that? Zeke raised an eyebrow. I mentioned that like almost a month ago, though. "Well, yeah, but most of that was sci-fi and like regular comics and…" Zeke paused, wondering if the captain would understand what manga was, "... stuff." Yeah, let's go with stuff.
"Comics, huh?" Captain Atom nodded distantly, one hand rising to cup his chin. His eyes fell to Zeke again, the man wearing a slight smile as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You wouldn't happen to have read any Captain Atom, have you?"
What! Zeke's eyes widened, blinking rapidly as the captain's words left him reeling. "What?" His words echoed his thoughts, mouth open as he tried to think of what to say other than the same syllable. "I m-m-mean, Captain Atom? Me? Why… why would there be any Captain Atom comics?" The last sentence was said with as much surprise as he could fake on the spot, which was surprisingly a lot.
Captain Atom tilted his head, giving Zeke a questioning look. "Are you alright?"
"... I'm good, yeah," he responded with a forced grin, eyes darting around to make sure that no one was paying attention to him after his outburst. "Just surprised. Are you.. You're in comics?"
"Well, not me, exactly, but yes, Captain Atom is… was a comic book." He spoke the words in a lowered tone of voice, low enough that only the two of them could hear, the man looking over Zeke's head as he continued speaking. "Charlton Comics was big when I was your age and they had a hero called Captain Atom. Even though I was a bit too old for the books, he was still my favorite hero."
The incognito superhero nodded his head at his own words, still not even looking at the young man in front of him. "Then… well, you know, I ended up like my hero, white hair and all." His gaze seeming to refocus, Captain Atom dropped a hand on Zeke's shoulder and the young man stared up at the thin flat line of his mouth, the expression threatening to turn into a frown at any moment. "Between you and me, I'd never thought I'd have to take the name but..."
Captain Atom paused and let his words trail off there before, all of a sudden, his blank expression turned up into a smile that Zeke wasn't sure he believed. "But enough about me. That's old news. This is about you. Are you sure you don't want to pick up a book?"
"Umm," Zeke frowned in thought for a moment, glancing back at the shelves. He opened his mouth to respond in the negative, only to pause as his eyes landed on a single title laid out on a stand. As he read the cover, a slight smile pulled at the side of his mouth.
"Now that you mention it…"
HAPPY HARBOR MALL
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 11TH, 3:27 EDT
A book by the Richard Dragon?
And for only $9.99, too?
Talk about a deal!
The guy was like the Iron Fist of the DC universe, or… something like that. Right? I mean, he doesn't have the glowy fist and all but he can use ki, right? Or is it chi… or qi? Zeke frowned, glancing off to the side as he tried to recall what exactly Richard Dragon did other than supposedly being really really good at punching stuff. He can…
He blinked, pursing his lips slightly.
Huh. As nothing seemed to come to him, Zeke shrugged. Whether or not he knew exactly what Richard Dragon could do, the man was supposed to be way better than Lady Shiva and Bronze Tiger, and those guys were supposed to be better at fighting than Batman.
A better fighter than the Batman.
That had to count for something, right?
Also, there was the fact that the guy's name was literally Dick Dragon.
Really, it was only thanks to what little self-control Zeke had that prevented him from breaking out laughing every time that name came into his thoughts. Well, that... Zeke tilted his head to the side and pulled a face, ...and the fact that I'd have to explain to the captain why I'm laughing like I just snorted Joker Gas. He shook his head at the image, letting out a slight snort at the same time.
Speaking of Captain Atom...
Zeke turned to the side and gave his mentor a glance, the both of them walking at a rather steady pace as they made their way through the mall parking lot. A slight smile spread across his face and, after a moment, he opened his mouth. "Hey, Captain, thanks for today… all this. It was… It was nice."
The captain gave a slight shake of the head at Zeke's words, an odd look in his eyes as he turned his head to face his protege."You don't need to thank me at all, Zeke. I just thought you'd need something else to wear," the captain responded, one eyebrow raised. "Other than a jumpsuit at least. If I can't do that much for you, then what was the point of me taking you on?"
Zeke's smile perked up, the side of his mouth threatening to turn into a full-on grin. "I guess you're right."
"In fact…" Captain Atom slowed his pace slightly, his hand reaching into the white plastic bag emblazoned with the words 'Litteralis Bookstore' on it. "There's something else that I felt I should get for you." Pulling his hand out from the bag, his mentor held a book out to Zeke, the man seeming to study the teen's face. "I felt you might need it."
Unsure of what exactly to say, Zeke silently placed his other book under his arm so that he could look over what Captain Atom was offering him. As he grabbed hold of the softcover, he stared for a few seconds before uttering a single word under his breath. "Observe."
"It helped me when I needed it." Captain Atom's expression turned downwards into a frown for a moment, before returning back to a flat, stoic line. "When I came back a few years ago, I was a mess. The world had changed and everything… everyone had left me behind. I couldn't even rely on myself to be the same. It took me a while to figure out exactly what I could do and even longer to get it under control. I don't think your situations all that different."
The captain tapped the book in Zeke's grip with a single finger before continuing in a low voice. "Honestly, a book just like this is what helped me get there."
"Seriously, captain…" Zeke raised his hand, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he tried to find something better to say than a simple 'Thanks' for like the fifth time in just as many minutes. Moments passed and no words came to mind, and the boy sighed, willing to accept defeat. "...Thank you."
Captain Atom gave a soft little laugh, shaking his head as he dropped an arm onto Zeke's shoulder. "You're welcome, son. Just do me one favor," The man paused, taking in a slight breath that Zeke knew very well that he didn't need.
"Yeah?"
"...Call me Nate."
Ability Learned: Basic Martial Arts
Ability Learned: Breathing Control
Ability Learned: Meditation
Basic Martial Arts: Lvl Up!
1→2
Breathing Control: Lvl Up!
1→2
Meditation: Lvl Up!
1→2
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
HAPPY HARBOR MALL
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 11TH, 2:36 EDT
After coming to terms with the fact that he was a partly amnesiac universal immigrant, there were some things that Zeke had quickly understood, chief among those the idea that things would not exactly be as he expected in the DC Universe. Even further, that certain parts of the world wouldn't match up with what pop culture he could remember from his old life.
Dragon Ball not existing was sad, but it was far from unexpected. After all, what was the point of having a Japanese Superman character when the actual Superman was already a real thing, flying around and fighting all the giant monsters and kaiju? Pokemon not being a thing was also a letdown but apparently, it's place had been taken over by Digimon which was… interesting, to say the least.
This, though? Zeke wasn't sure how to feel about this.
...Huh. That's… The slightly puzzled expression on his face didn't fade, even as he continued to stare at the device in front of him, one eyebrow raised. Well, that's just plain weird. Lex Luthor does games? And I guess, he tilted his head to the side as he looked over the description on the blue box of text once more, so does Bruce Wayne for some reason.
His lips pursed as he leaned forward on the glass counter, purposely ignoring the dirty look he was getting from the clerk not too far from him. I mean, it makes sense - diversify your portfolio or whatever - but still… weird.
Zeke's train of thought switched rapidly, shifting from inquisitive confusion to excitement as another blue box replaced the previous one.
Nice! Leaning away from the counter as the notification popped into his line of sight out of nowhere, Zeke thrust his hands up, rapidly fist-pumping the air in quick succession. Another one! Another one, baby!
As weird as it may have looked, the excitement he was displaying was entirely justified. At least it was, in his opinion. After a month with almost no luck, he had somehow created a new skill just the other day, the notification for it appearing almost out of nowhere.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Yesterday
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Yesterday
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Shocked at the sudden appearance of a brand-new skill out of nowhere, Zeke found himself performing a glorious spit take, drenching the table in front of him with milk and cereal. Unbelieving eyes blinked at the notification, only for it to vanish in front of his eyes after a few moments.
A low growling noise made its way into his ears, the sound disrupting his feeling of shock and bringing him back down to earth.
Glancing up, Zeke found himself facing Superboy, the Boy of Steel glaring murderously at him as soggy cornflakes and droplets of milk dripped from his upper body. A little off to the side, Miss Martian seemed to shift between a mortified expression and a constipated one, the green girl obviously holding back the urge to laugh.
Zeke gave the clone a weak grin. "... My bad."
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Now
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Now
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Zeke wasn't exactly sure how staring really hard at Superboy had ended up creating him a skill, considering how he didn't get anything from the act but a notification box full of question marks. Strangely enough, the cereal accident hadn't done anything to help his relationship with Superboy at all, the clone still as heated as ever towards him.
Thankfully, Superboy hadn't gotten to that same level of anger from his first day in the cave. Otherwise, Zeke doubted he could feel safe while in the cave's gym, especially when Superboy seemed to spend even more time in there than he did.
"Zeke!"
The kid jerked to attention, head snapping up as a deep voice called out his name. His musing cut short, Zeke hurriedly stepped away from the "LexGo" on the counter to the obvious relief of the clerk and quickly turned around, internally grimacing at the sight of the man standing at the doorway to the game store.
"I take it you have a good reason as to why you went off on your own?" Blue eyes narrowed at the boy, making him have to fight the urge to wince at the question. Thick arms folded over his chest as he awaited an answer, solidifying the stereotypical pose of an annoyed adult. And to the eyes of those who were looking towards him right now, that's all he appeared to be.
Not Captain Atom, quantum-powered member of the Justice League.
Just an annoyed adult.
Albeit a tall, muscular and white-haired one.
Unsure of what to say, Zeke gave him a sheepish grin, even as the taller man stared down at him with a stern expression.
"Uhhh, you see," Blue eyes narrowed further and this time Zeke couldn't help the urge to wince. Well aware that 'Oooh, shiny' probably wasn't gonna be a reason that his mentor would accept, Zeke shook his head slowly. "No… not really. I just got… uh, distracted," he replied, casting a glance back at the white device resting on the display counter. He couldn't help but be drawn to the futuristic looking console, the shiny golden L on it drawing his attention. "There's a lot of cool stuff in here."
"We're supposed to be getting you some clothes, not…" Captain Atom gestured at the video games and consoles that lined the walls of the store, muscles visible underneath the blue dress shirt he had on, "playing around with these…these things."
"Sorry… again," he parroted, offering the captain a lame shrug in addition to the grin, neither seeming to soften the look on the man's face. Zeke frowned slightly as the words left his mouth, realizing how weak the apology sounded as well. Is there a better way to say 'sorry' than sorry?
The white-haired man shook his head, his arms dropping down to his sides. "Just don't do it again." With that said, Captain Atom began to make his way out of the aptly named 'Games and Stuff', Zeke quickly following behind. "We still have to find you something to fill your closet."
Brushing shoulders as he squeezed through a group of people crowding outside the game store, he tilted his head at the statement. "Actua- excuse me", Zeke cut himself off to shoot a dirty look at an older teen who had bumped into him, the guy not even bothering to look back.
"Jerk."
Turning back to Captain Atom's steadily retreating form, Zeke's eyes widened slightly as he realized the incognito superhero hadn't bothered to slow down as he made his way through the mall's summer crowds with his military gait. With a sigh, the young man shook his head and began to pick up the pace.
"I… uh, I actually don't have a closet," Zeke corrected as he caught up to the captain, trying to keep the conversation going. Walking even faster to keep up with his mentor's long strides, he glanced up at the man, one side of his mouth turned down in an odd frown as he spoke up again. "It's more of a set of dressers, to be honest."
Captain Atom nodded curtly. "Well, then, we'll fill those up."
The conversation ended there, Captain Atom's simple response leaving Zeke unsure of what to say to keep it going. Other than information of what he knew of the Justice League and a few questions on how he had liked S.T.A.R. Labs, he and the captain had never talked much in. After all, it wasn't like there was much they had in common.
So many radical differences and cultural roadblocks existed in general that Zeke was working overtime not to come off like a rube, constantly looking stuff up on his S.T.A.R. Tab. Thankfully, Miss Martian was pretty much in the same situation as he was, having just come over from Mars like a week ago. For all Zeke knew, Superboy was in the same boat as well, but he couldn't say that with any certainty. Apart from intense glaring, Superboy wasn't really in the mood to communicate.
Again, the young teen had to give thanks for the fact that Miss Martian was around, the green girl managing to draw Superboy's attention away from him with her perky attitude.Talk about silver linings, Zeke mused with a tilt of his head. Man, if it wasn't for her, Superboy might have actually put me through a wall by now.
"Ah, here we are."
Pulled out of his thoughts, Zeke glanced over at his mentor, the man nodding to himself as he came to a stop in front of what was obviously a clothing store, the mannequins in the windows already making that clear.
Huh. Forever Sixteen Suburban Outfitters. Zeke let out a slight hum as he read the sign above the glass double doors. His face turned down into a slight frown, the expression one of confusion rather than displeasure. Why does that sound familiar?
"Let's head on in." Zeke turned to face the captain, the man's large hand patting him on the shoulder as he stepped forward. "Best not to waste any time."
Captain Atom pushed open the door, the glass pane swinging open at the same time as someone else seemed to be pulling it from the other side. Nearly slamming her face into the glass, a woman stumbled forward into the doorway as she left the store.
"Pardon me, ma'am." Stepping back and out of the woman's way, Captain Atom pushed the door open wider and held it for the woman, nodding at her to go on ahead. "Allow me."
"Oh, a gentleman." The woman gave Captain Atom a smile that Zeke thought might have been pretty if her eyes also weren't trailing up and down his mentor's body. Altogether, it was a lick of the lips away from being full-on creepy. "That's nice to see."
"It's no problem, ma'am," Captain Atom responded, hand still on the door. "Just common manners."
"I wish," the woman added, punctuating the sentence with a wink. "But thank you all the same."
Is this really happening right now? Rolling his eyes at the obvious attempt at flirting, Zeke waited for her to move out of the way.
Nearly an entire fifteen seconds later, he was still waiting.
Instead of moving on like he expected, the lady continued to exchange glances with Captain Atom, the man still dutifully holding the door for her with all the patience in the world. Zeke's eyelids drooped, his shoulders slumping slightly as he realized she wasn't gonna move on her own.
Okay, let's wrap this up. Stepping forward slightly to fall into place next to Captain Atom, the teen let out a loud, obnoxious throat-clearing noise, drawing both of the adult's attention onto him.
The woman seemed to stall, her train of thought coming to a screeching halt, as her eyes landed on Zeke. Her gaze switching back and forth between Captain Atom and Zeke several times, slowly enough that he could swear he saw the gears turning in her head. A smile appeared on her face, this one slightly forced, as she stared down at the boy sending her a bored look.
"Well," she began, after a long moment of awkward silence, "I'll just be going, then."
Captain Atom nodded, as patient as ever. "I wouldn't want to keep you."
"That's… Thank you again." The woman nodded hesitantly, giving him an awkward grin and a wave before quickly retreating into the passing throng of people, leaving Captain Atom and Zeke to walk into the store, albeit at a much more measured pace.
"Mmm" Zeke lifted his eyebrows as they entered, letting out a low breath of air. "That was kinda… weird, right?" Not as weird as a time-travelling silver man that can fly, but still weird.
"Was it?" Captain Atom let out a soft laugh as he spoke, pausing his stride for a moment as he glanced over at Zeke. "I couldn't tell."
Oookay. Pursing his lips, Zeke opened his mouth to say something but, as he noticed the smile on Captain Atom's face, he decided not to ask the question on his mind. Odds were the man already knew.
Honestly, how couldn't he know?
It didn't take any sort of super-powered eyes to see that Captain Atom's human form was only slightly less attention grabbing than his superhero look, in Zeke's honest opinion. While there wasn't any rush of people clamoring for a photo or an autograph or whatever, Zeke couldn't help but notice the steadily increasing number of women, both older and close to his age, whose attention seemed drawn to his mentor as the man walked by them. Huh, that must be nice.
"Zeke."
"Huh?" Blinking, the young man brought his attention back to his mentor, the man standing near a rack of clothes in a random aisle. Holding up a black shirt with a familiar red S on the front, his mentor tilted his head towards him.
"Any interest in these?"
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
HAPPY HARBOR MALL
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 11TH, 3:19 EDT
"So,why are we here again?" Zeke asked, glancing around the store they were in with a half-hearted expression. Both of hands were free, despite the fact that less than five minutes ago, he had been laden down with several large bags full of clothes. One trip to the bathroom later and his inventory had several new additions.
Eyes focused on the tall shelf full of books in front of him, Captain Atom didn't turn to look at Zeke. Instead, he let out a low sigh, his mouth turning down into a slight frown. "I'm just trying to find something important. It won't take long."
In a bookstore? Zeke tilted his head to the side, lips pursed in obvious confusion. I mean, books are good and all, but important? "No problem, I'll just wait over there," Zeke replied, gesturing over his shoulder towards a set of comfortable-looking overstuffed chairs near the front of the bookstore.
"Go ahead. I'll be done in a short while." Captain Atom said with a nod, the man folding his arms over his chest as he turned back to the bookshelf.
As he began to walk away, Zeke glanced over his shoulder again to see the captain picking up several books and flipping through them before replacing them back on the shelf. By itself, it didn't seem all that weird but the specific category of books he seemed interested in did make Zeke more than a little curious. I wonder why a superhero would be in the self-help section.
Shrugging off the thought, he walked over to the section full of furniture and dropped himself into the thick leather chair, letting out a sigh as he felt himself sinking deep into the piece of furniture. His action didn't go unnoticed by one of the store workers and a few store-goers, the clerk in question looking over at him… questioningly.
Returning the clerk's look with a faux-innocent grin and a not-at-all-mocking wave, the kid leaned back into the leather chair. Man, this is one nice chair, he thought as he nodded to himself. It's actually comfortable, too. Better than the ones in the Cave by a long shot.
He leaned further back and closed his eyes, nestling the back of his head into the material in an attempt to maximize his comfortability. Now, if it only was a recliner. That'd be heaven. The armchair let out its own noise as he continued to settle into it, a small little squeak of leather that Zeke couldn't help but snicker at, the sound just similar enough to a fart to trigger his sense of humor.
A moment later, there was another noise, this one both not quite as funny and not from the chair. Zeke opened his eyes, a slightly annoyed bent to his expression as he glanced down at his stomach. A moment later, his stomach growled again.
"Aww crap," Zeke let out an exasperated breath as his stomach continued protesting, the churning feeling in his abdomen just adding to his general feeling of annoyance. Shaking his head, Zeke reached into his pocket, the whispered words of "Inventory" on his lips and the image of what he wanted in his head.
As he pulled his hand back out of his jeans pocket, he held a thick golden object in his grasp, the plastic crinkling as the item left a pocket that really shouldn't have fit it. Glancing down at the bar in his hands, Zeke whispered another word. "Observe."
Rolling his eyes at the personalized message that the description had for him, Zeke tore open one end of the gold wrapping plastic with his teeth and took a rather large bite out of the bar. Tilting his head to the side, Zeke continued to chew on the candy bar, the thick chocolate and wafer-like texture delicious even despite the slight chalky aftertaste.
The Kalteen bars had been one of the few things that he had received while at S.T.A.R. Labs, along with the jumpsuits and the tablet device. Apparently, the bars were supposed to fix his malnutrition problem, or so they had told him. It wasn't like he doubted what the lab-coats said, to be honest. No, he was just wondering how long the whole thing was supposed to take. Almost a whole month of having these bars twice a day and I'm still seeing malnourished on my status.Taking another bite of the bar, Zeke sunk lower into the seat. I seriously need that status effect gone if I'm gonna get anywhere.
It was an annoyance, to be honest. Putting in hours of work most days trying to make himself stronger and for what? All of that effort just to see his stats get slashed by a third and his health decimated by a status effect that he couldn't remove. Zeke turned his head to the side, pausing in the middle of a sigh as he spotted Captain Atom approaching him. As he had just begun to get comfortable, he couldn't help but grouse under his breath, "That was quick."
"I suppose so," Captain Atom nodded, not missing a beat as he responded. "I did say I wouldn't take long, after all. Are you ready to head back?"
Why not? Shrugging, Zeke pocketed the remainder of the Kalteen bar and pulled himself off of the chair. "If you are."
"Actually," the captain responded, his voice low, "I forgot to ask. Are you sure you didn't want to pick out something for yourself? You mentioned that you remembered spending a lot of time reading before."
He remembered that? Zeke raised an eyebrow. I mentioned that like almost a month ago, though. "Well, yeah, but most of that was sci-fi and like regular comics and…" Zeke paused, wondering if the captain would understand what manga was, "... stuff." Yeah, let's go with stuff.
"Comics, huh?" Captain Atom nodded distantly, one hand rising to cup his chin. His eyes fell to Zeke again, the man wearing a slight smile as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You wouldn't happen to have read any Captain Atom, have you?"
What! Zeke's eyes widened, blinking rapidly as the captain's words left him reeling. "What?" His words echoed his thoughts, mouth open as he tried to think of what to say other than the same syllable. "I m-m-mean, Captain Atom? Me? Why… why would there be any Captain Atom comics?" The last sentence was said with as much surprise as he could fake on the spot, which was surprisingly a lot.
Captain Atom tilted his head, giving Zeke a questioning look. "Are you alright?"
"... I'm good, yeah," he responded with a forced grin, eyes darting around to make sure that no one was paying attention to him after his outburst. "Just surprised. Are you.. You're in comics?"
"Well, not me, exactly, but yes, Captain Atom is… was a comic book." He spoke the words in a lowered tone of voice, low enough that only the two of them could hear, the man looking over Zeke's head as he continued speaking. "Charlton Comics was big when I was your age and they had a hero called Captain Atom. Even though I was a bit too old for the books, he was still my favorite hero."
The incognito superhero nodded his head at his own words, still not even looking at the young man in front of him. "Then… well, you know, I ended up like my hero, white hair and all." His gaze seeming to refocus, Captain Atom dropped a hand on Zeke's shoulder and the young man stared up at the thin flat line of his mouth, the expression threatening to turn into a frown at any moment. "Between you and me, I'd never thought I'd have to take the name but..."
Captain Atom paused and let his words trail off there before, all of a sudden, his blank expression turned up into a smile that Zeke wasn't sure he believed. "But enough about me. That's old news. This is about you. Are you sure you don't want to pick up a book?"
"Umm," Zeke frowned in thought for a moment, glancing back at the shelves. He opened his mouth to respond in the negative, only to pause as his eyes landed on a single title laid out on a stand. As he read the cover, a slight smile pulled at the side of his mouth.
"Now that you mention it…"
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
HAPPY HARBOR MALL
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 11TH, 3:27 EDT
Zeke clutched the book at his side, the thick hardcover tight in his grip as he kept pace with Captain Atom on their way out of the mall. He couldn't believe his luck. Like, honestly, he really couldn't believe his luck right now.
A book by the Richard Dragon?
And for only $9.99, too?
Talk about a deal!
The guy was like the Iron Fist of the DC universe, or… something like that. Right? I mean, he doesn't have the glowy fist and all but he can use ki, right? Or is it chi… or qi? Zeke frowned, glancing off to the side as he tried to recall what exactly Richard Dragon did other than supposedly being really really good at punching stuff. He can…
He blinked, pursing his lips slightly.
Huh. As nothing seemed to come to him, Zeke shrugged. Whether or not he knew exactly what Richard Dragon could do, the man was supposed to be way better than Lady Shiva and Bronze Tiger, and those guys were supposed to be better at fighting than Batman.
A better fighter than the Batman.
That had to count for something, right?
Also, there was the fact that the guy's name was literally Dick Dragon.
Really, it was only thanks to what little self-control Zeke had that prevented him from breaking out laughing every time that name came into his thoughts. Well, that... Zeke tilted his head to the side and pulled a face, ...and the fact that I'd have to explain to the captain why I'm laughing like I just snorted Joker Gas. He shook his head at the image, letting out a slight snort at the same time.
Speaking of Captain Atom...
Zeke turned to the side and gave his mentor a glance, the both of them walking at a rather steady pace as they made their way through the mall parking lot. A slight smile spread across his face and, after a moment, he opened his mouth. "Hey, Captain, thanks for today… all this. It was… It was nice."
The captain gave a slight shake of the head at Zeke's words, an odd look in his eyes as he turned his head to face his protege."You don't need to thank me at all, Zeke. I just thought you'd need something else to wear," the captain responded, one eyebrow raised. "Other than a jumpsuit at least. If I can't do that much for you, then what was the point of me taking you on?"
Zeke's smile perked up, the side of his mouth threatening to turn into a full-on grin. "I guess you're right."
"In fact…" Captain Atom slowed his pace slightly, his hand reaching into the white plastic bag emblazoned with the words 'Litteralis Bookstore' on it. "There's something else that I felt I should get for you." Pulling his hand out from the bag, his mentor held a book out to Zeke, the man seeming to study the teen's face. "I felt you might need it."
Unsure of what exactly to say, Zeke silently placed his other book under his arm so that he could look over what Captain Atom was offering him. As he grabbed hold of the softcover, he stared for a few seconds before uttering a single word under his breath. "Observe."
Another skillbook? "Uhh… wow, I mean..." Zeke shook his head roughly, letting out an exasperated sigh before he glanced back up at his mentor. "I mean, thank you… but why this book?"
"It helped me when I needed it." Captain Atom's expression turned downwards into a frown for a moment, before returning back to a flat, stoic line. "When I came back a few years ago, I was a mess. The world had changed and everything… everyone had left me behind. I couldn't even rely on myself to be the same. It took me a while to figure out exactly what I could do and even longer to get it under control. I don't think your situations all that different."
The captain tapped the book in Zeke's grip with a single finger before continuing in a low voice. "Honestly, a book just like this is what helped me get there."
"Seriously, captain…" Zeke raised his hand, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he tried to find something better to say than a simple 'Thanks' for like the fifth time in just as many minutes. Moments passed and no words came to mind, and the boy sighed, willing to accept defeat. "...Thank you."
Captain Atom gave a soft little laugh, shaking his head as he dropped an arm onto Zeke's shoulder. "You're welcome, son. Just do me one favor," The man paused, taking in a slight breath that Zeke knew very well that he didn't need.
"Yeah?"
"...Call me Nate."
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Ability Learned: Basic Martial Arts
Ability Learned: Breathing Control
Ability Learned: Meditation
Basic Martial Arts: Lvl Up!
1→2
Breathing Control: Lvl Up!
1→2
Meditation: Lvl Up!
1→2
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Ezekiel Patrick Armstrong
Title: None
Level 1
XP: 50/250
Age: 13
HP: 110/110* [310]
MP: 65/65
Will: 85/85
STR: 13* [19]
SPD: 19* [27]
VIT: 20*
INT: 14
WIS: 8
CHA: 10
Stat Points: 2
Perk Points: 0
Cash: $375
Title: None
Level 1
XP: 50/250
Age: 13
HP: 110/110* [310]
MP: 65/65
Will: 85/85
STR: 13* [19]
SPD: 19* [27]
VIT: 20*
INT: 14
WIS: 8
CHA: 10
Stat Points: 2
Perk Points: 0
Cash: $375
Malnourished: Too little to eat for too long has weakened your body, drained you of vitality and made you more susceptible to bumps and bruises. (-30% to STR & SPD, Health does not gain VIT bonus, Health/Will recovery is slowed by 50%, and Will-based skills cost twice as much)
Bright Kid: While you're no genius or some prodigy, you're obviously brighter than most kids. By the time you're an adult, however, no one will care. (Before the age of 18: +75% to INT gain and +25% to speed of learning Mana-based skills/abilities)
Bright Kid: While you're no genius or some prodigy, you're obviously brighter than most kids. By the time you're an adult, however, no one will care. (Before the age of 18: +75% to INT gain and +25% to speed of learning Mana-based skills/abilities)
None
Observe Lv. 6
Kinda like a scouter, but less cool somehow.
Allows you to view the status or qualities of anyone or anything, allowing you to learn information about them.
Cost: 1 MP
Power Sprint Lv 7
You'll never be the Flash relying on this alone. Still, we've all gotta start somewhere.
While active, your running speed increases by 5% per level. (35%)
Cost: 1 Will/s
Power Strike Lv 2
Not exactly a heavy hitter quite yet.
Increases the STR value and knockback of your physical strikes by 10% per level. (20%)
Cost: 5 Will
Kinda like a scouter, but less cool somehow.
Allows you to view the status or qualities of anyone or anything, allowing you to learn information about them.
Cost: 1 MP
Power Sprint Lv 7
You'll never be the Flash relying on this alone. Still, we've all gotta start somewhere.
While active, your running speed increases by 5% per level. (35%)
Cost: 1 Will/s
Power Strike Lv 2
Not exactly a heavy hitter quite yet.
Increases the STR value and knockback of your physical strikes by 10% per level. (20%)
Cost: 5 Will
Gamer's Body Lv MAX
Allows your body to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects. Health, Will, and Mana regenerate at a base of 1 point every 30 seconds. Food and drink items can accelerate recovery.
Gamer's Mind Lv MAX
Allows your mind to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional trauma and severely damaging emotional states. Grants immunity to forceful/unwanted mental intrusion.
Basic Martial Arts Lv 2
Heroes prefer fists. Apparently, so do sidekicks.
This ability measures your skill and intuition in bare-handed combat, allowing for rapid growth and adaptation in martial arts.
Breathing Control Lv 2
Batman can breathe in space. Why can't you?
The ability to use oxygen efficiently, enabling you to hold your breath for extended periods of time. Increases by 1 minute every level. (2 minutes)
Meditation Lv 2
When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is freed and the body matters not.
The ability to train your mind in order to achieve a state of oneness with your spiritual essence and life force, as well your mind and body.
Allows your body to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects. Health, Will, and Mana regenerate at a base of 1 point every 30 seconds. Food and drink items can accelerate recovery.
Gamer's Mind Lv MAX
Allows your mind to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional trauma and severely damaging emotional states. Grants immunity to forceful/unwanted mental intrusion.
Basic Martial Arts Lv 2
Heroes prefer fists. Apparently, so do sidekicks.
This ability measures your skill and intuition in bare-handed combat, allowing for rapid growth and adaptation in martial arts.
Breathing Control Lv 2
Batman can breathe in space. Why can't you?
The ability to use oxygen efficiently, enabling you to hold your breath for extended periods of time. Increases by 1 minute every level. (2 minutes)
Meditation Lv 2
When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is freed and the body matters not.
The ability to train your mind in order to achieve a state of oneness with your spiritual essence and life force, as well your mind and body.
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
Dude, shopping for clothes from scratch is easy as fuck. Especially with the Bat Credit Card.
10 x jocks
5 x thick black socks
5 x thick brown socks
2 x thermal pants
5 x green shirts
5 x grey shirts
3 x dark grey jeans
3 x khaki trousers
1 x dark grey hoodie
1 x earth tone dark greenish brown hoodie
1 x grey bomber jacket
1 x khaki bomber jacket
1 x storm resistant black jacket with hood
2 x brown leather belts
2 x black leather belts
2 x brown sneakers
2 x black or grey sneakers
1 x black oxfords not brogues
10 x light blue dress shirts, tailored.
3 x grey woolen suits, notch, tailored.
10 x grey ties.
All but the suits obtainable from walmart or dc equivalent.
10 x jocks
5 x thick black socks
5 x thick brown socks
2 x thermal pants
5 x green shirts
5 x grey shirts
3 x dark grey jeans
3 x khaki trousers
1 x dark grey hoodie
1 x earth tone dark greenish brown hoodie
1 x grey bomber jacket
1 x khaki bomber jacket
1 x storm resistant black jacket with hood
2 x brown leather belts
2 x black leather belts
2 x brown sneakers
2 x black or grey sneakers
1 x black oxfords not brogues
10 x light blue dress shirts, tailored.
3 x grey woolen suits, notch, tailored.
10 x grey ties.
All but the suits obtainable from walmart or dc equivalent.
Last edited:
- Location
- Somewhere I shouldn't be
Insufficient orange and red. Your input is invalid.
Seriously, that's like the recipe for the more boring wardrobe ever. The kid is 15. He should already have been assigned a mildly sarcastic black t-shirt with white text.
- Location
- texas
Hmm, Richard Dragon.
He can skip taking an elevator and just jump off the roof of a building to get down.
He can manifest a totemic aura, oddly enough, tiger/bear thing, not a dragon.
He willed himself to be paralyzed from the waist down.
He can dodge bullets.
He can karate chop through metal.
There are only two martial artists in the DC franchise that I'm aware of who have superior feats.
Karate Kid, who won't be born for another 900 plus years, and Peter Cannon Thunderbolt, who was taught martial arts by a 45 thousand plus old atlantean sorcerer to stomp his student, one of the female pharaohs, whenever she puts her head up to try world conquest. By the time of Kingdom Come, Peter figures out how to harness his mental power to pretty much just give himself the superpowers he wants, his default mode being superhuman speed.
He can skip taking an elevator and just jump off the roof of a building to get down.
He can manifest a totemic aura, oddly enough, tiger/bear thing, not a dragon.
He willed himself to be paralyzed from the waist down.
He can dodge bullets.
He can karate chop through metal.
There are only two martial artists in the DC franchise that I'm aware of who have superior feats.
Karate Kid, who won't be born for another 900 plus years, and Peter Cannon Thunderbolt, who was taught martial arts by a 45 thousand plus old atlantean sorcerer to stomp his student, one of the female pharaohs, whenever she puts her head up to try world conquest. By the time of Kingdom Come, Peter figures out how to harness his mental power to pretty much just give himself the superpowers he wants, his default mode being superhuman speed.
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
Holy shit, that name. What the fuck?
What kind of cool-ass name is that?
- Location
- texas
Oh sorry, his name is Peter Cannon, and his superhero identity is Thunderbolt, the English translation of his title from the Tibetan monastery.
But for whatever reason, he's always referred to as both, so Peter Cannon Thunderbolt, or Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt, or Peter Cannon- Thunderbolt when it comes to the titles of his comic books.
He's a Charleston hero that DC acquired like Captain Atom, and then lost the rights to, and last written by Dynamite.
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
It's a going unnoticed recipe (based on Night Watch), and the way to counteract being unnoticed is standing up straight, smiling, and walking with purpose. People look and smile back when you do that.
You don't really need a shirt to be sarcastic for you, if you're able to be sarcastic enough for yourself.
- Location
- Somewhere I shouldn't be
For adults? Yes.
For most people, a teenager wearing a tailored suit is hideously outlandish. Wear a knit cap, torn jeans, a sarcastic shirt, stare constantly at a phone, and carry a skateboard and they'll never notice you.
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
The suit is for those rare occasions when you need one, not daily wear.
- Location
- texas
Huh, just found out something new about the DC franchise.
DC considers the quantum powers of Captain Atom et al charles atlas superpowers.
In the very nineties Extreme Justice, Monarch 2 had quantum powers without dilustel, and taught Monarch 1 how to manipulate the quantum field.
Which means that Captain Atom can teach most of his superpowers.
DC considers the quantum powers of Captain Atom et al charles atlas superpowers.
In the very nineties Extreme Justice, Monarch 2 had quantum powers without dilustel, and taught Monarch 1 how to manipulate the quantum field.
Which means that Captain Atom can teach most of his superpowers.
Last edited:
Genesis 1.9
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
Genesis 1.9
MOUNT JUSTICE
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 14TH, 2:36 EDT
At one point in time, the main gym located in Mount Justice would have been filled with the sound of activity, Green Arrow and both of the Hawk-couple often taking advantage of the extensive equipment to keep in fighting shape.
Now, apart from Superboy's pointless use of equipment that was literally no effort to him, it was usually silent, the place was usually as quiet as a graveyard with no one being found in it.
Today was only slightly different, with the gym nearly as silent as ever as one young man sat on a yoga mat in the center of the cavernous room. His chest rose and fell slowly, his eyelids fluttering ever so slightly as he simply sat there, still and in perfect… "Ah-choo!"
Zeke opened his eyes and let out a sigh, his expression turning down into a frown as he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. "So… close." He let out a frustrated growl, the serious expression on his face entirely out of place with the way he was wiggling his bare toes and fingers. "And… now, I'm numb. Perfect."
Really, there were only so many times he could sit in this criss-cross position before his legs started to go numb and, honestly, he wasn't looking forward to getting up again only to face-plant into the marble floor.
At least, not again.
"Two days," he grumbled, absent-mindedly scratching his nose again. "Two whole days of this and nothing!" Well, it hasn't even been two, really. If anything, I've spent like seven hours, at the most, actually meditating. Ignoring his own pedantic inner voice, Zeke continued muttering under his breath at the perceived unfairness of his own powers.
It had been two days since Nate had taken him shopping at Happy Harbor Mall. It had been two days since he had finished reading the books on martial arts and meditation. It also had been two whole days since he had been stuck on the second level of the latter ability.
I don't get why this is so hard. I leveled martial arts (2→3) and breathing (2→6). This shouldn't be like this. It's like… Zeke groaned again, dropping his chin down onto his chest. He let out a deep breath as he stared at his hands resting on his lap. It's like I hit a wall in my own head or something.
Mental walls aside, Zeke knew he had to keep trying if he was going to get anywhere. He was part of a team now, a team full of young superheroes. Granted, he hadn't met most of that team and the members of the team he had met hadn't actually done any superheroing, from what he knew, but still...
They're all still better than me, he thought to himself as his hands tightened into was an undeniable fact. In a fight, he was the weakest link on this team. Granted, he hadn't seen any of them in a fight but he didn't really need to, to be honest.
From what he knew from the comics, it was a given that Miss Martian was stronger and faster than him. After all, Martians were just green Kryptonians with psychic powers and shapeshifting on top of that. Superboy was half a Kryptonian and definitely not lacking in strength in any way. Hell, from what Zeke could remember, the clone was only slightly weaker than Superman which was all sorts of overpowered.
As for the other three members of the team he hadn't met yet; Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash? Well, the first was basically Diet Aquaman, the second was trained by Batman himself, and the third had the Speed Force, nuff said. Each of them could outdo him without even trying. As he was right now, Zeke was far from even being considered the weakest link.
Even worse, I'm like a paper clip next to an iron chain… Zeke thought as he settled back into position, fighting the urge to fidget as he crossed his legs. Bringing his fists together, he placed both of them in front of his chest as his knuckles pressed into each other. I have to keep trying.
The boy shut his eyes once more, drawing a deep breath as he began to mutter under his breath. The book had mentioned using 'a repetitive statement, in co-unison with your breath as an aid to focus, relaxation and transcending mundane thoughts' so Zeke had simply relied on the example the book offered instead of wasting time trying to make his own.
"Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out… breathe in… breathe out… brea-"
"Hello, Ezekiel!"
"Gah!" Hazel eyes snapped open as Zeke's head jerked up, the loud sound of a perky voice shattering his concentration like fine glass. Letting out a shaky breath at the sudden surprise, Zeke stared up at the figure standing at the open doorway to the gym.
"Hey, M'gann…" Pulling himself to his feet, he gave the green girl a smile that was only somewhat forced. "What's up?" He couldn't help but look her up and down as he greeted her, still unable to push back the part of him that questioned how superheroes could even exist. More specifically, how superpowers could even exist. I mean, come on, she has freckles. On green skin. How does that even work?
"Oh, nothing," Miss Martian replied, her hair swishing to the side as she shook her head. "I just came by to see if you wanted some cookies."
"Cookies?" Zeke's head snapped up at the mention of treats.
"Yep! Fresh out of the oven," Megan clapped her hands together in front of her chest and shot Zeke a bright grin. "They're cooling right now but I just wanted to see if you liked chocolate chip!"
Do I even like chocolate chip cookies? Zeke thought to himself, trying to dredge up memories that weren't in any way pop-culture related one more time. Shrugging when nothing seemed to come up, Zeke gave Megan a much more natural smile. "Chocolate chip sounds great, M'gann. Don't know if I've ever had any before, but chocolate always sounds good to me."
The green girl cringed, her smile drawing inwards as she batted her palm against the side of her head. "Hello, Megan! I forgot that you had amnesia." She shook her head as she offered Zeke another smile, this one far weaker than the first. "Sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it," Zeke replied, raising a hand to literally wave away her apology. "I mean, it doesn't bug me that much anyway." Under his breath, Zeke muttered, "I've got bigger things to stress over anyway."
The Martian girl blinked as she took a single step forward across the threshold. "Really? Bigger than your memories?"
Now, it was Zeke's turn to blink, mouth falling open slightly. "Y-you… you heard that?"
Miss Martian nodded. "Yeah." After a moment, she raised an eyebrow, confusion clear on her face as her smile shrunk again. "Was I not supposed to?'
Zeke held back a groan, instead opting to wave off the question again. "No, no, it's fine. I was just… not paying that much attention to what came out of my mouth," he responded, trying to find some way to salvage the conversation. And of course, she has really good hearing too. Green Kryptonians, man. Green Kryptonians.
"Anywho," Zeke continued, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "I figure I'll get my memories back eventually but till then…" He let out a deep sigh, "I'm just trying to get my powers to work with me here."
M'gann took another step over the threshold, her head tilting to the side. "Your powers aren't working?"
"Uhhh, not exactly," he began, brain working hard as he tried to get his words together, "It's just that I… can feel something inside me when I use my powers and I glow too, so I'm pretty suremy powers have to do with energy control." I mean, they kinda have to, right? Mana is for magic spells and stuff and will… I'm pretty sure will makes me stronger and faster.
Pausing to take a breath, Zeke continued. "From what Captain Atom told me,I need to meditate to learn how to do that. The only thing is…"
"Oh!" M'gann cut in, her face brightening. Suddenly floating a few inches off the floor, the green girl quickly zipped over to him in an odd vertical flying motion that was more than a little unnerving given how fast she did it. "You don't know how, right?"
Ugh, creepy. Zeke blinked again as he craned his neck up to stare at the Martian, his eyes still wide at her sudden movement. "Uhh… umm, yeah." He nodded, finally having processed the question. "Well… I read a book but I feel like that only got me to the first l-" Zeke snapped his mouth shut before he could finish saying the word "level", his eyes widening slightly.
"The first steps, I understand." M'gann didn't seem to notice his sudden pause as she lowered herself back down to the floor, nodding her head in thought.
Roll with it.
"Yes, exactly." Zeke replied as he nodded along with her. "The first steps."
"Don't worry about it," M'gann chirped. "Meditation is almost always hard to get for beginners. How long have you been practicing?"
The young teen shrugged, holding up five fingers. "Uhh, one, three… carry the four… about two days." After a moment, he tilted his head to the side. "More like six hours spread over two days, if I'm gonna be honest."
"W-wow," Miss Martian blinked. "Two days? You really are a beginner."
"Yeah," Zeke sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I'm a rookie in a lot of things."
"Well," the martian girl replied, bringing her hands together in a loud clap. With a smile on her face that was as perky as it was wide, she stepped in even closer to Zeke and dropped her hands on his shoulders. "At least I can help you with this thing. Let's get to it!"
Without hesitating, M'gann began pulling Zeke over to the edge of the gym where a large set of mats were laid out on the floor. In his head, Zeke couldn't help but grouse. And here I thought meditation was all about being calm?
Ten minutes later, Zeke found himself sitting in the same position he was in before M'gann entered the gym, with the stark difference of a green girl sitting in a similar position across from him. M'gann's hands were held out to her sides, her thumb and index finger on both hands making a small circle, while Zeke's were clenched together, fists meeting each other at the knuckles.
His legs were starting to lose feeling again, after another session of sitting in place, and just like before, his nose was already beginning to itch. I could be grinding my stats right now or reading or doing anything else but this. Why does meditation have to be so hard?
"Focus inwards."
M'gann's voice interrupted his thoughts, her tone much calmer than he expected from her given her natural energetic personality.
"I am," Zeke replied, tone ringing with only the slightest bit of frustration. Not at Miss Martian, of course, but in general. Seriously, I followed the book's instructions. I did the breathing exercises and everything. What else do I have to do?
"You don't feel like it."
"Are… are you reading my mind?" Zeke's eyes opened wide, the young man shooting Miss Martian a slightly nervous glance.
"No." Just like that, Zeke let out a relieved sigh, closing his eyes only to tense up as Miss Martian continued. "But I can feel your mind. You're trying so hard that you're projecting your thoughts out."
Opening a single eye, Zeke glanced at Miss Martian again, the green girl looking utterly calm as she continued to focus. He sighed again, before deciding he might as well ask for more pointers past 'Focus inward.'
"Can we forget about 'focus inward' for a moment?" Zeke asked with a slight shake of his head. At this, Miss Martian opened her eyes and stared at him with a confused glance.
Before she could open her mouth to respond, Zeke pre-empted her words, with a raised hand, "Not that I don't appreciate the help or anything… I just need a little more detail, 'cause sitting here and trying to 'focus inwards' isn't really helping me get anywhere."
M'gann tilted her head to the side, letting out a soft hum for a second or two. "I'm sorry. This worked with my brothers and sisters when I helped them learn." The girl seemed to slump a little, dropping her hands onto her lap. "Maybe I'm not the best at teaching humans."
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it. Rather than voice his thoughts, Zeke patted the older girl's hand reassuringly, once again waving off her words with a smile on his face. "Nah, come on, M'gann. You're a great teacher. It's probably just me being super dense, you know."
"Like," Still smiling, the teen lightly slapped his palm against the side of his head, just like the Martian girl had done not too long ago, "Hello, Zeke! M'gann's trying to help you and all you're doing is whining."
"Really?" Zeke leaned forward, eyes widening in relief. "How?"
Miss Martian bit her lip before continuing, looking Zeke directly in the eye. "On Mars, there are a few of us who can't really access their telepathy naturally. Another Martian has to give them a…" Her lips pursed, before she brightened as she seemed to find the words. "Think of it like a mental push!"
"A mental push?" Zeke repeated her words, nodding his head slowly. She's gonna go inside my head? What if she sees that I'm lying? Of course she's gonna. She's a Martian. They're more BS than Kryptonians almost. Don't freak out. Just stay calm and ask some questions. Still nodding his head, Zeke glanced at M'gann and asked, "So, you're gonna go inside my head or s-"
"No!" Miss Martian interjected, shock clear in her expression. "Never! At least… not if you didn't want me to. Unwanted intrusions are considered… taboo on Mars."
"Oh," Zeke let out a single one-note laugh, his worries fading away. "Well, that's okay, I guess. So, how would this work, then?"
M'gann reached out for both of his hands, palming them in hers. "Just relax and I'll give you a push."
Zeke tilted his head to the side. "Okay, how is the push supposed to w-" He cut himself off as his eyes suddenly closed, his entire body seeming to jerk as he took in a deep breath. Aware of nothing more than his own breathing and heartbeat, he felt the latter still, slowing down just enough for him to notice.
After a moment, he felt something else.
Zeke wasn't sure what it was but he could feel it. Something like a fire inside him, a fire and something else, something much harder to describe. Just like his heartbeat and his breathing, he knew they were part of him, had always been part of him. He just hadn't realized it before.
The boy took in another breath, a deep one, as the fire seemed to spread across his body, making his extremities tingle as he felt them coming alive. Gold. That's all he could think. For some reason, this energy felt like the strongest yellow he could imagine, the image sticking in his mind as nothing but a bright golden light.
He exhaled, letting the breath go and the gold vanished, leaving him feeling empty. Tired, almost. That feeling didn't last long as with the exhale, he felt an unending sense of blue rush through him. Blue streams of light flowed through his body like a stream, pulsing outwards from several points on his body. Unlike the fire, it felt calming and refreshing, like water on a hot day.
A moment later, the blue waned and was replaced by the powerful gold fire again, his body filling with warmth as he felt it surge through him. Far more energetic than the blue light, the gold seemed to make him want to move, to jump, to do something other than just sit here.
Zeke let out another breath and, just like that, the feeling was gone. Replaced by the blue again, he took a moment to focus on the sensation of this light, gasping slightly as he felt it empowering his body with a sense of lightness and calm.
He breathed in once more, the action seeming to light the gold fire in his mind's eye like a bellows as his chest expanded with life-giving air. At the same moment, the blue pool withdrew, receding back as his body filled with energetic warmth.
He doubted there was a proper description for what he was doing, what he wasexperiencing. He could almost feel it thrumming inside him as he breathed, a second and third heartbeat pounding through his ears one after another, each one filling the space left by the other until he heard nothing but himself.
Whatever 'Mana' or 'Will' actually was, Zeke realized, was more than just some nebulous energy. No, he thought aloud, letting out another deep breath as the cool, blue energy pulsed through him again. This… This is part of me.
Eyes still closed, Zeke couldn't help the peaceful smile that grew across his face, the sensation of his own soul like the most comfortable blanket as it filled his body.
Superboy walked through the wide gym door as it slid open for him, his face set in its usual stoic frown. As he took his first few steps across the threshold, he paused mid-step as something caught his attention, a puzzled expression marring his frown.
Both Miss Martian and the small boy… Zeke? Superboy raised an eyebrow, unsure if that was how the boy had actually introduced himself. It had a Z in it, right?
Whatever his name was, Miss Martian and the small boy sat on the floor across from each other, eyes closed with their hands clasped together. This wouldn't have been all that interesting if it wasn't for the fact that the small boy was glowing. A blue aura surrounded him appearing and vanishing from the boy in the span of a second before being replaced by a fiery golden glow, leaving the boy's entire body pulsing like a strobe light as they replaced each other over and over. The blue seemed to trail away, floating off of his body like a mist only to vanish while the gold held tight to the boy's skin for the short time it appeared.
Superboy blinked at the sight as his frown grew slightly more pronounced, unsure exactly what to make of this.
Quickly coming to the realization that he didn't really care, the clone turned on his heels and left the two of them to their own devices.
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
MOUNT JUSTICE
HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND
JULY 14TH, 2:36 EDT
At one point in time, the main gym located in Mount Justice would have been filled with the sound of activity, Green Arrow and both of the Hawk-couple often taking advantage of the extensive equipment to keep in fighting shape.
Now, apart from Superboy's pointless use of equipment that was literally no effort to him, it was usually silent, the place was usually as quiet as a graveyard with no one being found in it.
Today was only slightly different, with the gym nearly as silent as ever as one young man sat on a yoga mat in the center of the cavernous room. His chest rose and fell slowly, his eyelids fluttering ever so slightly as he simply sat there, still and in perfect… "Ah-choo!"
Zeke opened his eyes and let out a sigh, his expression turning down into a frown as he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. "So… close." He let out a frustrated growl, the serious expression on his face entirely out of place with the way he was wiggling his bare toes and fingers. "And… now, I'm numb. Perfect."
Really, there were only so many times he could sit in this criss-cross position before his legs started to go numb and, honestly, he wasn't looking forward to getting up again only to face-plant into the marble floor.
At least, not again.
"Two days," he grumbled, absent-mindedly scratching his nose again. "Two whole days of this and nothing!" Well, it hasn't even been two, really. If anything, I've spent like seven hours, at the most, actually meditating. Ignoring his own pedantic inner voice, Zeke continued muttering under his breath at the perceived unfairness of his own powers.
It had been two days since Nate had taken him shopping at Happy Harbor Mall. It had been two days since he had finished reading the books on martial arts and meditation. It also had been two whole days since he had been stuck on the second level of the latter ability.
I don't get why this is so hard. I leveled martial arts (2→3) and breathing (2→6). This shouldn't be like this. It's like… Zeke groaned again, dropping his chin down onto his chest. He let out a deep breath as he stared at his hands resting on his lap. It's like I hit a wall in my own head or something.
Mental walls aside, Zeke knew he had to keep trying if he was going to get anywhere. He was part of a team now, a team full of young superheroes. Granted, he hadn't met most of that team and the members of the team he had met hadn't actually done any superheroing, from what he knew, but still...
They're all still better than me, he thought to himself as his hands tightened into was an undeniable fact. In a fight, he was the weakest link on this team. Granted, he hadn't seen any of them in a fight but he didn't really need to, to be honest.
From what he knew from the comics, it was a given that Miss Martian was stronger and faster than him. After all, Martians were just green Kryptonians with psychic powers and shapeshifting on top of that. Superboy was half a Kryptonian and definitely not lacking in strength in any way. Hell, from what Zeke could remember, the clone was only slightly weaker than Superman which was all sorts of overpowered.
As for the other three members of the team he hadn't met yet; Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash? Well, the first was basically Diet Aquaman, the second was trained by Batman himself, and the third had the Speed Force, nuff said. Each of them could outdo him without even trying. As he was right now, Zeke was far from even being considered the weakest link.
Even worse, I'm like a paper clip next to an iron chain… Zeke thought as he settled back into position, fighting the urge to fidget as he crossed his legs. Bringing his fists together, he placed both of them in front of his chest as his knuckles pressed into each other. I have to keep trying.
The boy shut his eyes once more, drawing a deep breath as he began to mutter under his breath. The book had mentioned using 'a repetitive statement, in co-unison with your breath as an aid to focus, relaxation and transcending mundane thoughts' so Zeke had simply relied on the example the book offered instead of wasting time trying to make his own.
"Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out… breathe in… breathe out… brea-"
"Hello, Ezekiel!"
"Gah!" Hazel eyes snapped open as Zeke's head jerked up, the loud sound of a perky voice shattering his concentration like fine glass. Letting out a shaky breath at the sudden surprise, Zeke stared up at the figure standing at the open doorway to the gym.
"Hey, M'gann…" Pulling himself to his feet, he gave the green girl a smile that was only somewhat forced. "What's up?" He couldn't help but look her up and down as he greeted her, still unable to push back the part of him that questioned how superheroes could even exist. More specifically, how superpowers could even exist. I mean, come on, she has freckles. On green skin. How does that even work?
"Oh, nothing," Miss Martian replied, her hair swishing to the side as she shook her head. "I just came by to see if you wanted some cookies."
"Cookies?" Zeke's head snapped up at the mention of treats.
"Yep! Fresh out of the oven," Megan clapped her hands together in front of her chest and shot Zeke a bright grin. "They're cooling right now but I just wanted to see if you liked chocolate chip!"
Do I even like chocolate chip cookies? Zeke thought to himself, trying to dredge up memories that weren't in any way pop-culture related one more time. Shrugging when nothing seemed to come up, Zeke gave Megan a much more natural smile. "Chocolate chip sounds great, M'gann. Don't know if I've ever had any before, but chocolate always sounds good to me."
The green girl cringed, her smile drawing inwards as she batted her palm against the side of her head. "Hello, Megan! I forgot that you had amnesia." She shook her head as she offered Zeke another smile, this one far weaker than the first. "Sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it," Zeke replied, raising a hand to literally wave away her apology. "I mean, it doesn't bug me that much anyway." Under his breath, Zeke muttered, "I've got bigger things to stress over anyway."
The Martian girl blinked as she took a single step forward across the threshold. "Really? Bigger than your memories?"
Now, it was Zeke's turn to blink, mouth falling open slightly. "Y-you… you heard that?"
Miss Martian nodded. "Yeah." After a moment, she raised an eyebrow, confusion clear on her face as her smile shrunk again. "Was I not supposed to?'
Zeke held back a groan, instead opting to wave off the question again. "No, no, it's fine. I was just… not paying that much attention to what came out of my mouth," he responded, trying to find some way to salvage the conversation. And of course, she has really good hearing too. Green Kryptonians, man. Green Kryptonians.
"Anywho," Zeke continued, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "I figure I'll get my memories back eventually but till then…" He let out a deep sigh, "I'm just trying to get my powers to work with me here."
M'gann took another step over the threshold, her head tilting to the side. "Your powers aren't working?"
"Uhhh, not exactly," he began, brain working hard as he tried to get his words together, "It's just that I… can feel something inside me when I use my powers and I glow too, so I'm pretty suremy powers have to do with energy control." I mean, they kinda have to, right? Mana is for magic spells and stuff and will… I'm pretty sure will makes me stronger and faster.
Pausing to take a breath, Zeke continued. "From what Captain Atom told me,I need to meditate to learn how to do that. The only thing is…"
"Oh!" M'gann cut in, her face brightening. Suddenly floating a few inches off the floor, the green girl quickly zipped over to him in an odd vertical flying motion that was more than a little unnerving given how fast she did it. "You don't know how, right?"
Ugh, creepy. Zeke blinked again as he craned his neck up to stare at the Martian, his eyes still wide at her sudden movement. "Uhh… umm, yeah." He nodded, finally having processed the question. "Well… I read a book but I feel like that only got me to the first l-" Zeke snapped his mouth shut before he could finish saying the word "level", his eyes widening slightly.
"The first steps, I understand." M'gann didn't seem to notice his sudden pause as she lowered herself back down to the floor, nodding her head in thought.
Roll with it.
"Yes, exactly." Zeke replied as he nodded along with her. "The first steps."
"Don't worry about it," M'gann chirped. "Meditation is almost always hard to get for beginners. How long have you been practicing?"
The young teen shrugged, holding up five fingers. "Uhh, one, three… carry the four… about two days." After a moment, he tilted his head to the side. "More like six hours spread over two days, if I'm gonna be honest."
"W-wow," Miss Martian blinked. "Two days? You really are a beginner."
"Yeah," Zeke sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I'm a rookie in a lot of things."
"Well," the martian girl replied, bringing her hands together in a loud clap. With a smile on her face that was as perky as it was wide, she stepped in even closer to Zeke and dropped her hands on his shoulders. "At least I can help you with this thing. Let's get to it!"
Without hesitating, M'gann began pulling Zeke over to the edge of the gym where a large set of mats were laid out on the floor. In his head, Zeke couldn't help but grouse. And here I thought meditation was all about being calm?
Ten minutes later, Zeke found himself sitting in the same position he was in before M'gann entered the gym, with the stark difference of a green girl sitting in a similar position across from him. M'gann's hands were held out to her sides, her thumb and index finger on both hands making a small circle, while Zeke's were clenched together, fists meeting each other at the knuckles.
His legs were starting to lose feeling again, after another session of sitting in place, and just like before, his nose was already beginning to itch. I could be grinding my stats right now or reading or doing anything else but this. Why does meditation have to be so hard?
"Focus inwards."
M'gann's voice interrupted his thoughts, her tone much calmer than he expected from her given her natural energetic personality.
"I am," Zeke replied, tone ringing with only the slightest bit of frustration. Not at Miss Martian, of course, but in general. Seriously, I followed the book's instructions. I did the breathing exercises and everything. What else do I have to do?
"You don't feel like it."
"Are… are you reading my mind?" Zeke's eyes opened wide, the young man shooting Miss Martian a slightly nervous glance.
"No." Just like that, Zeke let out a relieved sigh, closing his eyes only to tense up as Miss Martian continued. "But I can feel your mind. You're trying so hard that you're projecting your thoughts out."
Opening a single eye, Zeke glanced at Miss Martian again, the green girl looking utterly calm as she continued to focus. He sighed again, before deciding he might as well ask for more pointers past 'Focus inward.'
"Can we forget about 'focus inward' for a moment?" Zeke asked with a slight shake of his head. At this, Miss Martian opened her eyes and stared at him with a confused glance.
Before she could open her mouth to respond, Zeke pre-empted her words, with a raised hand, "Not that I don't appreciate the help or anything… I just need a little more detail, 'cause sitting here and trying to 'focus inwards' isn't really helping me get anywhere."
M'gann tilted her head to the side, letting out a soft hum for a second or two. "I'm sorry. This worked with my brothers and sisters when I helped them learn." The girl seemed to slump a little, dropping her hands onto her lap. "Maybe I'm not the best at teaching humans."
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it. Rather than voice his thoughts, Zeke patted the older girl's hand reassuringly, once again waving off her words with a smile on his face. "Nah, come on, M'gann. You're a great teacher. It's probably just me being super dense, you know."
"Like," Still smiling, the teen lightly slapped his palm against the side of his head, just like the Martian girl had done not too long ago, "Hello, Zeke! M'gann's trying to help you and all you're doing is whining."
Hold up, what? Zeke's smile faded slightly as the notification flashed into view, but the young man didn't have time to appreciate it as M'gann seemed to perk up, openly giggling at his imitation. After a moment, she glanced down at his hand, a bemused expression making her way across her face before she glanced back up. "If you want, there's another way I can help you get used to the feeling of meditating properly."
"Really?" Zeke leaned forward, eyes widening in relief. "How?"
Miss Martian bit her lip before continuing, looking Zeke directly in the eye. "On Mars, there are a few of us who can't really access their telepathy naturally. Another Martian has to give them a…" Her lips pursed, before she brightened as she seemed to find the words. "Think of it like a mental push!"
"A mental push?" Zeke repeated her words, nodding his head slowly. She's gonna go inside my head? What if she sees that I'm lying? Of course she's gonna. She's a Martian. They're more BS than Kryptonians almost. Don't freak out. Just stay calm and ask some questions. Still nodding his head, Zeke glanced at M'gann and asked, "So, you're gonna go inside my head or s-"
"No!" Miss Martian interjected, shock clear in her expression. "Never! At least… not if you didn't want me to. Unwanted intrusions are considered… taboo on Mars."
"Oh," Zeke let out a single one-note laugh, his worries fading away. "Well, that's okay, I guess. So, how would this work, then?"
M'gann reached out for both of his hands, palming them in hers. "Just relax and I'll give you a push."
Zeke tilted his head to the side. "Okay, how is the push supposed to w-" He cut himself off as his eyes suddenly closed, his entire body seeming to jerk as he took in a deep breath. Aware of nothing more than his own breathing and heartbeat, he felt the latter still, slowing down just enough for him to notice.
After a moment, he felt something else.
Zeke wasn't sure what it was but he could feel it. Something like a fire inside him, a fire and something else, something much harder to describe. Just like his heartbeat and his breathing, he knew they were part of him, had always been part of him. He just hadn't realized it before.
The boy took in another breath, a deep one, as the fire seemed to spread across his body, making his extremities tingle as he felt them coming alive. Gold. That's all he could think. For some reason, this energy felt like the strongest yellow he could imagine, the image sticking in his mind as nothing but a bright golden light.
He exhaled, letting the breath go and the gold vanished, leaving him feeling empty. Tired, almost. That feeling didn't last long as with the exhale, he felt an unending sense of blue rush through him. Blue streams of light flowed through his body like a stream, pulsing outwards from several points on his body. Unlike the fire, it felt calming and refreshing, like water on a hot day.
A moment later, the blue waned and was replaced by the powerful gold fire again, his body filling with warmth as he felt it surge through him. Far more energetic than the blue light, the gold seemed to make him want to move, to jump, to do something other than just sit here.
Zeke let out another breath and, just like that, the feeling was gone. Replaced by the blue again, he took a moment to focus on the sensation of this light, gasping slightly as he felt it empowering his body with a sense of lightness and calm.
He breathed in once more, the action seeming to light the gold fire in his mind's eye like a bellows as his chest expanded with life-giving air. At the same moment, the blue pool withdrew, receding back as his body filled with energetic warmth.
He doubted there was a proper description for what he was doing, what he wasexperiencing. He could almost feel it thrumming inside him as he breathed, a second and third heartbeat pounding through his ears one after another, each one filling the space left by the other until he heard nothing but himself.
Whatever 'Mana' or 'Will' actually was, Zeke realized, was more than just some nebulous energy. No, he thought aloud, letting out another deep breath as the cool, blue energy pulsed through him again. This… This is part of me.
Eyes still closed, Zeke couldn't help the peaceful smile that grew across his face, the sensation of his own soul like the most comfortable blanket as it filled his body.
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Superboy walked through the wide gym door as it slid open for him, his face set in its usual stoic frown. As he took his first few steps across the threshold, he paused mid-step as something caught his attention, a puzzled expression marring his frown.
Both Miss Martian and the small boy… Zeke? Superboy raised an eyebrow, unsure if that was how the boy had actually introduced himself. It had a Z in it, right?
Whatever his name was, Miss Martian and the small boy sat on the floor across from each other, eyes closed with their hands clasped together. This wouldn't have been all that interesting if it wasn't for the fact that the small boy was glowing. A blue aura surrounded him appearing and vanishing from the boy in the span of a second before being replaced by a fiery golden glow, leaving the boy's entire body pulsing like a strobe light as they replaced each other over and over. The blue seemed to trail away, floating off of his body like a mist only to vanish while the gold held tight to the boy's skin for the short time it appeared.
Superboy blinked at the sight as his frown grew slightly more pronounced, unsure exactly what to make of this.
Quickly coming to the realization that he didn't really care, the clone turned on his heels and left the two of them to their own devices.
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Ezekiel Patrick Armstrong
Title: None
Level 1
XP: 50/250
Age: 13
HP: 110/110* [330]
MP: 80/80
Will: 95/95
STR: 16* [23]
SPD: 21* [30]
VIT: 22*
INT: 16
WIS: 9
CHA: 11
Stat Points: 2
Perk Points: 0
Cash: $375
Title: None
Level 1
XP: 50/250
Age: 13
HP: 110/110* [330]
MP: 80/80
Will: 95/95
STR: 16* [23]
SPD: 21* [30]
VIT: 22*
INT: 16
WIS: 9
CHA: 11
Stat Points: 2
Perk Points: 0
Cash: $375
Malnourished: Too little to eat for too long has weakened your body, drained you of vitality and made you more susceptible to bumps and bruises. (-30% to STR & SPD, Health does not gain VIT bonus, Health/Will recovery is slowed by 50%, and Will-based skills cost twice as much)
Bright Kid: While you're no genius or some prodigy, you're obviously brighter than most kids. By the time you're an adult, however, no one will care. (Before the age of 18: +75% to INT gain and +25% to speed of learning Mana-based skills/abilities)
Bright Kid: While you're no genius or some prodigy, you're obviously brighter than most kids. By the time you're an adult, however, no one will care. (Before the age of 18: +75% to INT gain and +25% to speed of learning Mana-based skills/abilities)
None
Observe Lv. 7
Kinda like a scouter, but less cool somehow.
Allows you to view the status or qualities of anyone or anything, allowing you to learn information about them.
Cost: 1 MP
Power Sprint Lv 8
You'll never be the Flash relying on this alone. Still, we've all gotta start somewhere.
While active, your running speed increases by 5% per level. (35%)
Cost: 1 Will/s
Power Strike Lv 3
Not exactly a heavy hitter quite yet.
Increases the STR value and knockback of your physical strikes by 10% per level. (30%)
Cost: 5 Will
Kinda like a scouter, but less cool somehow.
Allows you to view the status or qualities of anyone or anything, allowing you to learn information about them.
Cost: 1 MP
Power Sprint Lv 8
You'll never be the Flash relying on this alone. Still, we've all gotta start somewhere.
While active, your running speed increases by 5% per level. (35%)
Cost: 1 Will/s
Power Strike Lv 3
Not exactly a heavy hitter quite yet.
Increases the STR value and knockback of your physical strikes by 10% per level. (30%)
Cost: 5 Will
Gamer's Body Lv MAX
Allows your body to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects. Health, Will, and Mana regenerate at a base of 1 point every 30 seconds. Food and drink items can accelerate recovery.
Gamer's Mind Lv MAX
Allows your mind to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional trauma and severely damaging emotional states. Grants immunity to forceful/unwanted mental intrusion.
Awareness: Mana Lv 4
Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, spirit energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Awareness: Willpower Lv 3
Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Basic Martial Arts Lv 3
Heroes prefer fists. Apparently, so do sidekicks.
This ability measures your skill and intuition in bare-handed combat, allowing for rapid growth and adaptation in martial arts.
Breathing Control Lv 7
Batman can breathe in space. Why can't you?
The ability to use oxygen efficiently, enabling you to hold your breath for extended periods of time. Increases by 1 minute every level. (7 minutes)
Meditation Lv 5
When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is freed and the body matters not.
The ability to train your mind in order to achieve a state of oneness with your spiritual essence and life force, as well your mind and body.
Allows your body to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects. Health, Will, and Mana regenerate at a base of 1 point every 30 seconds. Food and drink items can accelerate recovery.
Gamer's Mind Lv MAX
Allows your mind to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional trauma and severely damaging emotional states. Grants immunity to forceful/unwanted mental intrusion.
Awareness: Mana Lv 4
Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, spirit energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Awareness: Willpower Lv 3
Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Basic Martial Arts Lv 3
Heroes prefer fists. Apparently, so do sidekicks.
This ability measures your skill and intuition in bare-handed combat, allowing for rapid growth and adaptation in martial arts.
Breathing Control Lv 7
Batman can breathe in space. Why can't you?
The ability to use oxygen efficiently, enabling you to hold your breath for extended periods of time. Increases by 1 minute every level. (7 minutes)
Meditation Lv 5
When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is freed and the body matters not.
The ability to train your mind in order to achieve a state of oneness with your spiritual essence and life force, as well your mind and body.
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ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
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- Maryland
Willpower as in physical energy or life force is different from Willpower as in force of will.
- Location
- texas
I have never in my life seen someone try to use those as synonyms.
Pity that the knowledge of tactile telekinesis didn't make it through the amnesia, Zeke assuming that SB is telekinetic could have been interesting.
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
Honestly, I forgot about that power around that time. I was reading the Superboy series and Superboy in TT so all I had in my head was Superboy as slightly weaker Superman.
I hadn't read the Young Justice trades in a while, so I only remembered about Tactile TK after New 52 Superboy came out.
- Location
- texas
The stats already gave several possible synonyms, actually- "Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want."
And also a thing in DC, chi/qi/ki, behind the more outlandish stuff Richard Dragon can do, and how the Chinese Super-Man has kryptonian powers despite starting off as a muggle from Earth.
Makes sense, first he only had tactile telekinesis, then they gave him the full gamut of kryptonian powers on top, which if Black Zero is any indication, made him potentially more powerful than Superman.
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ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
- Location
- texas
Speaking of clones related to Conner, Lex gave Conner a half sibling, but somehow DC never did anything with it-
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
Speaking of clones related to Conner, Lex gave Conner a half sibling, but somehow DC never did anything with it-
That's not New 52, is it?
Because if it is, Superman: Reborn might have wiped away the clone's existence.
- Location
- texas
Convergence brought back the infinite multiverse, and hypertime is still a thing even post flashpoint.
So not only does New Earth still exist, multiple New Earths still exist out there.
Justice League 3000 is a sequel to New Earth's Justice League International, in which when they failed to save Ice from hell, Fire made a deal with Etrigan to take her place, leading to Fire being Etrigan's moll for a thousand years, and Ice being a very angry norse ice goddess.
The Legion of Superheroes of the 31st century survived flashpoint completely unchanged, except when they travel to the past the encounter different versions of the people they know.
The future Titans of the Titans Tomorrow storyline from New Earth showed up in Supersons via hypertime.
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
Oh, I remember that.
Man, Tim Drake became a huge dick.
Also, I really thought they were gonna bring Kon back already. Make him Supernova, or Guardian, or something.
About that Legion story... which comic was that in?
- Location
- texas
I think they forgot all about him now that Superman's son is Superboy.
As for the legion story in which they didn't change from flashpoint? Well the first mention of flashpoint was in the 2010 run of the Legion of superheroes. They debated as to whether they should watch the creation of the universe ala Krona or flashpoint. This being before flashpoint happened, so it was the pre-flashpoint legion.
Then in Legion Lost some legionnaires were stuck in the past, but they didn't make a big deal about it being the wrong past. However, the bad guy they were dealing with was a victim of the anti-alien bigotry that was shown in the 2007 Superman and the Legion of Superheroes story arc, and one of the lost legionnaires was Gates, who was a member of a different universe's legion of superheroes who joined this legion in the Legion of Three Worlds series, which happened pre-flashpoint. And the 2011 Legion of Superheroes included the Legionnaires mourning for their "dead comrades," not realizing they were stuck in the past.