[IC] Justice League Beyond UNLIMITED: Return of Brainiac

[Omega Man]

Many heroes lost their lives on the fatal day when the Watchtower lost power and fell to Earth. Founding members Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and the Flash were all killed when the Watchtower fell. Several additional members (The Ray, Mr. Miracle , etc) were also thought to be dead. This left Earth's defenses almost crippled, with only a few heroes standing strong to fight the good fight. While Batman is more of a lone wolf, he is also part of the JLU. The team is still strong and capable but with the dwindling numbers it became increasingly hard to fight crime. The future Batman, Terry McGinnis, was offered a position by Superman, but he decided he wasn't ready just yet. Eventually, he did join the team.

CURRENT ROSTER:

*Superman - An Elder Superman.
*Warhawk - Who is the son of Shayera Al-Hol and Green Lantern John Stewart.
*Aquagirl - Who is the daughter of Aquaman and Mera.
Kai-Ro (Green Lantern) - A Green Lantern in the future GLC.
*Big Barda - An older version of Big Barda, who remains the same.
Micron - A member with shrinking/growing abilities who became injured, which prompted Terry to join.
*Terry McGinnis (Batman Beyond) - successor to the Batman legacy
*Static - The former Milestone character [much older, early to mid 40's], who used to live in Dakota in the past.
Danica Williams (The Flash) - A young girl who with the help of her predecessor and speed force, became The Flash in the Beyond Universe of the DCU.

But shortly before the game begins, the League has been compromised by Brainiac 3.7. Superman, Batman, Barda, Aquagirl, Static, and Warhawk, as well as several dozen civilians in Metropolis have been infected with a techno virus. Brainiac 3.7...



The young Lantern [who's ring was taken by Brainiac'ed Superman to power his mechanical devices], the shrinking Micron, and the new Flash were the only remaining Leaguers left to activate the Unlimited Protocol. Several new meta-humans and 'friendly' aliens, super powered descendants of older heroes, as well as the older heroes themselves were contacted and offered a position in the Justice League Unlimited. You can be an elder version of a modern hero [currently Starfire is being shown in the Beyond/Unlimited universe], a legacy hero, an original, etc... the year is roughly 2040 and everything is as it was in the Batman Beyond cartoon. Bigger cities, huge corporations around every corner, flying cars, and the older Superman without a cape flying around with a Brainiac symbol on his head.

Our current roster includes...

Me - Firestorm
MistressDizzy - Mirage
GreenGrenade - the Arrow
Endrance - Deadgirl
BlackSam - Furious
DrewVonAwesome - N20
Riurik - Cyborg (pre-approved, awaiting final CS edits)

---

Rules:

1.) No back-to-back posting.

2.) PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND SET-UPS!!

3.) Make sense. If we can't make heads or tails of your posts they're likely to get skipped over.

4.) Get permission before using another player's character in your posts if it involves changing the scene or making actions. Everybody will take beatings in this game in battle however, so don't get pissed if you get punched or blasted into a wall by the bad guys!

5.) Problems with the game or players should be sent directly to me through PM's. I don't want a bunch of bickering in the OOC.

6.) Abandoned characters will be used as NPC's or killed off within the context of the story.

7.) “I was waiting for [insert player/character] to make a move” is not an excuse to not post.

8.) There is no rule #8.

9.) My word is law.

10.) In the event that I'm offline for any period of time, the deputy GM (not yet selected) will take control and HIS/HER word will then be law.

---

Two days had gone by since the new Brainiac made himself known in Metropolis. The year was 2040, the Justice League Watchtower on the northeast end of the city. The majority of the League was taken over by the alien thinking machine, Superman and the others flew around the city with Brainiac's tech implanted in their heads controlling their actions and powered by the energies of Green Lantern Kai Ro's ring. The controlled League gathered electronic components of various shapes and sizes for the newest model of Brainiac as dozens of civilians stood guard outside of the Watchtower. The newest Flash, a ringless Kai Ro, and the size altering Micron were the only Leaguers left.

"We have to initiate the Unlimited Protocol..." Kai Ro said to both Micron and the Flash.

"Where was the signal located, under the old Daily Planet building, right?" Micron asked.

Danica Williams didn't know what was going on. She had only been a member of the JL for a few weeks and hadn't been briefed on the Unlimited Protocol. For a few moments she remained silent, then for a few moments she did a grounds sweep as the League was in an underground location. In a few seconds she returned, nothing new to report.

"What's the Unlimited Protocol?" she asked the two founders.

"The Unlimited Protocol is a signal designed to contact nearby metahumans within a five hundred mile radius of the signal. Designed to seek out former metahuman heroes and reformed criminals as well as their children, and what the system views as friendly aliens, the Protocol was created after the last attack of the Starros." Kai Ro began explaining.

"If not for Batman helping the League and later joining, and Static taking down a mothership over NYC... the League would have been defeated. Now that we need backup to take back Metropolis and the Watchtower, this is our only option." Micron continued, "How fast can you get to the old Daily Planet building, Danica?" he asked after pausing for a moment.

Hours later....

Night was falling in Metropolis. The underground HQ of the League was just outside of the city limits and as far away from the Watchtower as it needed to be keeping the distance between the Brainiac'ed League and civilians. A few blocks away from the Watchtower the civilians didn't seem as affected as the ones in the general area. Firestorm had just got to the city moments earlier but kept his distance from the League's Watchtower and all of the extra machinery and techno-virus'ed civilians. The Flash met up with the young hero near an abandoned subway station above ground about a block away from an entrance to their underground emergency sanctuary not listed in any League documents anywhere....

"Are you the new Firestorm from Midway?" Danica asked with a tired look on her face.

"Yes ma'am. You the new Flash from Central?" he answered and asked in an almost military sounding tone while taking in his surroundings, stemming from the personality traits 'J' inherited from the homeless war vet James.

"I'm too young for anybody to be calling 'ma'am'," Danica replied taking in a breath of air, "Come on, a few others beat you here..." the Flash continued running at an accelerated pace but nowhere near the speeds she runs while saving lives or fighting enemies.

A few heroes had already gathered in the hidden location underground....

"What have I got myself into?" Firestorm thought walking in and noticing some of the others that had gathered around a meeting room complete with a round table and a 3D hologram map of Metropolis in the center.

~KL~

[GreenGrenade]

When the Unlimited Protocol reached Star City, the Arrow had arrived in Metropolis as soon as he could, hurried along by Oliver Queen, his mentor and predecessor. He had been in the middle of a skirmish with some armed robbers when Oliver alerted him of the signal through his earpiece, telling Logan to take care of the robbers extra quick. Setting his bow to the stun setting, he shot the energy-formed arrows quickly and effectively, swiftly dispatching his opponents.

With the police on the scene, he hurried back to his base of operations, the Arrowcave, which he preferred to call the Quiver, but Oliver, the stubborn old man that he was, insisted the base keep its original name. From there, Logan flew the Arrowplane to Metropolis, landing on its outskirts. He found himself at an abandoned subway station, waiting to be greeted by the remainder of the Justice League. It wasn't long before he was greeted by the new Flash.

"Flash, I presume?" he asked, extending his arm towards her.

"That would be me. You Green Arrow?" she replied, accepting his gesture and shaking his hand.

"I'm the Arrow. Green Arrow's my mentor. What's the situation?" he answered, a bit disappointed she didn't know his alias.

"Come on, I'll get you inside. It'll be explained there," she said, running ahead and into the underground HQ.

Inside were other heroes, crowded around a round table which contained a 3D holographic map of the City of Tomorrow. Arrow nodded at them, joining the posse of metahumans.

"There's still some more to come. They shouldn't be long," said Flash, before running back outside, only to come back later with a fiery blue man- Firestorm.

[riurik]

A flash of bluish white lit up the darkness of an abandoned S.T.A.R. Labs basement. The light flashed insistently, impatiently waiting a response. A red light blinked on in the familiar darkness, and searched the room: essential components for tomorrow’s breakthroughs sat waiting for construction, revolutionary technologies neared completion, the designs of a genius waited to prevent another disaster.

“Lights,” a husky voice commanded, and was obeyed.

A brown eye blinked to life in the new light and searched the room: boxes of parts spilled their contents haphazardly onto a cluttered floor, half finished inventions competed with each other for room, the obsessions of a man reliving his past.

Both brown and red found the instigator together. It was a screen from an old system, flashing a message. Brainiac had taken over most of the Justice League. Most of what was left. New heroes were needed.

Cyborg looked at his reflection in the screen. One red eye, mechanical. One brown eye, biological. Both were from his father. Wrinkles crisscrossed his worn human face, while his cybernetic face was covered in grime and dust. I’m not one of the new heroes. This isn’t for me. I’m half frail and half hollow.

His cold metal hand ran through his long, unkempt hair. His brown eye blinked several more times, trying to get accustomed to the bright lights it had not seen in so long. Once adjusted, it surveyed the room once more. How did it come to this? How long has it been? Cyborg’s gaze came to rest on the figure standing guard in the corner. His new body. Cyborg sighed. It really isn’t a choice. I couldn’t save them last time, but I can save them this time.

------
As he entered the new base, Cyborg once again questioned himself. He had cut his hair, washed his skin (both metal and flesh), and installed his new body, but he still felt old and hollow. The heroes already there didn’t make him feel any better. God, their young. Or I’m just old. I’m could be their father. New Flash, new Green Arrow, new Firestorm. Old Cyborg. He stooped his towering form to greet the three of them in turn. Cyborg's voice was raspy from disuse; he wasn’t sure the last time someone had heard it.

[DrewVonAwesome]

"Artemis I understand what your saying but if Uncle Barry had to die for this I'm not putting myself or you through it again. We have a kid now we can't do this to him."

"Wally I understand but..."

"We're done having this conversation..."

Roy could hear it all from downstairs. His mom and dad were having this arguement all night. He knew what it was about, They might not have ever told them, but he knew about their past superhero lives. Still it didn't stop him from knowing not only about the situation, but that he was in. Quietly he listened in from his room where he was suppose to be asleep. Waiting for them to go into their room, the sound of the door locking in this house where sound can easily travel. Finally though Roy West heard the door slam, breathing a little as he sighed in relief. Carefully Roy reached in under his bed and pulled out the small suitcase. Saving its contents for when the time was right. Which considering what was happening seemed just as good as any. Roy smiled as he opened it up and the suit looked back at him, beckoning him for his raw speed, for the fun that came with it.

The blur that was Roy ran quickly through Central City and anything between it and Metropolis. He ran right past all the virus infected citizens, and could see Superman in the distance. Gulping a little he finally got to a familiar face, Danica the new Flash. Though the last time he saw her, it was at his house. Where Wally chewed her out for taking the Flash name when she tried to get his blessing for it over dinner. "Hey sorry I'm late just you know... stuff." Roy told Danica as he gave her a hug. "Roy... shit..." She looked like she did not want to see him there. "Look Danica I know... I know mom and dad are going to hate this but, you know I can't just walk away from this, or run away, really fast or something." Roy stated with a smile as she led him down to the new base. "Roy I'm going to pretend I didn't see you but... you're on your own here." She told him before leaving him with Firestorm and the older Cyborg. "Yo whats up guys dudeeee you look so cool mister blue guy!" The now hero N2O went to give Firestorm a fist bump but quickly retracted it not sure he'd get burned or not. Then he dashed over to Cyborg, "Whoa Cyborg my dad is Wally he always said nice stuff about you and stuff! Oh man this robot stuff looks so cool on you!" N2O rambled on to Cyborg.

[Endrance]

Sometimes Dana could swear she felt the wind blowing through her hair, making the petal on her flower fold but it was just her imagination. She'd match someone elses footsteps instead of floating to pretend she still mattered or rather, existed. She remembered when she first realized, hovering over her body, screaming. The next memory? Seeing herself look like a freaking zombie in a mirror. Even now, the only time she'd forget her ailment was when she hovered outside of a college or helped fight a ne'er do well but even then it didn't last. Who was she kidding cleaning up the small stuff? She was just going about, "life" by patching up the roof instead of fixing the foundation. But she had an eternity, and it seemed like eternity was her redemption for the massacre she'd unintentionally caused that day. Today though, was different. Much like the first, It did not blend in with the rest of the days. This day was characterized by a message she'd received...

As night fell in metropolis, Dana or Deadgirl, had made it a little later than expected, phasing through the base. "Hola..."said a voice coming from seemingly nowhere. The reason for her hold up was another robbery attempt gone...right, as she took over the crime bosses body and made him turn himself in. As she looked around the place saw a cast of new characters in the meeting room. A team for her to join! Somewhere to belong to. If she could cry she'd be a little overwhelmed right now, but no time for that. She was excited to do something that mattered and deal with this new threat, especially since she had nothing to be afraid of...she was already dead.

Not realizing she was still invisible, she continued. "Mucho gusto Encantado...I'm Dana. I'm excited to work with you!" She noticed Danica looking and zipping around. "Who said that? You're not funny. Come out!"

Deadgirl was angry about it at first thinking Danica was joking but then realized. "Oh. Lo siento..."She said as she floated, hands up, to the floor. As her hands dropped to the side, she became visible to the group. She said fiercely with a guard up, "Anyone say anything about my face, i make 'em jump off a bridge, okay? You can call me...deadgirl i guess though..."

[Mistress Dizzy]

Achi breathed out slow, as she watched another dead-eyed human wander by her hiding spot. It had been two days since she had escaped from her metal prison, two days since she'd fled the strange ship with the great purple god-being on it. All around her, lights danced on buildings, and vehicles whizzed by. It was lively, busy, and yet, utterly dead, because she could find no minds.

There were people, certainly, but there was something utterly wrong with them. She had tried to speak to one, and to cast her illusion over them to make herself match a human form. It was like trying to cast magic over a piece of coral. The body moved, breathed, lived, but something inside was just not there. She had fled, hastily, and forgot trying to speak with the populace after that.

Something about this world she'd landed on was all wrong, and she felt the need to keep hidden. Luckily, she had found discarded clothes and cloth scraps, which she used to cover her vivid hair, and mask her Wati-made skirts from view. Her clothes were bright, by human standards. Sea grape green tunic, and long skirt in algae brown. Her shoes were thin and made of wood, and they were wearing rapidly as she walked and walked.

She hadn't slept in two days. Out of the grace of Agwe, she'd found a fountain full of spraying water in front of a large tower-like dwelling. It was clean enough for her to drink, and she did consume all that she could. But she knew it wasn't safe enough to rest there, as much as her legs burned for relief.

As the evening began to darken the sky, she took refuge in what seemed to be some kind of natural hunting grounds. Or at least, that was what she thought it was. It was in the midst of the city, but there was green, and trees, and a beautiful lake. She had yet to see any creatures, though- perhaps the lake had healthy fish? Her empty belly groaned at the thought, and she rubbed it with a palm.

A noise coming near her startled her, and without forethought she pulled a veil of invisibility around herself. But the noise revealed itself to be some kind of machine, one that spoke to her of joining some kind of... league. She frowned slightly, confused, and then she started to follow the map the device gave her.

[Omega Man]

New heroes gathered around the round table along with Micron, the Flash, and the ringless Lantern. The blue Firestorm, a new Arrow, a living Deadgirl who resembled a zombie, and another Flash legacy hero called N20 were all circled around the table that was refurbished tech from one of the League's previous headquarters. Kai Ro and Micron continued talking quietly about something before sitting down after the Flash did another run through to check the perimeter. It only took the speedster a few seconds. Honestly just a few more than it would've taken had she not been so tired and deprived of rest. But saving lives was a full time job to the tenth power.

"We're all good, GL." Danica said pulling her Flash mask down and wiping sweat from her brow.

"Thank you all for coming here. I wish that the circumstances were not so dire. The Justice League has been compromised by a new Brainiac who's also taken control of three square blocks of Metropolis as well as the Watchtower. The techno tyrant did this in two days." the ringless Lantern began.

Danica could see that a couple of the new recruits were separated from the bunch somewhat. So she put it all in easier terms.

"Superman and the League are screwed if we don't do something to stop Brainiac. The three of us were no match against a techno-virus controlled Superman and Batman... when Barda and the others were infected we didn't stand a chance..." the Flash said recalling the events from a couple days ago.

"That's why we were all contacted, ma'am?" the new Firestorm asked, still with a more militaristic tone.

"As of now you're all the Justice League. We have to take down Brainiac and free the minds of the hundred or so of the civilians infected with the techno-virus as well as the League." Kai-Ro stated.

"Brainiac is powering some of his machinations with Lantern's ring, if we can locate it we may cripple his attack strategy and free the others. It has to be somewhere within the walls of the Watchtower. But reports say that Superman and the infected League have been scrapping the city for large mechanical components which may be used to draw power from a different energy source. We need to act fast." Micron explained.

"What's the plan?" Firestorm asked with a smile and the youthful enthusiasm that he retained from the younger half of his composite self.

"We'll need a diversion to rally Brainiac's forces away from one of the back entrances of the Watchtower. Another team should try and destroy whatever Brainiac has been trying to build with all of this scavenged tech. After we're inside the main goal is to stay alive and find GL's ring so we can pull the plug on Brainiac's alien tech that's hacked our systems and infected the civilians..." Micron noted as the adrenaline began pumping in several of the new heroes.

~KL~

[Double]

"Surely this is a mistake." said Tom under his breath when he finished watching the tape. He'd just received it barely fifteen minutes ago, when some guy in a trench coat just forced it in his hands, insisting that Tom had dropped it. He was obviously delivering a message, Tom had deduced that much on his own. But he had no idea just what the message entailed. An invite to the Justice League? The Justice League? Why would they want a washed up scholar like Tom? Surely the League still had access to more powerful magic users than him. Of course, there was that incident with Brainiac. An entire section of Metropolis was taken over by him, including many senior members of the League itself, "Then it's a rescue party of sorts. But again, why would they want me? I know nothing of this technological virus, I'm not even sure my magic would have any effect on it."

Still, he couldn't deny the temptation of such an invitation. It was the Justice League after all, known for it's seemingly limitless resources. Resources that he knew could prove very useful to him, "I suppose there's no harm in paying them a visit. It would be very rude to just ignore the message, after all." he said, having made his decision. Whether or not he could be of use to the League remained to be seen, but the fact of the matter was that they could certainly be of use to him, and that, Tom decided, was reason enough to hear them out. And so he donned the hooded cloak he'd adopted as his costume. It wasn't particularly fancy, mostly dark gray but it did have red accents, particularly at the hems, where old runic symbols were sown into the design, giving its wearer a bit of protection against opposing magics. He also put on the white ballroom mask before pulling up the hood, ensuring that his identity remain hidden from those who gazed upon him. Once he was suited up, took one of the spell tomes from his collection and, with a wave of his hand, opened a dimensional portal and stepped through it.

It took him nearly a half hour to reach the headquarters mentioned in the tape. Unfortunately, it was too far away to reach with a single portal, and so Tom had to use the technique of traveling as far as possible through one portal and then do so again until reaching the headquarters. It wasn't the fastest mode of transportation, but it would have taken longer to simply walk or drive, so he took whatever advantage he could get from his portal spell. Now standing in front of the building, Tom could tell it hadn't been used in a while. Likely it was either a previous League base or one that was used in emergencies. Still, it seemed pretty well defended. He entered, Tom following voices he could hear from another room and deciding to follow said voices. He then found himself in a conference room of sorts, other costumed heroes sitting about a round table in a fashion reminiscent of King Arthur's court. How appropriate, he thought to himself before clearing his throat, "I apologize for my tardiness. I wasn't sure the message I'd been given was legitimate or not, but I can see now that it was, indeed."

[An Outsider]

"Its a call for aid. Things must be even more dire than they seem if they're just asking anyone for help." The speaker was Dr Henry Traskion. A head researcher and behavioural psychologist for Cadmus, he and his colleague and superior, an elderly wheelchair bound Dr Emil Hamilton, had just finished listening to the Unlimited protocol message. They stood in a comfortable looking office, located deep within a hidden Cadmus compound just outside of Metropolis city limits.

"It's our way in." Responded Dr Hamilton "Though the mere fact they knew to contact us in our supposedly secret lab gives me cause for concern. Still that's a problem for another day. Please send for Clobo." Henry left the room, obviously a man used to obeying orders. Dr Hamilton rolled his chair across to a large wardrobe, dragging open the doors to retrieve the garments within. Henry returned shortly after, Clobo trailing behind.

"Your looking for me Doc?" Clobo asked, his tone somewhat uncertain. Hamilton felt a wave of disgust build for the alien, but quickly battled it down. How could a creature so powerful be such an apparent weakling. Clobo stood at well over six feet tall, with a powerful build. His midnight black hair and bone white skin made for an imposing look that even his Cadmus issued orange jumpsuit couldn't undo, but his blood red eyes always looked scared and frightful. But he's all I have to work with thought Hamilton.

"Yes Clobo, please listen to this" replied Hamilton, replaying the leagues message. Clobo stayed quiet through the message, his expression thoughtful. When the missive finished he still didn't speak, obviously taking his time to mull over the information within. Stupid alien that he is Hamilton thought to himself. Finally Clobo looked up.

"That message wasn't for Cadmus, was it. It was for me." he stated. Maybe not quite a stupid as Hamilton thought he was.

"Yes Clobo, the message was for you. We would like you to go to the League, to aid them in any way you can. We had this made for you" Dr Hamilton replied, handing the clothes he had taken from the wardrobe to Henry, who carried them over to Clobo. Clobo received them without a word, unfolding and quickly studying them. A pair of black leather combat utility boots with built in knee pads, black tights with the word 'FURIOUS' printed in red up the outside of the legs. A heavy leather thick belt, the type that might be worn by a body builder. Next was a black duster, made of a heavy fabric. Lastly the was two long strips of white cotton, primarily used by fist fighters to tie around their hands.

"But Doc, I ain't a fighter, you know that. And I ain't ready. My strength is still in flux. Sure, I'm powerful right now, but tomorrow I could be as weak as a kitten. . . " Clobo was going to continue but Dr Hamilton held up a finger, gesturing for silence.

"I shall brook no argument on the matter Clobo. You have been a guest on earth, and now the earth is in peril. You are perfectly situated to combat the danger. I cannot make you fight, but I know you will not let us down, not when we need you." Hamilton's argument was clear, concise and well thought out. He had obviously known Clobo wouldn't want to go, so Dr Hamilton had made his arguments long in advance. The alien stared hard at his feet, ashamed at his cowardice.

"Why Furious?" he asked, but still averting his gaze.

"Because Clobo is a ridiculous name. And I think its time you found your fury. Now get dressed. It's long past time you introduced yourself to the world."

Some time later

Some mess you got yourself into now Clobo. The big alien had found the League's base simply enough, but had been stood outside now for almost twenty minutes, afraid of going in. Once he did there would be no going back. Either the league would make him fight, which would be one step closer to becoming the monster that Lobo was, or they would turn him away. Then he'd be forced to leave the planet because Cadmus wouldn't take him back if they failed, but what would he do then? Probably get shot up by some space posse that would mistake him for Lobo. So he stood there in new, uncomfortable clothes unsure of what to do, until another hero, one dressed like a wizard appeared.

Appeared outta nowhere to be precise. Furious near jumped outta his white skin, and it was all he could do not to scream in fright. Good first impression that would make 'oh you wanna join the Justice League eh? Well we seen ya piss yer shiny new breeches outside, so yer out on principal. Can't be having pants wetters in the JL.' The wizard was already entering the building before Furious had got his composure back. Damn if I'm gonna stand here any longer, waiting for something else to scare me to death. Rushing across the street Clobo followed the wizard in, then continued to follow him through the building to the meeting room. A meeting room that was already filled with stern looking super folk in the middle of what looked like a pretty serious meeting. Frakk, first day and your already late. Good going there dumbass Furious thought to himself.

"Urgh. . " he stumbled for words as he stepped outta the wizards shadow "I'm Furious." Great word choice there genius.

[Mistress Dizzy]

Achi was nearing some buildings, tentatively following the map laid out by the device with the message. She frowned as she stopped. All of these places looked alike. Rectangular and tall, how was she to tell them apart?

Then a man in a cloak popped out of thin air, and she panicked, pulling a veil of invisibility over herself out of reflex. The tug at her remaining power left her head spinning lightly, and she knew she had to reach her destination soon. Veils were the easiest thing for her- if even that was starting to tire her, she couldn't have much strength left to tap. Watching the man in the gray cloak, she saw him near a building and go in. He was followed by an odd looking male (definitely not human) in black. Was this what she was looking for?

She crept closer, staying far enough that she wouldn't step on anyone. With an invisible hand, she pushed open the door, and nearly breathed a sigh of relief. There were people here, all of them dressed in unusual clothes. They were around a table, and they all looked like they were on a mission. These had to be the heroes she was to help. Silently she stepped forward, removing the cloths from her hair and clothes, and letting her bold-colored green and orange dyes stand out.

"A-ah..." She dropped the veil slow, revealing herself from head to toe. "Are you the ones who seek justice?"

[riurik]

Achi appeared out of the air, asking, “Are you the ones who seek justice?"
If it weren't for years of experience, Cyborg might have jumped. "I guess that would be us, as rag-tag as we are," Cyborg wheezed, glancing around at the others.
A new Flash and a new New Flash. I've had enough speedsters in my life already. A ghost girl, hopefully not as moody as Brand. A wizard from the looks of it (who else would wear that cloak?), and, is that––Lobo?! No, he lacks the insane fire in his eyes. Man, this is the saddest bunch I've ever met.[/i]

Achieng squared her shoulders, and stepped forward with purpose. "I am Achieng, of clan Chima." Bowing her head and crossing her arms over her chest, fingers spread, she saluted.

"Clan Chima? Well from the looks of it, you're not from around here," Cyborg said bluntly.

"If I must say, Elder... From the looks of it, neither are you." Her voice was even, but her orange eyes looked steadily at Cyborg. "I traveled a long ways through dangerous territory to be here. If I do not pass muster already, I will go."

Cyborg felt the wrinkles in his face draw back into a smirk. Elder? Well, at least she's respectful. But is she any good? "What sort of combat experience do you have? Or any of you?" Cyborg asked the group. "Brainiac is no two-bit thug. And now he owns the big Leaguers. Who is going toe-to-toe with them long enough to distract Brainiac? Even if we accomplish that, we have no idea where the ring is. Are we just going to wander around until it's found?"

Achi frowned very slightly, her eyes respectfully downcast. Years of mistreatment had tempered her into not showing her emotions unless she wanted to. "Begging your allowance, Elder, but... you asked us for help, did you not? To ask for all who can hold a blade, and then to discard those because they are not up to your muster?" Her gaze riveted up, and she stared right at Cyborg, meeting both mismatched eyes. "You cannot hope to fight a war by dismissing those with the passion to fight, if not the skill." Her steady look swept over the others, then to the would-be heroes that had come in around the same time. "We have answered the call, of our own accord. That should be enough, if you are in fact, losing."

Cyborg sighed. Perhaps I'm being too hard on them. It really has been awhile since I talked to people, instead of computers. "I didn't call up the Protocol, but, like you, I answered." His voice softened. "You're right, though. You are ready, and you are willing. All of you, from the looks of it. What more can we ask? If anybody is going to beat this tin can, it has to be us. You said your name was Achieng, right? I didn't see you when you first came in. Some sort of illusion or invisibility, I presume? Do you think that you could trick Brainiac with that? You could look for the ring ahead of time, save us from searching while the others are distracting."

"I do not know." Achieng murmured, her hand to her lips in a gesture of deep thought. "I am willing to learn, if we can find a being who matches the same mind of this Brainiac." Frowning, her hand shifted to her forehead, and she winced. "Er... before that, I confess to a long journey. Times are dire, but... is there water to spare?"

-Dizzy/Riurik-

[GreenGrenade]

'Two Flashes, Micron, a ringless Green Lantern, a Firestorm, a zombie, an alien, a wizard, a person resembling Lobo and the Cyborg. This... Is going to be interesting,' thought Arrow when the makeshift Justice League was finally assembled. After Cyborg and the alien, Achien, finished their conversation, Logan turned his attention to Micron and Kai Ro, who had told the team of their plan earlier.

"I'll help with the diversion. I can use some explosive arrows to distract Brainiac's forces, distance them from the base."

It was the best he could offer. He was the only one lacking some kind of power, after all. Sure, his exceptional archery and hand-to-hand combat skills could certainly help him fight regular meta-humans, but... This was frakkin' Brainiac! How much of a chance would Logan stand? He'd be a liability to the team, if anything.

Quickly noticing that he was spiralling into a negative mind-set, which he almost constantly did, Logan aimed his thoughts at something else. 'Man, is Cyborg awesome, or what?'