[CENTER][h3][sup][sup][COLOR=SILVER][B]A B E L A T E D P R O L O G U E . . .[/B][/COLOR][/SUP][/SUP][/H3][/CENTER] [Color=teal][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]D E L A W A R E :[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][sup][COLOR=SILVER]July 21[SUP]st[/SUP], 2017 - 16:32 | Greenhouse - Metro Tower[/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT][/COLOR] [indent][indent] [i] [color=dodgerBlue]"So, first real fight as part of the League... how are you feeling?"[/color] Duncan briefly glanced up at the old Superman-Robot from the little hole he was digging in the garden, his face twisting in a weird way as he tried to puzzle together an intelligent way to articulate just how he'd felt about the previous day's events... [color=teal]"...Kiiiinda wish I got to keep my pants."[/color] ...And, true to form, settled on cracking a joke instead of actually saying what was on his mind. A habit that didn't go unnoticed by the old machine, though it didn't press the lad about it. [color=dodgerblue]"Yes, I was wondering about that; The entire tower and everything in it was restored to the way it the second Extant and Fate vanished... except your [b]pants.[/b]"[/color] Ajax remarked, a perplexed note evident in his usual synthetic tone even as he seamlessly transplanted the sapling of a cherry tree into the garden dirt [color=dodgerblue]"That is... [b]peculiar[/b]..."[/color] [color=teal]"Made for one hell of a first impression, though; 'Hello there, Justice League! My name is Duncan and [b]here is my gitch!'[/b]"[/color] [color=dodgerblue]"Well, your [b]reptilian friend[/b] seemed to enjoy it..."[/color] The machine quipped with calculated precision, very possibly reveling in how those words made the man next to him freeze for a moment, before he quickly covered his brief lapse in composure with a small smirk and a raised brow, though he kept his eyes cast down at his work. [color=teal]"You [b]sassin'[/b] me, Ajax?"[/color] Duncan snorted [color=teal]"Didn't think ye had it in ya."[/color] [color=dodgerblue]"I am merely pointing out that in the span of a few weeks, you have saved the lives of three hundred and forty-two of your former coworkers, fought an upgraded Metallo to a standstill, went to a baseball game with possibly the greatest Hero that ever lived, helped bring down a time-travelling psychopath and then shared an intimate moment with a member of the [b]Justice League.[/b]"[/color] The (actually [b]very sassy[/b]) robot remarked before Duncan could try to change the subject with more humour [color=dodgerblue]"...Perhaps this life suits you."[/color] That gave the Rookie some pause. And he didn't even try to hide it this time. [color=teal]"Yeah... you and Supes keep saying that, but I'm still not sure I buy it."[/color] Ah, there it was. If Ajax had a mouth, it'd be wearing a particularly triumphant grin right about now- The boy was finally speaking his mind. [color=dodgerblue]"Mr. MacAodhan, in case you haven't noticed, you happen to be one of the most physically powerful beings on this [b]planet.[/b] You could have gone out at any time you wished and forcibly [b]seized[/b] anything you ever desired... but you took all that potential and abruptly threw it to the side because the only thing that mattered to you was working a normal job and drinking beer with your Grandfather."[/color] Ajax explained, placing it's trovel down and turning to the young man [color=dodgerblue]"Yet when push came to shove and lives were at stake, you used all that strength and fought like a lion to defend your home and everyone in it."[/color] [color=teal]"...So, [b]where[/b] exactly are you going with this corny speech?"[/color] [color=dodgerblue]"That for all that you do not want to be a Big Damned Hero, it does seem to come naturally to you."[/color] [/i][/indent][/indent] [hr] [CENTER][H2][b][color=teal]E P I S O D E VII:[/color][/b][/H2][h3][sup][sup][COLOR=SILVER][B]T R A I N I N G D A Y S[/B][/COLOR][/SUP][/SUP][/H3][/CENTER] [Color=teal][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]D E L A W A R E :[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][sup][COLOR=SILVER]July 30[SUP]th[/SUP], 2017 - 09:13 | Metro Tower - Metropolis[/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT][/COLOR] [indent][indent] Duncan had to admit; watching Lara toss the holo-droids around was pretty goddamn [i]cathartic...[/i] Well, it also reminded him just how much he'd been holding back this entire time [i]and[/i] how much doing so [i]really[/i] annoyed the [i]piss[/i] outta him, but God [i]Damn[/i] watching the kid tear through [i]both[/i] Grundy and Parasite (at one point, with [i][b]eachother[/b][/i]) was a hell of a fun sight. At least, until Wildcat was kind enough to remind her that she probably shouldn't be trying to kill her enemies if she was going to be part of their big damned spandex club. ...Not that he was necessarily fully on board with said club himself mind yo- [COLOR=DARKSLATEGRAY][B]“And you, [i]MacAodhan[/i]. Out of your teammates, you have the most experience with Supervillains.”[/B][/COLOR] Wildcat wasted no time cutting into him as well [COLOR=DARKSLATEGRAY][B]“Her conduct's on [i]you.[/i] Get your [i]shit together.[/i]”[/B][/COLOR] Well, a dressing-down by the guy who saved his Granddad back in the war and indirectly allowed him and his Dad to [i]exist...[/i] That stung a little. [color=teal][i]'Welp, guess getting an autograph for Gramps later is out of the question...'[/i][/color] The Canuck winced internally as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly in order to get his afore-mentioned shit into an appropriate degree of togetherness and turned towards Vandal Savage, who was outright ignoring him at this point and focusing on Supergirl [color=teal][i]'...Let's just get this shit over with.'[/i][/color] And so with a step forward, the Rookie seemingly vanished in a burst of speed, appearing only as a blur of motion until he abruptly stopped directly behind the replicated immortal. Hands firmly placed where it's shoulders met it's torso. [color=teal]"Hey bud, forget someone?[/color] Without another word, Duncan promptly squeezed, eliciting a loud series of pops and a louder scream from the droid as both of it's arms fell limp, dislocated and useless to it's sides. A pattern that repeated itself as the Rookie pushed his foot into the back of Pseudo-Savage's knee and forced it into the ground, crushing it. [color=teal]"Now..."[/color] The thoroughly unhappy Canadian began as he let his enemy drop to the ground, ignoring the sight of Gentleman Ghost leveling one of his flintlocks at him from the corner of his eye as he calmly moved his foot over the back of Savage's other knee and pressed down, eliciting a final [I][B]'CRUNCH!'[/B][/I] [color=teal]"You be a good boy and stay [i]right there[/i] while I deal with your friend..."[/color] The Ghost-bot fired, and there was a minute of silence afterward wherein Duncan simply stared at the dapper robot... before parting his lips with a cheeky grin and revealing he'd [i]caught the bullet with his teeth.[/i] Which he casually spat off to the side. [color=teal]"...Otherwise, I'mma haf'ta start [i]spankin'[/i] ya lil' shits."[/color] [/indent][/indent] [@Unknown100][@Holy Soldier]