"Young Justice: Out of Their League." A Legend of Star City. (closed for Lachiyous)

"Young Justice: Out of Their League." A Legend of Star City. (closed for Lachiyous)


The Justice League has been around for ten years, since the mid-80s, having formed to repel a threat from beyond the stars. It started with Green Lantern Hal Jordan, The Flash Barry Allen, Black Canary Dinah Laurel Lance, Aquaman Orin Arthur Curry, and Martian Manhunter J'onn J'onzz. Since then, carrying on a legacy begun with Golden Age predecessors The Justice Society, it has taken many forms, some more than successful than others (oh, poor, poor Detroit).

In its current form, from their Watchtower on The Moon, The JLA-- core members Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and The Flash Wally West --are the pre-eminent line of defense for Earth and her people against threats both cosmic and domestic.

But just as The Justice Society of America inspired those who followed in their footsteps, so too also have Earth's many legendary heroes come to inspire the younger generation to take up legacies and define for themselves what it means to be a hero.

Young Justice: a team of 18-year-old superheroes still in their first few months of formation, determined to prove themselves but to have fun doing it! Supervised by former Justice Leaguer Red Tornado, an airbending android searching for his innate humanity, they live and meet in The Justice League's original headquarters, a Rhode Island cave called The Secret Sanctuary.

Robin, Timothy "Tim" Drake, third Boy Wonder to serve as partner to The Batman of Gotham City. Intelligent, focused, finely-honed, dwelling in shadows so as to not expose his mentor's "urban legend."

Superboy, The Metropolis Kid, genetic hybrid of Superman himself with human DNA, with tactile-telekinetic powers simulating but not quite matching The Man of Tomorrow. Struggles with his hybrid nature versus his pre-programmed nurture, but is quick with bravado and a pop-culture riff in the face of impossible odds.

Wonder Girl, Cassandra "Cassie" Sandsmark, in awe of her mother's friend Wonder Woman, who embarked on a helter-skelter career as the second Wonder Girl-- only to be blessed by Zeus Himself with a fraction of Wonder Woman's power-- if not necessarily her impeccable fashion sense.

Arrowette, Suzanne "Cissie" King-Jones, formidably trained as an archer by her mother, failed heroine Miss Arrowette, she often chafes at her lack of a "normal" childhood. Nevertheless ready to put arrow to string and boot to ass for all the right reasons.

The Secret, "Susie," a mysterious, ghostly girl of living smoke. Freed from marauding governmental figures by YJ's three founders on one of their inaugural outings as a unit.

Element Girlhttp://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?p=84710814#post84710814, Rose Anderson, a budding supervillainess rescued from a life of crime by The Martian Manhunter and lurching her way towards redemption. She can become any substance she touches, or absorb any energy.

...and then there's Impulse...

Impulse

A world. Away.
A world. Afar.
A world. Alike, yet. Not, this one...

With. With someone, familiar. Young, and completely. Carefree.

Innocent, even.
========================================================================
[Between the Here and the Now]

Darkness. Lightless.

Hardly, nothing could. Be seen. What the---! Where...? How...
.
..

"Bart."

..
.

"Bart."

?

EyesOpen. BlinkBlink. Peeer'ing around...

"Bart. Listen."

There. A figure. Before him. The Scarlet Speedster.

Flash.

The man, charged. With his care.

His guardian.

And his only, family....

He was talking. What was, he. Saying? "...You want to wear the suit, you want to be a hero. Time to step up. Get moving. RUN!"

And then, the man -- he -- disappeared!

HUHHHH??

..
.

Shadows. No illumination.

Everything, void. Of visual appearance. Once more....

"Your-- your eyes. You have golden eyes."

This time. It was...the voice, was...

Feminine.

And then, he saw. A cascade, of red. Tresses -- the most, AMAZING. Sight!

"At least red hair is a color people's hair sometimes is. I get it from my dad. But where'd you get your peepers? Not that they're not-- I mean-- they're lovely. I knew a girl with purple eyes, once, but I've never seen golden."

She....she...

Mouth agape -- staaaaaare.

He knew her, didn't he??

"I'm Rose. Pleased to meet you, Bart, I guess. Surprised, but I think I'm pleased?"

R-rose?

BlinkBlink.

1 + 3 = 4

ROSE!

Gasp -- reeeeach'ing out for her....the image....the girl -- FINGER TIPS to touch --

To no, avail. She too...

GONE.

..
.

?

??

?

Crackle -- crackle.....
RattleRattle -- shaaaaaaaake....
Crackle -- fizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz --
========================================================================
The Few Moments Ago. [Upon Star City's Earth. Metropolis]

"Mercury hid you well."

A dark figure, loomed. There, before him! And that...that's when, he. He noticed --

Gahh - waa -- weiiirrrdddness...all...over???

-- he felt. Tingles. Worse.....he....he....

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss--*
*FFFFSS--*
*FFFS--*
*F--*

....lost his SPEED!

!!!

"Kept you from making too many ripples in history. Kept you sequestered. But no-one hides from the march of time forever." the ominous being, proclaimed.

The youth focused, on the. Stranger. Awestruck, and. Dumbstruck, even..."Whooo...WhoWhoWhoAre....you?"

The man furthered, the. Sinister plot. "Someone who finds speedsters' ability to penetrate the time barrier without mechanical means to be... vexing. Almost as vexing as my employer finds how resistant The Speed Force makes you to Anti-Life and The Omega Sanction."

Blaaaaaaaaank expression, upon his face...

Wa'ssa -- huhhhhh? "Oooomegasanction?" DunnoDunnoDunno -- shruggggggg -- clearly, this was. Going 'over' his head...."AuntieLife? Idon'tdon'tdon'thaveanAuntie--"

The boy's antics -- his prattle -- were, clearly. Irritating the dark, figure. He scoffed out..."Actually, your aunt is named Dawn, not that you'll ever meet her."

Suddenly -- cleeeeeeeeeeeench -- Gahhhh -- he grabbed the teen speedster, by his uniform's material --

"I curse you to the wilds of The Multiverse, to drift in The Bleed and The Void, like the survivors of Earth-247. Pray to whatever fruit-fly gods bob about in that high-fructose soup you call a brain that The Master never comes looking for you."

Gahhhh -- urghhhh -- "LeggoleggoleggoLETGO!" Bart, with the all of his might...with the all of his speed....with the ANY of EVERY capable efforted notion on his part, put it all into this moment --

-- pussshhhhh -- SHOVE -- twisssstttt -- poke -- kiiiiiiiiick -- pusssshhhhhhh -- tuggggggg -- SHOOOVVVVVVVEEEE OFFFFF --

-- and was able, to launch. Himself...OFF. And away, from the. Stranger!

Crackle -- crackle -- fizzzzzzzzzzzz

POOOOOOoofffffffffffffffffffffff---!
========================================================================
[Within the Multiverse. Between the Here and Now]

Crackle -- crackle --

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Blips.

?

"I'm Rose..."

Sparkle -- crackle --

!!!

"Pleased to meet you, Bart, I guess.."

Then, all he could see. Was. Crimson.

Rose...

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKKKK-kooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!
========================================================================
Saturday Morning. Now. [A New Time. A New Earth. The Secret Sanctuary, in Rhode Island]

"....you must like playing with...cards." the sultry voice, of a. Girl.

"..mrrrph....hrm...?" over. Over...

-- Rolllllll over in bed --

"I like Solitaire, 'kay? 'Less I got someone....t' play wit'.." a man's, accented. Response. "Dey feel great, I...."

"Like anything else?"

"Don' go 'way. I be right back..."

EYES OPEN! Gasp -- glaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaance 'round -- SCAN -- yellows darting this way, and that! --

A television. The thick boob tube. It, was on....

...and....and there was, some. Some kinda, program playing....

"Stand aside. I must apprehend, that mutant." A biiiiiig robot, commanded.

"Heyyy, appre'end dis--!"

dripdripdrip -- sssSSSSSSSSSSssssssssspraaaayyyy -- !

BlinkBlink.

??

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*
========================================================================
Wass'att sound? Is'att --

sssSSSSSSSSSSssssssssspraaaayyyy.....

Moisture. Steam. And, running water.

Bart Allen, aka Impulse, stood. Right outside, a. Shower stall. The sound, of the. Spattering droplets, brought him. Here. And....

And -- squiinnnt -- someone, was. INSIDE!
========================================================================
****Select elements of dialogue written by "Lunaramblings" and Miss "ChasNicollette" were used in the above passage. Thank you to them both for allowing me to use those words!****

Superboy

High. High, up there.
Above, everyone.
Above, everything.

Amidst the, clouds...

"You're not Superman..."

"...just a Kid!"

"Do you even know what that S stands for?"

...floooaaaaaat'ing, above -- GLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID'ING!

The world -- its people -- and all, of. The danger. The violence. The hurt, even. That's associated...

Why. Why sometimes, one. One just, needs. A break.

And get, away.

To feel renewed. Reinvigorated. To find, one's. Center. So that life -- and oneself -- may, continue. And carry on...

<>Superboy.<>

..

<>Superboy!<>

.....eyes slit, open.

"Hm?"

<>Far be it for me to question the situations that we oft times find ourselves in, but....once again...your presence is required. And...<>

"Dub, you mind much? I WAS working on my tan and all..."

<>....<>

"Being this sexy isn't easy, ya know?"

<>...you're late, Superboy<>

....apparently not all, are in. Yearning necessity, of. Peace...
========================================================================
Saturday Morning. Now. [Honolulu, Hawaii]

Sunny. Almost eighty degrees. A splendid day, on a. Tropical island. Perfect, for...

The lot, of. Female individuals, adorned in. Costumes of, all kinds. Lined up, Upon a stage. Before a large crowd. A banner hung, overhead. A singular man, decked out with. Simple shorts and a flowered, tee. Shirt. Held a microphone.

SOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRrrr....

"....in honor of the first ever Miss Kryponite Pageant, please help me welcome a very special guest whom will be a judge today. You've seen him save us countless times before. Our very own Hero of Hawaii....Superboy!" The man presented.

...LAND -- hand waaaaaaaaaav'ing, to all!

The crowd erupted, in. Claps and cheers, whistles -- the grey horned DNAlien known, as Dubbilex could only shake his head -- for the Boy of Steel.

"Thanks for having me. Just wanna say, yeah. It'll be tough. -- you girls ALL look fantastic by the way! -- But SOMEone's gotta do it. I owe it to everyone here, to get to the bottom of this. Not till I...err....check out each one of you...uhh....thoroughly.....will we find a winner today..." the super hero stated.

Noddd. Thumbs up.

"...game on!"

Sparkling - white - griiiin.
========================================================================

"Welcome to The Universe," by 30 Seconds to Mars. (Rose)

Lachiyous said:

dripdripdrip -- sssSSSSSSSSSSssssssssspraaaayyyy -- !

BlinkBlink.

??

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*
========================================================================
Wass'att sound? Is'att --

sssSSSSSSSSSSssssssssspraaaayyyy.....

Moisture. Steam. And, running water.

Bart Allen, aka Impulse, stood. Right outside, a. Shower stall. The sound, of the. Spattering droplets, brought him. Here. And....

And -- squiinnnt -- someone, was. INSIDE!

Click to expand...

Water fell around her.

And as the water fell, steam rose.

She pressed her forehead against the cool checkerboard tile of the shower stall, and she breathed. For a moment, her body, her hair, all of her changed to mirror the surface of that hard tile, black-and-white squares covering her from head to toe. But then she exhaled, and she became herself again, pink-skinned, red-haired, with faded-blue eyes.

She was naked and beautiful. At least, by a certain definition of beautiful.

Blaise Pascal once opined that "there is a God-shaped void in each of us, that only God can fill." Since then, a number of philosophers have taken issue with that statement-- some have even questioned that while the void may well exist, do we even need to fill it? Nevertheless, it is a common condition among mankind, striving to fill that ache at the heart of themselves-- that missing of something missing.

From a very early age, Rose Mary Anderson was taught that the best thing for filling that void was devotion to a truth higher than yourself. Her mother had intended that Rose become an activist or a missionary or a poet-- but Ceri passed away mysteriously when Rose was very young. Rose's stepfather, raising Rose in her mother's absence, was a different sort of idealist.

He introduced young Rose to the truth that he held higher than himself: the secret organization known as Locus.

Tirelessly, monomaniacally dedicated to ushering in a genetic new age for mankind by grooming them for conquest by a race of aliens called The Appellaxians. To become the agents of these creatures on Earth, and indeed, to survive in the new ecosystem that these aliens would require, Locus sought to enhance themselves, create new bodies for themselves, and exhausted all manner of experimental avenues to bring those bodies about.

Thus, Robert "Bob" Anderson convinced Rose that by undergoing a series of experimental trials, by helping Locus bring about this new age, she would be serving the greater good of all mankind.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

And often.

For a long time.

At a mere eight years old, Rose found herself changed by genetic graft therapies into a human-Appellaxian hybrid. One who could adapt to nearly any environment-- to become what she needed to survive, to make use of what was around her. She could touch matter and become it, a living philosopher's stone. She could touch energy and absorb it, like a living battery. The ultimate survivor.

And yet. And yet.

Locus deemed that vector too costly, too time-consuming-- and discovered that the process took root in Rose because she possessed a heretofore unknown genetic marker, an "x-factor" that would be nearly impossible to mass-reproduce.

So her stepfather, after all his talk of devotion and the greater good... at one word from his superiors...

...confined her to suspended animation and abandoned her.

The last thing she saw through blurry sobbing eyes as the stasis effect took hold was the pained but resigned look on his face.

That was the last time she saw him.

When she awoke (days, weeks, months later? to her it had been moments), Martian Manhunter and the new young Green Lantern were standing over her. Listening to them, she discovered that the new-formed Justice League of America-- chief obstacle to the inbound Appellaxian regime-- had stopped both Locus and the invasion they had helped to mastermind. A suicide protocol had kicked in, killing all but the tiniest scraps of Locus' forces rather than allowing The JLA to capture them-- she could only assume that her stepfather was dead in that number.

What happens when the truth with which we have filled the hole at our heart is unexpectedly ripped out at the roots?

With ferocity that neither JLAer could have predicted, she lunged and grabbed hold of Green Lantern's Power Ring, absorbing a quick but massive burst of that green green power. And she ignited the air in the room-- a flare of raw fire that instantly brought The Manhunter to his knees and briefly blinded The Lantern. She escaped by using what power was left to her to fly away as far as fast as she could.

She lost them.

But not as completely as she lost herself.

Getting shunned by her father after all her sacrifice had taught her one thing in that galvanizing moment-- the only advantages you get in this life are the ones you carve out for yourself and screw the other guy-- the only way you matter to anyone is if you provide something of value to them. That was it. That was life. Take what you can, never work for free.

Over the next decade, she fell into bad company. Using her powers to become valuable to local gangs in Keystone City, she worked her way tooth and nail and spit and piano wire up through the nickel-and-dime organized crime... until she came to the attention of the local franchise of The Royal Flush Gang.

As their Ten of Hearts, she took part in great and colorful heists--

--until, of course, The Royal Flush Gang ran afoul of the current Fastest Man Alive, Wally "The Flash" West...

...and, in a tangled twisted turn of fate, his fellow JLAer, The Martian Manhunter.

For some incredible reason, The Manhunter took pity on her.

And before her 18th birthday, he convinced the courts to remand her to the custody of one decorated police detective John Jones.

She was 18 now. And just a couple of months ago, Jones had told her about a new team of teenaged superheroes, who the media had dubbed "Young Justice."

"It is time," he'd declared. "To find a new truth to put at your heart."

And he had given her a uniform. And he'd given her a name, in homage to a shapeshifting woman who'd failed as a superhero and had died alone and agoraphobic and depressed and mostly forgotten. A way to carry on the light that Element Girl had never found.

It had been-- what, sixty, ninety days? They hadn't fought any big-namers.

Young Justice didn't trust Rose "Element Girl" Anderson yet.

Well, most of them didn't.

She glanced up and saw movement through the steamed-up glass, and she smiled softly, in a quiet, distant, not-all-the-way-broken kind of affection.

With a twist, she silenced the shower, let it drip to a stop, and she slid the glass door open wearing nothing but raindrops and that soft distant damaged smile.

She was naked and beautiful.

"Hey there, Scout," she murmured to Impulse, stepped out onto the floor mat with watery droplets scattering about.

"Come to towel me off?"

"Torn," by Natalie Imbruglia.

"Goddamn it," Cissie grumbled, her fingers under the head of an entirely different shower, elsewhere in The Sanctuary. "It's cold. Again."

A towel draped around her shoulders after a morning workout, clad in a dressed-down but still somewhat annoyingly-frilly version of her actual field uniform, the archer codenamed Arrowette stalked back out into the girls' locker rooms.

Wonder Girl and Secret glanced up at her as she approached.

Arrowette shook her head, slumped to sit on a bench. "Is Anderson taking a shower somewhere? I swear to God, no-one can use up hot water like that girl. Like she sucks the warmth out of every room she's in."

Secret billowed and hovered, like she always did, surrounded by a cloud of the pale brown smoke of which she was composed. She smiled brightly, hopefully... but nervously, again, like she always did-- always afraid that something was going to take her bright hope and rip it away from her at any moment but smiling nevertheless.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean to," she tried to reassure Arrowette.

"Does that make it better, though, Susie?" Cissie replied, eyes narrowed. "Or does her thoughtlessness make it worse? Like, if she actually cared, if she was actually the hero inside that J'onn claimed she is, she wouldn't do this stupid Real World housemate shit while we're all staying here for weekend bonding sessions."

Standing in front of a mirror, seemingly oblivious to the conversation, Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl, wore her own standard uniform-- which contained, to her apparent chagrin, its own quantity of workout wear. And she sighed dismally, turning this way and that before tugging her wig off of her head and revealing the blonde hair beneath.

"Becoming a hero is a process," Cassie sighed, revealing that she had picked up on the girl talk after all-- her hearing was excellent, natch, she had a portion of Wonder Woman's heightened senses --"Diana has always told me that. A warrior's lifelong journey. I keep trying to remind myself whenever Element Girl is... well. Being Element Girl."

Cissie squinted. "Yeah. Maybe."

Secret hesitated, then floated a little closer, bobbing just over Cassie's shoulder in her reflection. "Is-- is something bothering you, Wonder Girl?"

Cassie grimaced, and buried her face in her wig. "I hate my look. I hate it. It's better than my first makeshift outfit, and I like that the wig makes my hair look kind of like Diana's or Donna's, but I'm-- I'm tired of boys just scoping out my butt in this spandex without thinking of me beyond that, I want to look cool... I want to look like a hero!"

Arrowette smiled faintly. The Bechdel-Wallace test hadn't really entered popular culture yet, but if she had known about it, Arrowette might have lamented the fact that their conversation had inevitably gotten around to talking about boys. "You want Superboy to take you seriously."

Cassie hesitated, and lifted her head from her wig. "Oh, God. I really am that obvious."

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing," Cissie chortled. "You could have picked a worse guy. Like, I dunno, Anarky."

Wonder Girl made a face at her.

The Secret bit her lip. "Cassie, why don't you wear the uniform that the first Wonder Girl wore? Didn't she give it to you?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Oh, God. First of all, I don't fill it out nearly as well as she did when she was 18. Second of all-- you remember how we met, Susie? I got all scratched up trying to save a cat from bullies. And the scratches were from the cat! The moment I take that beautiful uniform out into battle, it's going to get ruined, I can't bear the thought."

Arrowette considered this for a long moment. "Okay. Well. Despite ending up looking like Wendy the Werewolf Stalker's worst cheerleading nightmare--" Cissie had no end of gripes about her suit "--I went through enough design phases with my uniform that I think I can help you with an upgrade. I've been meaning to do something about my stupid skirt anyway, I don't care what my mom says. Maybe something bad-ass, with goggles? We can figure out something for you, too."

A slow grin dawned on Cassie's face like the sun also rising.

"Are you serious? That would be awesome!"

"On one condition," Cissie held up a finger, quirked an eyebrow.

Cassie hesitated. "Oh?"

"You talk a little smack about Rose, forget acting like Diana for two seconds, you know you want to," Cissie grinned. "I didn't hit a teleport pod all the way from Manchester, Alabama to not get in a little gossip."

Cassie paused. And frowned. "Well. It was kind of weird and creepy how the first time she kissed Bart, it was in the middle of a sparring sequence in the training room. Like, the first time you kiss a boy, it shouldn't be in the middle of the battlefield, it should be on the dance floor, like in Back to The Future."

It was Cissie's turn to hesitate. "I mean. I've heard of that. I get that it's a movie. But if it wasn't archery, archery-related activities, martial arts, gymnastics, or one-hour decathlons at 2 AM in the rain my childhood didn't have it."

Wonder Girl winced, and glanced at Secret.

Secret smiled gamely. "I cannot remember nearly anything about my life before my imprisonment by The D.E.O., but Superboy showed me that movie one time. I liked it a lot, except for the part where Marty was fading from existence."

She held up her translucent fingers and wiggled them a little, sort of apologetically.

Cissie and Cassie stared at Secret's ghostlike hand and then gave each other awkward expressions.

"C'mon," Cissie decided, change the subject change the subject, Bechdel-Wallace Test be damned, "let's go see what the boys are up to."

Impulse

[Within Bart's mind. Between the Here and Now]

Spark -- fliiiiicker...

"I'm Rose..." The red, of. Her locks. Beckoning, him.

Spark. Spark, le. -- ROSE! "..I'mHereI'mHereI'mmmm...Here, itssss BartBartBart! i..."

-- ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP --

?

-- turning his head -- GLANCE..

There. There, before him. There....he...was? HIMSELF.

??

*
Seeing stars!

*

??

The other -- his other -- spoke, firstly. "'Kay, howww. HowAndWhy....HowAndWho....HowAndWhere....didja come from? You...you cannot, you shouldnot -- CannotShouldnot....be MEEE. If....if....wellllll --"

He. He could only, gawk. At him, self. He'd never seen, nor. Experienced anything, like. This. This....the other....was. HIM. Without, being.....him?

Seeing stars, even more so!

-- "Pleased to meet you, Bart, I guess.." --

Both Barts whipped, their. Heads, over. To the female. To....the woman, speaking. To redheaded...

-- ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP --

"Rose! AreYouHurt, AreYou'Kay -- pleasePLEASEplease telllll me....i..i..i.." the other, began. Speaking to her, when. When....it dawned, on. Him....

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

...and still. The teen speedster, he. Could only, watch...watch himself. And. And...her...

...before.

Spark -- fliiiickerrr -- pOOOOOoooooofffffff! She....the woman....Rose, dematerialized!

She was, gone. Leaving behind, two. Quite, confounded....look-a-like, Impulses.

And the one. The other, Bart. He -- something -- didn't, seem. Right..
========================================================================
Now. [The Secret Sanctuary, in Rhode Island]

Here. Right here. Outside of the, shower. Stall. He had gravitated, toward. It was...it was..

The noise -- sssSSSSSSSSSSssssssssspraaaayyyy -- of, running. Water. And, Bart was. Standing. Right in, front. As he thought, he could. Gleam a presence, within!

When -- suddenly -- the noise. The water. It just, stopped.

Blink blink.

...the glass, door. Slid open!

And 'lo...
And behold...

There. There, she was. An amazing -- honest -- display, of a. Freshly-cleansed Rose, in. All her unfettered, glory! With naught, but the. Remnants of water, kissing the. Lovely contours of, her being. Her soft crystal eyes. The wet matte, of auburn. Stuck, to her...to her....

To.....herrrr.......

Jaw dropppppp -- EYES BULGE--!

"Hey there, Scout." the unadorned girl, breathed out. To him. To Bart. To IMPULSE! This, before. LEAVING, from within the. Shower stall, and. Stepping out. Onto the bath rug. Here. RIGHT-NEXT-TO-HIM. And...and, still. Very much....

PumpPUMPpumpPUMP, of his heart -- guuullllppppp....

The teen speedster's, yellow's. They...they were. All over. The place. He..not, not for the life. Of him, self. Could he, fathom. BELIEVE. What -- how -- whyyy.....this all...

...this all...

...could possibly, be. Happening! She....

BreatheBreatheBreeeeeeeeeeathe -- BreatheInBreatheOutBreatheInBreatheOut -- breeeeeeeeeeeathe!

Wait. No. noNonononononono. ClosecloseCloseThose..eyes -- NOW! clenchhhhh....

Wait. WaitForIt. WaitWaitWaaaaiiiit.....

Breathe....

'Kay'Kay'Kayyyy......opening his eyes. Slow, ly...?

"Come to towel me off?" the wet beauty, offered.

"AAAHHHHHH! Ahh! OhOhOhh---" his cheeks flushed, considerably. The circumstance -- the intimacy of the moment -- throwing him, for the. Mite of a loop! (but then again, did it really take much?) "R-R-Rose..." he squeaked, out. "...youYOUyou -- whyyyy...youAre, youAre, youArrrre..." the words, he couldn't. Quite, find. The...words...his lemony yellows, still. Erratic. There. There was just, so much. NEW INPUT. Here, at this. Very moment. Stumbling back, wards. Some...to...to give, her. Space.

...wait. Did she, ask. Him some, thing? A question? His gaze, caught her. Bare, dampened flesh. "ColdColdCold -- youuu.....must, you.....DunWantcha, DunWantcha...colllldddd--!"

-- glancing this, this way and that --

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Where. WhereInTheWorld. WhereWhereWhere....are there....bath tow--

3 - 1 = 2

Gasp..

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Bath rooms. Closets

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Boys locker rooms.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Girls locker rooms.

"...want Superboy to take you se--" someone had been, talking...

(with but ONE thought, bouncing around within his noggin -- as per usual -- Impulse was completely oblivious to everything....BUT...this thought!)

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

....finally -- the severalment, of seconds later -- Bart returned. WIth renewed purpose. And a whole, huge. HEAP of towels, collected. From the various places, he'd. Procured them! Until....

He dropped them. The towels. There. On the floor. And took, one --

-- ENNNNNNNCASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE'ing her within, its fluffy warmth! --

...then, another. So. So. So that, she. Why, she'd be. Within her honest-to-goodness, birthday suit. The no more! It was....she was....yes. It was, better. 'His' Rose, was....covered -- PROTECTED -- by the, confines. Of the warm, towels!

Alas, when. Perhaps, the beat. Of his heart, calmed. Some -- at least for HIS standards! -- he....he could focus. On the girl. On the auburn haired, delight. And her lovely blues....

SMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE, spread across his face -- in spite of himself -- for her....

...yet....

That. That's when, he noticed. For the first time...
========================================================================
[Between the Here and Now]

The other one, of him. Blinked. And scrunched up his, nose. As if, in the. Deepest -- is that even possible? -- of thought. What was it -- something wasn't...right? It was....off. About. About....

.

...and of course, still. Eye-balling, this. Other Impulse, he couldn't be. Made aware, of what the other kid, was. Thinking. Feeling. Or....'conflicted', about...

Because. He himself, was. Taken aback. With there, being. ANOTHER, of him. HERE!

"SheSheShe....looked.....SheLooked....different..." the other Bart, reflected.

Huh??
========================================================================
[The Secret Sanctuary]

...something about her. About Rose. BlinkBlink. Could he put, it. Into words. Could he, garner, the. Presence of mind. Did he truly, grasp. The meaning, here? Was it....instinct. Something -- that perhaps -- his, much-too-accelerated-and-possibly-underdeveloped mind. Might be, made. Aware? As well....with...what. With what, just. Transpired -- sensory overload, of sorts -- would he. Be able to....verbalize....any. Thing?

Smile, vanishhhhhh -- swallow -- thinkTHINKthiiiiiiiiiiink -- nose scrunch up in seriousness?

Bart quietly, allowed. The words, to escape. Words, meant. For the girl, in front of him. Whom he just, adorned. In warmth. "...youyouyou...arre....uhh-uhmm...pretty!" If he were, to be. Unsure, and. Uncertain of, any. Thing else. And how to, think. How to articulate, such. All. Every, a. Thing. The impulsive teenager, could. Readily agree, on that. Sentiment. That she was..."..pretty -- iThinkSo..."

Something about saying, that. To her. It just felt, right. And he smiled. Once more, for her.

Boy. Before girl.
Bart. To Rose.
Impulse. And Element Girl...

That, they were. In a moment. Together.

(and as such, any instinct or thought he might have had....the second or ten ago....BEFORE pretty -- escaped him, completely!)

Heart flutttter....
========================================================================

"Bullet with Butterfly Wings," by Smashing Pumpkins.

Lachiyous said:

"Come to towel me off?" the wet beauty, offered.

"AAAHHHHHH! Ahh! OhOhOhh---" his cheeks flushed, considerably. The circumstance -- the intimacy of the moment -- throwing him, for the. Mite of a loop! (but then again, did it really take much?) "R-R-Rose..." he squeaked, out. "...youYOUyou -- whyyyy...youAre, youAre, youArrrre..." the words, he couldn't. Quite, find. The...words...his lemony yellows, still. Erratic. There. There was just, so much. NEW INPUT. Here, at this. Very moment. Stumbling back, wards. Some...to...to give, her. Space.

...wait. Did she, ask. Him some, thing? A question? His gaze, caught her. Bare, dampened flesh. "ColdColdCold -- youuu.....must, you.....DunWantcha, DunWantcha...colllldddd--!"

-- glancing this, this way and that --

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Click to expand...

Rose blinked, standing there dripping, and-- perhaps ironically-- in the slipstream of Impulse's departure, she shivered.

"Well, that was-- not the response I expected."


"Uh," Rose waved awkwardly, standing there beside The Manhunter from Mars in The Sanctuary's meeting room. "Hey, guys."

"Wassup?" Superboy greeted her with a chin-up sort of nod.

Robin was... less cordial.

"Our team has already cohered and bonded and learned to fight as a unit," Robin frowned-- at least, it was the stoic's equivalent of a frown. "I'm not sure it's a wise idea to introduce a new element at this juncture."

"As you may know," J'onn mused, "I am fond of the medium of television. In the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, do not The Power Rangers welcome The Green Ranger into their ranks long after their initial formation?"

"Bad example, J'onny," Superboy noted with a chuckle, leaning James Dean style against the rock wall of the cave. "Tommy was The Rangers' enemy first before he joined the good guys."

"Be that metaphor as it may, many members of The JLA are represented by the roster of Young Justice, albeit some less directly than others. Consider this young woman my... counterpart."

"'Element Girl,'" Robin stood there next to the round table, next to the chair that had once belonged to Batman but whose insignia Robin had covered with his own stylized golden "R." "Any relation to that lady Metamorphae that worked with Rex Mason briefly until she dropped out of sight a few years back?"

"Named in her honor," J'onn explained.

Robin appeared dubious that this newcomer could honor anyone, much less Urania Blackwell. But he didn't say as much aloud. Just narrowed the white eye-lenses of his mask, rather like his mentor might have done.

Superboy stepped forward, scrutinizing Rose from under his "S"-curled forelock and from over his John Lennon sunglasses. "Okay, so what's your gig? Do you shapeshift like J'onn or Rex? You're a little cuter than ol' thinks-purple-goes-with-orange... not, uh, to speak ill of the 'inert.'"

Element Girl squinted at Superboy for a moment, reading his body language, weighing and measuring whether he deserved to be in her personal space, then reached out and planted a palm on Superboy's chest symbol, the crest of Krypton's House of El-- not an "L," though, but an "S."

Her eyes seemed to glitter for a moment. The air just around her skin seemed to shimmer with the refraction of light, just for an instant.

And, with her palm still flat on his chest, she lifted him up off of the ground without even a hint of effort.

"I absorb things I touch," Rose explained, with a smirk of some deserved smugness. "Matter and energy. Including the tactile-telekinetic force-aura you never shut up about to your friends, enemies, and paparazzi."

Despite Superboy's having faced great and terrible things-- the destruction of Coast City, the wrath of Mongul, the ferocity of King Shark, the paranoia of Scavenger, the stupidity of Sidearm-- this still managed to surprise him, and his wild-yonder eyes widened considerably. "Yo, that's-- copyright infringement!"

With a push of his own tac-teke, Superboy levitated away from her palm and landed a few feet away-- a few feet out of her personal space.

"My impregnable forcefield! I... I feel so... pregnable."

"Basically," Rose explained with a sly grin, "I can take whatever you give me and turn it back on you."

"Where are the rest of your compatriots?" J'onn wondered. "I should want to introduce Rose to the girls and to Impul--"

Right about then, *FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*, like speaking of The Devil, Impulse came pelting in from somewhere else in the cave's surprisingly deep recesses.

"--heyHEYhey-- IheardJ'onnwashere--"

...and he stopped with a sort of Roadrunnery twannngggg in front of Rose, staring at her through the yellow lenses of his own mask with the yellow eyes beneath going wide. "I liiiiiiiike yourhairyourhair." He paused, took a rapid-fire breath. "I...I mean. I'mmm Bart. Bart is, Bart is MeMeMe!"

Rose arched her eyebrows. "I'm Rose. Pleased to meet you, Bart, I guess. Surprised, but I think I'm pleased?"

And then she smirked a low, warm, lopsided smirk, and decided. "Yeah. I'm pleased to meet you."

"I like your goggles."

Robin narrowed his eyes still further at that.

Given what she'd said about taking things and turning them back against people...

...he liked the way she was looking at Impulse not one little bit.


"Be on your guard! Survival in the field will depend on your ability to analyze and adapt!"

Though Red Tornado's voice echoed through the P.A. of The Danger Womb from where he and the rest of the team watched on the observation deck mezzanined above, his words were an unnecessary reminder to the sparring Impulse and Element Girl.

Rose was focused on the task at hand, watching for her opening, and Bart? Bart was about as focused as Bart ever got.

They appeared at a stalemate.

"The Danger Womb" was a relatively new addition to The Secret Sanctuary. They'd had training facilities before, gym equipment and so forth, but as The JLA had become more accepting of the concept of Young Justice, they had also worked to outfit the neophyte team a bit better. In this case, this included some of the technology that fortified The JLA's own lunar Watchtower: Martian, New Genesian, and S.T.A.R.Labs tech.

In particular, the New Genesis technology-- much like the team's shapeshifting Super-Cycle --made the terrain of The Danger Womb "teknoactive" (sic), keeping them guessing on the fastest fly possible.

Lasers, missiles, attack synthoids--

--sudden outcroppings cropping out of the floor--

--all while Impulse and Element Girl were dueling each other.

But for all the flak that The Danger Womb was throwing at them, Rose and Bart seemed evenly matched.

Rose could absorb a floor tile, become solid, living metal, and become functionally punch-proof-- or she could absorb the energies of the laser beams and use them to zap the missiles out of the air, even when Bart was the one snagging them and throwing them at her.

But Bart was always moving, darting-- dodging ducking dipping diving and dodging --evading Rose's every attack... vibrating through her punches...

Deadlocked like this, they went back-and-forth for what felt like ages, but was really only a few seconds dilated by the rush of battle...

...until Impulse, carving through a couple of synthoids with superspeed karate-chops-- Max Mercury's training showing through --sprinted directly for Rose, vibrating to pass through her currently-metallic form...

...but Rose braced herself, unfocusing her gaze, relying on instinct...

...and shed her metallic form the instant that he blurred through her.

Instead, with a crackle and a sizzle and a hum, golden sparks arcing around her eyes and in her skin, she absorbed the tiniest fraction of the Speed Force energy that powered his raging racing metabolism and shimmered in his afterimage contrail.

Just a taste of what it was like for him, day in day out, his entire existence since he had been an infant in the latter days of The 30th Century. But this was The Speed Force-- a little went a long way.

Skidding between two spinning sawing laserblades, Bart looked back and saw that Rose wasn't metallic anymore, she was vulnerable, he could tag her and win--

--but when he fwsssshed back over to her to get the win, she whirled fast enough to see him, to touch him, to intercept him--

--and she grabbed the front of his uniform, eyes lighting up in a way completely unrelated to The Speed Force--

--and she kissed him full on the mouth, murmuring happily as static-electric Speed Force sparks danced between their lips.

Bart's eyes bulged in his skull and he popped back from her in startlement.

She grinned softly at him, and arched her eyebrows invitingly.

And, after a microsecond's hesitation, processing, deciding whether or not he liked it-- to Impulse, an eternity --he leaned in to meet her next kiss, and they stayed that way, in the middle of The Danger Womb, mouth-to-mouth and literal sparks flying.

Up on the observation deck, a collective gasp had arisen from the rest of Young Justice at that first kiss. And then that had become perplexed muttering as the kissing continued.

Red Tornado paused, unsure how to score this. Was it a draw?

"Human customs still elude me."

Robin, green-gloved fingers steepled in front of him, narrowed his eyes.


"I know who you are," Robin grimaced, behind her in the hallway. "I know what you're doing."

Rose stopped with a start, lowering her Game Boy and glancing back at Robin with her own eyes narrowed. "Oh, yeah?"

"You're The 10 of Hearts that The Flash and J'onn stopped in Keystone months ago, with the rest of that branch of The Royal Flush Gang," Robin pressed. "Your powerset, build, fighting style, hair color, all a match. I even fingerprinted you once when you picked up one of my sling-stones to absorb it that time we were fighting The Young Offenders. Turns out it's easier than it should be to hack The Missouri Department of Corrections."

"Those files were sealed, you jackass," Rose closed her eyes, and took a breath. And she grimaced. "Okay. Guilty. So what?"

"So it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you'd be worried about one of us finding out that little gem in your past," Robin pointed out. "So you'd be taking measures to keep on our good side. Like, say, latching onto a romantically-unattached member of the team so we have to accept you as a package deal. So it doesn't matter if you're actually trying to redeem yourself or just conning us and J'onn while you wait for your next score, the strategy boils down to the same thing-- you're using Bart and toying with his emotions and that is unacceptable."

Rose bristled, stepped towards Robin with a glower. "You know what? Boy Wonder, trained by The World's Greatest Detective, you-- you don't know everything. And you don't know me at all. Seems to me you've picked up some of that Dark Knight paranoia from your boss-man, the Flush Gang all told me stories about The Big, Bad Bat. And I bet you've never found a girl that you can be all of yourself with."

Robin hesitated. Narrowed his eyes. She was bothersomely good at reading people. She was right: Ari had never known that he was Robin. And Stephanie-- Spoiler-- had no idea that he was Tim Drake when he wasn't seeing her as Robin.

Rose continued unabated: "But people have lots of reasons for dating people. Business deals, peace treaties, starting a family, hiding their orientation from their parents, whatever-- and that includes getting to not feel alone for a little while in their godforsaken lives, getting to feel human for a change. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."

"What matters is that I really like Bart. I really, really do. He's got a good heart and a clever brain when he's not letting his scattershot attention span getting in the way. And I'd never do anything to hurt him if I could help it. Anything else is just... academic."

She turned away and stormed off, snapping at him over her shoulder: "And people call me absorbent. You've spent so much time skulking in shadows, you think that's all there is."

Robin watched her go for a moment, and then glanced down at the small handheld vocal scanner he had hidden in his palm the whole conversation. The screen blinked at him for a moment before returning a reading: [Voice stress analysis: Inconclusive.]

"Yeah," Robin murmured. "I'm not convinced either."

Lachiyous said:

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

....finally -- the severalment, of seconds later -- Bart returned. WIth renewed purpose. And a whole, huge. HEAP of towels, collected. From the various places, he'd. Procured them! Until....

He dropped them. The towels. There. On the floor. And took, one --

-- ENNNNNNNCASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE'ing her within, its fluffy warmth! --

...then, another. So. So. So that, she. Why, she'd be. Within her honest-to-goodness, birthday suit. The no more! It was....she was....yes. It was, better. 'His' Rose, was....covered -- PROTECTED -- by the, confines. Of the warm, towels!

Alas, when. Perhaps, the beat. Of his heart, calmed. Some -- at least for HIS standards! -- he....he could focus. On the girl. On the auburn haired, delight. And her lovely blues....

SMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE, spread across his face -- in spite of himself -- for her....

...yet....

That. That's when, he noticed. For the first time...

...something about her. About Rose. BlinkBlink. Could he put, it. Into words. Could he, garner, the. Presence of mind. Did he truly, grasp. The meaning, here? Was it....instinct. Something -- that perhaps -- his, much-too-accelerated-and-possibly-underdeveloped mind. Might be, made. Aware? As well....with...what. With what, just. Transpired -- sensory overload, of sorts -- would he. Be able to....verbalize....any. Thing?

Smile, vanishhhhhh -- swallow -- thinkTHINKthiiiiiiiiiiink -- nose scrunch up in seriousness?

Bart quietly, allowed. The words, to escape. Words, meant. For the girl, in front of him. Whom he just, adorned. In warmth. "...youyouyou...arre....uhh-uhmm...pretty!" If he were, to be. Unsure, and. Uncertain of, any. Thing else. And how to, think. How to articulate, such. All. Every, a. Thing. The impulsive teenager, could. Readily agree, on that. Sentiment. That she was..."..pretty -- iThinkSo..."

Something about saying, that. To her. It just felt, right. And he smiled. Once more, for her.

Click to expand...

Flustered, befuddled, head spinning even more than usual when it came to dealing with Bart, Rose stared at him for a moment. She had been so damn sure that the "toweling off" line had been a surefire way to get some more loving out of that inexhaustible ball of energy... but he was looking at her all angelic and wide-eyed--

--like he'd never seen any girl naked before, much less her, despite what they'd been doing right before she took that selfsame shower.

She'd made that double entendre and he'd taken it literally and now she had more towels than she knew what to do with-- and he'd actually wrapped her up in it, like some chivalrous gesture to defend her honor?

And then he... called her pretty.

And as cynical and as jaded as her life had made her, the sheer heartfelt bright affection of that adjective turned her a little bit pink all over.

Rose couldn't help but laugh, eyes dancing a bit as she gazed at him in her bewilderment, and tucked a wet forelock of her hair back behind her ear.

"What's gotten into you?" she wondered. "Not that-- not that I mind, that was so sweet of you... you're the sweetest boy I've ever been with, no question."

"But you're looking at me like The Fastest Deer in The Headlights Alive."

"Just... c'mere, okay?"

And she leaned forward and put her hands on his shoulders and she kissed him again, gently but intently, sweetly but with a sultry undercurrent of hunger.

And when she did so, when their lips touched, another one of those Speed Force sparks jumped from his mouth to hers and back again like lightning between the clouds and the ground, equalizing ionization...

...she blinked, and leaned back, and gazed at him in an odder sort of bewilderment.

His... his Speed Force energy "tasted" different. Like... there was another "flavor" mixed in with his usual brand. The familiar "taste" was there, but it wasn't alone. What the Hell?

Rose stared at him, puzzled to no end.

"Are you... are you feeling okay? Did we overdo it this time? Have we been-- (I can't believe I'm asking this to a superspeedster) --moving too fast?"


Wonder Girl glanced over at Arrowette as they both changed into daywear from their uniform and workout gear respectively.

"Hey, Cis? Didn't you have a towel on your shoulders a second ago? I can't find mine anywhere and I was hoping to borrow yours."

Blinking, Cissie reached up to find that that towel was gone, and made a surprised little noise. "...huh."

Robin

Last Friday Night. [The Secret Sanctuary, in Rhode Island]

A group activity. It was, recommended. Desired, even.

He couldn't argue, the. Validity, of one.

Something social, of. Course. Yet challenging. To utilize, the. Every. One. Of them. Possibly showcasing, some. Teamwork!

In theory, at least....

Gathered. In the den. He looked, at those. Present. Here. And made, the. Mental note, of. Those, that. Were not. (shocking absent couple) "All right, gang. Let's go over the basics. This, above all, is a game about....imagination," Robin began. And waited, for the assumed...

"Wait. Wha..?" The Boy of Steel, intervened. Perplexion painted, across. His face.

"Your mind. Everything that happens -- anything, really that can -- is because you, all, are helping to create. It. All of it. With your mind. Under my guidance, of course..."

"Uhhh..."

"Let me continue." He held up his, left. Index finger. Toward his, friend. His best friend. In a universal plea, for. Silence. "It's going to be a game. Full of adventure. Fighting. Danger. Monsters. Treasure. Fantasy-type setting. The name -- it's Dungeons & Dragons. How it plays out, is up to you. All of you. And the characters that you portray. Within the game." Another moment, to digest.

"So, almost like a school play right -- we are playing parts?" one of the girls, spoke up. Behind the concealment of his. Eye mask, he squinted. Toward the voice. Toward the girls. It was Cissie. She was smart.

"Yes. Almost like that. In that we all will be....roleplaying, or taking on the role of these characters. How they talk, feel, act....is up to you. And...." Out of a black, silken. Pouch, with a TSR, INC. Embroidered, on it. Pebbled out, the severalment. Of multicolored, polyhedral dice. "These. But first, before we get ahead of ourselves..." he passed out, paper. Paper and pencils. "We make our characters." Once everyone got it, he sat back down. In his spot. There was a table top. In the center. Between them all. The gang. In civilian digs. He flashed, five. Different. Note cards. Upon its surface. "By the way, Susie. You can help me run the game. So...I don't get overwhelmed." He hoped he was able to, overcome. Any discomfort, or. Awkwardness, she. Might have felt, by not. Being able to participate. He was sure to, choose his. Words carefully. Nodding to her. "Okay. There are five main cla---"

"Wait. Rob. NAH."

His gaze shifted, to. Superboy. Once more. This was going to, be. A long evening. "What's the matter now?"

"What if I want to be in charge? Ya know. Run the game and all. Why you?" Robin noticed that, his friend had. Crossed his well. Defined forearms, across. His bulky frame.

"That would be....unwise. For one -- you don't even know how to play. My role -- the 'part' that you would want -- not only HAS to know the rules inside and out. But they kinda are the storyteller, or dungeon master, of the whole group of characters. They facilitate the whole journey for--"

"I'm just playin', dude. Relax..."

"What?"

"...my guy better be a bad ass though!"

"....." A sip. That required a sip. From the, beverage. Of coca cola. Licking his, lips. "Yeah. So. The characters. There are five to..."

"A TOTAL bad ass. Sexy even. Who's with me -- girls? Ciss..?" his best friend, flashed. A not, un. Characteristic. Flirty grin. Toward the blondes.

To which, she tried. To hush him. To allow, their. 'Dungeon master' to continue. "Shhhh, let him finish!" She smiled. Cassie, next to her. Nudged her, friend. Lightly, and. Perhaps...out of. Jealously.

Missing nothing, yet. Acknowledging, very. Little. The Boy Wonder, continued. "...to choose from." He pointed to the, note. Cards. Upon the surface, of the table. "Fighter. In the battle, this individual takes the brunt of the melee attacks. Head-to-head technique. Almost like a..."

"Tank!" Superboy added. Robin nodded. "Yeah. That's me. That's my guy.."

"...but Superboy, you haven't even heard the rest of his choices....?" the incorporeal Secret, gestured. On their storyteller's behalf.

All the masked, teenager. Could do, was. Shake. Shake his head. And crack. A smile. "It's okay. That's fine. He can be the fighter." Superboy celebrated, by. Striking a, bicep. Flex pose. "The other four. A wizard. This person would use magical spells, like fireballs and levitate for instance. Next a cleric. Someone devoted to a higher being or deity, and its through that devotion that they're able to...heal others. Following is a druid. Someone that communes with Nature, with abilities related. Some can even turn into animals eventually. Lastly, a thief. Through stealth and subterfuge, this person could gain the advantage...particularly, when no one's looking!" A nice, full. Gulp. Of the liquid, before him. Then, to the girls. "Cassie, Cissie. Any ideas? Any questions?"

Arrowette, seemingly having. Been, lost in. Thought. Made a face, before. "Yeah, no. Think....I got this. A-a druid might be fun? I could give that a shot. Maybe. My girl'll be living out in the woods like...what's-his-name-again?" she turned to, the. Others, for support.

"Tarzan. Or that kid from The Jungle Book." Superboy offered. "Big question, though. She gonna be raised by wolves or apes -- 'cause I'm not sure if this...heh..Wonderboy of mine has time to housebreak her and all!" He smirked to her. Then, it dawned on him. "Though, now that I think about it...didn't Jane adapt some skimpy wardrobe later on?" Gesturing with, the. Both of, his. Hands. He framed. Her. Face. Obviously, picturing. Something. "Cool. I'm game!"

"Whatever, silly." Ciss shook, her. Head, with. Some laughter. Then it, stuck. Within her mind. "..did you say, 'Wonderboy'?" she studied, his. Face.

Superboy couldn't explain, much. With a shrug. "First thing that came to mind."

"....I think I just want to....blow stuff up." Cassie muttered. Somewhat, dejectedly. Once more, nudging Ciss. This time, not so lightly.

Robin, had been. Taking some notes. "What's that Cassie?"

"The....wizard thingie. I'll be her, I guess..."

"Great! Now let's work on the stats and flesh these characters out, before we start playing...."
========================================================================
Forty Five Minutes Later.

"Okay, your characters are finished. Who is ready to..."

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

"charactersCHARACTERS--whoooooose....characters? ForWhat? ForWhat? Huhhhh?" the super teen speedster, announced. His immediate presence -- his girlfriend locked-in-hand, with him -- with a, flurry. Of inquiries!

"...play?" Robin turned, to the. Arrival of Impulse. And attached, at-the-hip. Element Girl. He should have, anticipated this. What was it -- a looooong evening. "Bart. We're playing Dungeons & Dragons. All right. There's two characters left, so you can hop right in."

"yeahYEAHyeeeeeeeeah -- iWannaPlay, iWannaPlay, iWannaPlay -- mmmmMMMmm!" something caught his yellows. Was it the half, eaten. Box of....

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

He was...

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Err. Gone? No back. No....now he had. Boxes. THREE boxes, full of. Fresh....
"BUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFFFALO, Buffalo,Buffalo Wiiiiiiiiiiiiings! Mild -- Barbecue -- Hot. WithRanch'N'Celery, WithBleuCheese -- it'sHERE, it'sHERe. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE! HotOffThePressssss....nummmmNUMnummmmmm---" a blank expression. And then....half through a mouth, ful. Of the, afore. Mentioned. "....chaaaaarackk-ters?"

Once more, the Boy Wonder. Went, over. Each of the, three. Other. Characters, which. Their team, mates. Selected. One, in. Particular, caught Bart's...."--and she'll be playing, the druid. Someone closer to Nature."....attention.

"NatureNatureNayyy-churr...?" he blinked.

"Yes, Bart. You know, like almost everything outside that's living -- that's green. Like plants and--"

"PLAAAANTS, iLike'em, iLike'em, ILikePlaaants -- itsTrue, itsTrue!" At this, point. Impulse was, actually. BOUNCING. Up, and. Down. With a big, ol'. SMILE, 'cross. That face, of his!

But his friend, wasn't. Having it. "I'm sorry. But that class has all ready been claimed. Cissie is playing..."

The blonde archer, smiled. Sweetly. "It's fine. No big deal. Bart can play the druid. I could probably heal. That seems I dunno....pretty important and all, right? I mean, we're all going to be...uhm...traveling together and all. We need a cleric!" She arched a brow, at Robin. For approval.

He nodded, perhaps. She had just saved. The whole group. From terrible and utter destruction. The mere thought of their, erratic. Speedster, having. Been responsible, for. Keeping everyone, alive--! Disaster avoided. Heh.

Rose, his girlfriend, hand. Upon Impulse's back. Allowed him, to. Drink some, orange. Soda. To help, wash it. All down. Her eyes, however. On one person. As she, could feel. His penetrating gaze. The only one, here. With a mask. Still on. He was probably more, guarded. Than even her! But, there was....more. This. This tension..."which character is still left? Who--" her fingers combed, through. Bart's. Reddish-brown mop-top. "--do I get to play...?"

Robin narrowed, those. Concealed eyes. Toward the teenage, girl. The still, fairly. New-of-a, comer. At least, by his terms. For all intents and, purposes. The potential, outcast. She....really, didn't. Seem to fit, in. With the girls. With anyone. Well, except....for---! He withheld, a. Sigh. Yet breathed, out. Not, so. Threateningly. To her. "The thief."
========================================================================
Moments After Final Character Completion. Another Half Hour to Pass...

"Dragons. Great mythical beasts, straight out of children's books. They're the stuff of legends. Talked about, during campfires. And other get-togethers. Generation after generation, until eventually....all...but forgotten. And the same is true with the Gods, or deities. It is believed that they have abandoned their people, and with it....all belief and following. This is the world of Krynn. On the continent of Ansalon. In a city called Solace. The many buildings that exist within, exist high up within the branches of the great Vallenwood Trees. Including the Inn of the Last Home. A friendly, albiet pudgy innkeeper by the name of Otik has put the place on the map because of his spiced potatoes. And of course ale.

It is evening time. Occupying one of the tables, located near the fire -- that's where your party is. And it is here. Where your journey begins...." the self appointed, Dungeon. Master -- now behind his 'Dungeon Master screen'(surely to cover his important "notes" from all) -- peered, out. To the lot, of his. Players. "Everyone, get your twenty sided die out. It's time to roll for a check..."

"...the what-sided one?"

"...anymore Mister Pibbs left?"

"...so, are we in a tree house right now?"

"...guys, there isn't a new Hercules episode tonight, is there?"

Pluck.
Pluck.
Pluck.

Everyone, turned. Toward Bart. Whom, insisted. Because he was, playing. The druid. To surround himself, with. REAL-LIFE...plants! Potted ones. Pothos, Ferns, Cactus succulents to name a few -- even a Tiger Lily, which he placed. In front of, his. Girlfriend, because...it....was pretty. But now--

Pluck.
Pluck.

--he was, one-by-one. Peeling, the. Petals, off. From a Daisy!

...Robin afforded, himself. A sigh.

"...dude, you sure you don't wanna play Gauntlet instead?"

Pluck.
Pluck.
Pluck.

Long night, still. Only getting started...
========================================================================

Impulse

[Within Bart's mind. Between the Here and Now]

"SheSheShe....looked.....SheLooked....different..."

She?

Only. Only he, didn't. He wasn't. The one, to. To have said...that.

Well....he did. But, he didn't....

It was his....other. The identical, looking. Bart. There, yonder-some....

He gazed, openly. At him.

Not a peep.

Not a word.

Until...
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[The Secret Sanctuary, in Rhode Island]

She...

"What's gotten into you?" The redhead mused.

She was, adorned. In his towel(s).

And. And he, told her. Truth. Something that, came. To him. Right then, right there. Because it, just. It felt...right!

She was pretty.

How COULDN'T, one. Anyone. Feel this way? Bart's, yellows. Took her, in. The soft, pink. Reached her, face...

"Not that-- not that I mind, that was so sweet of you... you're the sweetest boy I've ever been with, no question." She allowed, some. Laughter, to. Escape her, self.

The interaction. This conversation. It....somehow...made, the. Corner of his, lips. Turn up. Into, a. Smile.

"But you're looking at me like The Fastest Deer in The Headlights Alive." He noticed, the. Wet-ness, mat. Her locks, some. She guided, a. Stray. Behind, the one. Of her ears.

Rose -- smiiile....

Then. Everything, changed.

"Just... c'mere, okay?" Rose got, close. Close, the. Nough, wherein. She put, the. Both. Of her hands. On his shoulders. And. And. And, her.....mouth. LIPS!. Upon him. Unto his. She kissed him!

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKKKK --

-- eyes WIDE open! -- GA-AASP? --

-- craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaackle!

thumpthumpthump
thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump
thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP
thumppp--

His. His heart---!

whoaaaaaaaWHOOOAAAAAAAAAAwhoOOOOOoooooooooooaaaaaa.....

His. His head---!

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKKKK -- SPARK -- SPARK -- craAAckle!

What....was going on?
========================================================================
[Between the Here and Now]

"ItsItsIts...." He attempted.

The other, him. Turned, to. Listen.

But then--

From out, of. The dark, ness. Something. Arose. From close, by. Far, a. Way. Here. There. Every, which. Where! Light. Lots of, it. In colors. So much. So many. Bow'ing, across. Igniting the a, bove. In its. Exploding brilliance.

Spark, les. Glittered. Translucent, bubbles. Formed. Tiny. Tinysome, faerie. Flit, and. Fluttered, about. All around. Low, plus...

High. High. Yes. A formation, burst. From the 'ground'. To the heavens, made. Simply, of. Yellow cup, cakes. With. Chocolate, frosting. A stream of, reeses. Pieces. At the base.

...and! Oh, and. A masked...turtle-man, holding. Twin, katana. Blades. Racing, off. The mountain's, side. Chasing. Figures-in, dark!

...even, so! Over head. On. On. On....a flying rug. A monkey! Soared. Squeaking...dropping, a. Golden, coin. Or three..

Eyeeeeees wide. Alight! For the, BOTH. Of Bart's--

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Lollipop trees. Sprout, up.

Biiiiiiiiiiig, boyish. Grins. Plastered, 'cross. Their faces--

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Hersey kisses. Hanging, down.

Attention. His. The other's. Their --

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Back.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Forth.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Left.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Right.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Over.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Under.

-- "HAHAHAHAHAHA---!" the boys, in. True unison. In GLEE!

To the distant, a tune.

...daaashing and daring..
couuurageous and caring..
faaaithful and friendly..
wiiith stories to share.....


BOING!

"....ahaha!"
========================================================================
[The Bathroom]

thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP --

SPARK -- SPARK -- craAAckle --

fluuuuuuuuussssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

She was looking. Her eyes, were. On him.

BreatheInBreatheOutBreatheInBreatheOutInOutInOutInOutBreatheBreatheBreeeeeeeeeeathe--

WarmWarmAndFuzzyWarmAndFuzzyWarmWarmWarmAndFuzzies
WarmWarmAndTinglyTinglyTinglies

WARM
and
FUZZY
and
TINGLY
andANDanddddd....

This. This unbelievable. This extraordinary. This unbelievable AND extraordinary -- a SMILE -- it LIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTT, up. That adolescent, boy's. FACE. Like.....almost, the. NEVER before!!!!!!!!!!

Had Impulse. Had Bart. Had this Allen, kid. Ever, experienced. SOMEthing, like. THIS...before? This. Her....

Roooosssssssssseeee's...

-- it was --

-- she was --

-- it and she --

-- she and it --

...kiss. And her, closeness. Her....affection. WAS THIS A FIRST???

!

!

!

"....are you feeling okay? Did we overdo it this time? Have we been-- (I can't believe I'm asking this to a superspeedster) --moving too fast?" the lovelysome girl, asked.

Within his heart.
Within his head.
Within, and. Throughout....

The boy -- hollllld'ing onto her -- finally. Laughed. Cheerily, so! "HAHAHA!"

-- he spuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnn around, with her. Whilst, outstretching. Arms. To one, another. Hands inter, locked --

-- he BOUNCED, up. And. Down, with her --

-- and, he. embraced her. Over. And. Over. AGAIN --

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

In the Kitchen. Together. With a tall, glass. Of strawberry milk. Bendy straw -- sluuuuuuurrrrrrrrrppppppppp

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

In the Den. Hand, in. Hand. WIth each, other.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

The bedroom.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

The locker room.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

Back in the Kitchen. With some popcorn.

*FFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooosssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh*

And finally. Within the bathroom. Once more. Each 'stop'. A towel. Left behind. Evidence. If any. Of their, having. Been present! All the while, with. "HAHAha..." many times.

...and to, verbalize. To comment. Was there a WORD. Or two, he wanted. To express, for. Her? "ThattttThatThat....ItWasItWasItWaaaaaaaaaassssssss---"

BreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeatheBreatheBreathe.

Swallow.

"WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW'zer's, y'know? YouThat, ThatYou. YouYouYouuu......Wowowowowoowow. iMeaniMean, errrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...."

BlinkBlinkBlinkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk -- CONNNNNNNNCENTRATE!

"CanYou, CanWe, CanCanCan......May....." he licked, his. Lips, With a tongue, idly. He was.....visbily trying. To channel, these. Thoughts. And those words. Through his, blissful. Excitement --

Swallow'ing more!

"...iLikeditSOOOooSoooooSooooooo.....very....much.....i..itWas....you're...." his yellows, were. Dancing! "...y'know? Haha..."

BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGG-i-ty GRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINs!
========================================================================

"Mesmerizing," by Liz Phair.

After a moment in which the world had seemed to hold its breath for a long, long time...

...everything leaped into impossibly rapid-fire pinball motion like time had been a rubber band and it was snapping back into shape...

...a blurring magical mystery tour of The Secret Sanctuary.

Lachiyous said:

And finally. Within the bathroom. Once more. Each 'stop'. A towel. Left behind. Evidence. If any. Of their, having. Been present! All the while, with. "HAHAha..." many times.

...and to, verbalize. To comment. Was there a WORD. Or two, he wanted. To express, for. Her? "ThattttThatThat....ItWasItWasItWaaaaaaaaaassssssss---"

BreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeatheBreatheBreathe.

Swallow.

"WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW'zer's, y'know? YouThat, ThatYou. YouYouYouuu......Wowowowowoowow. iMeaniMean, errrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...."

BlinkBlinkBlinkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk -- CONNNNNNNNCENTRATE!

"CanYou, CanWe, CanCanCan......May....." he licked, his. Lips, With a tongue, idly. He was.....visbily trying. To channel, these. Thoughts. And those words. Through his, blissful. Excitement --

Swallow'ing more!

"...iLikeditSOOOooSoooooSooooooo.....very....much.....i..itWas....you're...." his yellows, were. Dancing! "...y'know? Haha..."

BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGG-i-ty GRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINs!
========================================================================

Click to expand...

Thankfully, her ability to absorb the shimmering lightning-like energies that crackled off of Bart when he moved, when he touched her saved her from some of the whiplash and windburn that might have befallen certain other superheroines when carted about naked at superspeed. It also kept her hair from being a complete mess, however that worked.

But what really caught her aback was how-- bubbly he seemed. Like, even more than usual, like someone had given him a case of Surge and he'd just mainlined it.

It was sweet, though, it really was. He was such a perfect beautiful oblivious sweetheart, it made her heart want to skip a caffeine-buzzed beat or two too.

"You're acting even wackier than the first time I kissed you," she murmured, hands on his shoulders, gazing into his face. "Did we finally hit the wall with your single-synapse attention-span and you really don't know we've kissed before? Because, yes, I can totally kiss you again for the first time if you want."

And she did, she leaned in, she kissed him, long and deep and full of promise, sparks again dancing back and forth from her lips to his like they were lightning rods for each other.

When she drew back, a little shiver running through her body, goosebumps dancing amongst the light dusting of freckles on her bare shoulders, she couldn't resist murmuring: "We can do lots of things again for the first time if you want."