Outsiders

[chronicle_tenko]

Roy Harper Jr. strolled the Empty underground shelter that was to be the new HQ of the Outsiders. He'd been given grants from the JLA and Wayne enterprises. It was shocking just how much money Bruce was giving him really.

And now he needed a team, so much responsibility had been thrust on his shoulders, first to be part of the JLA and then to be given this. It was a lot to take in. At least Lian seemed to be ok with the move. And Roy knew he could trust Rose with Lian. She'd keep her safe.

The entire new complex was underground, Close to the waterfront. A small apartment complex was on top of it, and the bay made for an easy way to exit either by Air or Sea. Bruce really did think of everything it seemed. It was creepy how he did that.

Still the prospect of dtarting a new team the outsiders after Donna's death and her return, really had him in shambles. Without her he wasn't sure if he could even get this thing off the ground It was sucha huge project for him. But he'd rise to the challenge.

He hoped.

 

[lil_squirter]

Soft as a whisper she sailed up behind the red headed archer. Her hands setting lightly on his shoulders.

"Penny for your thoughts, Hot Shot?"

She landed softly, falling into step beside him and letting those hands move until one slid around his waist and the other fell to her side. Roy was thinking, that was rarely a good thing, he seemed darkly distracted the last few weeks, not that she hadn't been. Death tended to make one rethink their life. On top of that she was only beginning to think she really understood who she was anymore. Neither of them needed to focus on the past, the future held less pain..or at least the chance of it.

"I just checked out the South Wing, the underwater access looks good, pressurized so no more accidental flooding of the subsections. I never want to have to bail water like that again. I still feel soaked to the bone."

She rested her head to his shoulders, everything about her now dusted with starlight. The rebirth brought that look to it's apex, even her hair now seemed to shimmer with those pinpricks of diamond light.

"I think it's coming along great, and so fast too. Sort of like your move, some kind of record seeing Roy Harper pack up and find new digs like that. Someone ask you to marry her?"

Nudge of her shoulder at the gentle joking to the man who defied the conventional relationship matrix. Roy was nothing if not a unique man.

 

[chronicle_tenko]

"Penny for your thoughts, Hot Shot?"

"Not sure they're worth that much right now. Donna. This entire thing has me a litle in awe at the scope of it."

Donna's arm around his waist was a comforting thing. It always was. As shocked as Roy had been to see her come back after she died like that, he was happy beyond measure she was. Like Lian had said she was his heart, and that had been missing in the last little while. Making his mood dark and this new post had made his thoughts darker.


The South wing was fixed that was good. Flooding with hundreds of thousands of dollars of Electronics and other equipment was not something they needed. Besides that even if it wasn't his money he didn't think he could afford to replace something like this. Absently resting his head on Donna's he remembered Bruce's offer.

"We need a new team Roy. The JLA can't be everywhere. Somethings we just can't handle. We can't be seen handling. We need an outside force, to deal with some things. And that's what I want you to do for me. Lead that new team and report to me."

Bruce had trusted and given him so much to do here, that the responsibility felt crushing. Donna's head on his shoulder and her arms on him. It felt good, and right. She sparkled so much now, since her return, Not that she was ever less in his eyes. She gave him the will to do all this. Not for Bruce, and his schemes, or Ollie and his influence, but for her and himself. Even this kind of undercover work, the Outsiders operating at large were illegal due to this new Freedom Of Power Treaty. The worry pressed and Roy's forehead creased till Donna jokingly teased him about the move to LA.

"I think it's coming along great, and so fast too. Sort of like your move, some kind of record seeing Roy Harper pack up and find new digs like that. Someone ask you to marry her?"

A tease. He could do that back. In pure deadpan Roy looked Donna in the eyes. Her deep beautiful eyes nad told ehr the truth.

"Oh yes. Jade phoned me out of the blue said that she would renounce her life of crime and serve her sentence if only I'd take her back." it broke and Roy smiled chuckling at the joke. "No. You know you're the only one, and I'm still the same carefree bachelor I've always been. I might let my eyes wander but why would I ever want another woman but you. Not many men can say that they see a goddess everyday."

 

[lil_squirter]

"Ohh I've heard a thought or two from that mind of yours, and I would say some people would pay at least 3.95 a minute."

Another joke to lighten his mood, and allude to his oft naughty thoughts. People never understood Roy and Donna as a couple, it was a dynamic that only made sense if you really knew their feelings. Roy was a remorseless flirt, if it had legs and breasts he noticed it with his keen archers eye. Donna, well Donna was the good girl of the group, sure she'd made mistakes but she'd always tried to be as caring for everyone as she could. Only now, after coming back from...well..after coming back she wasn't even sure she was who she thought she was. Roy was the one solid centering thing in her life, and Lian. That little girl had changed Roy like nothing ever could, she was sweet and Donna couldn't help but adore her, it was almost as if they were a family.

Other family, the Titans, even Young Justice those had fallen apart. Crumbled at their feet with the loss of one dear friend after another. It was gut wrenching and Donna could only feel grateful that she'd been spared the majority of that. They'd grieved for her, and she'd returned unable to grieve for so many others. But there was Roy and he was the foundation of rebuilding her life. She worried that perhaps she centered on him too much at times, but right now they each offered a strength the other needed.

"Oh yes. Jade phoned me out of the blue said that she would renounce her life of crime and serve her sentence if only I'd take her back." it broke and Roy smiled chuckling at the joke. "No. You know you're the only one, and I'm still the same carefree bachelor I've always been. I might let my eyes wander but why would I ever want another woman but you. Not many men can say that they see a goddess everyday."

At first she stared, taking a few moments to catch up to his joke before she punched him in the shoulder. Pulling it enough to not break anything but he'd be wearing a nice bruise for that bit of ill humor.

"You might not be able to say that if you keep joking like that Mister Harper."

But she was smiling, she looked away so he couldn't see it, but they'd been together long enough for him to know it was there. Speedy and the Wonder Girl, how times had changed.

 

[chronicle_tenko]

Roy (Moving Plot)

3.95? People would pay through the nose for some of his thoughts. Donna worked for him. It wasn't just her body or the way she sparkled, the goddess in her, or the amazing person she was. Donna was more than the sum of her parts, more than auntie to Lian, and more than just a beautiful woman back from the dead.

She was a heart and an inspiration. A key back to his beginning. Speedy and Wonder Girl. Starting in the titans, saving the world one little step at a time.

He smiled and cracked his joke about Jade. Cheshire Lian's mother was a villaness, and the second most deadly assassin in the world. But Lian was so precious, and Roy had become an enitrely different man for his little girl. Now here he was assembling this team. And joking about.

"You might not be able to say that if you keep joking like that Mister Harper."

"Well Ow miss amazon queen." Roy chuckled at her very light jab, which stil left a slight bruise. Donna could break him in half if she chose. Or toss a bus at him. But still there was no one more gentle or caring, or softer than her. No played with Lian like her, Well with the possible exception of Rose. And no one made him feel quite as good as she did, or as confident and strong. If she was worried she relied on him for too much, he was just as worried that he relied on her.

Of course that didn't make looking a crime. And they did need a team. With new members.

"Donna we need to get some people together. I'm gonna make some calls and see who we can grab. But let's get some people together. As fun as just you and me is, we need some more to save the world. Let's re-unite the old team, Get Wally, Dick, and Garth together. see what they're up to. Kory, and we'll see who feels outside the frame in the JSA and around. We have some recriting to do."

 

[lil_squirter]

"Oh? I thought we were going to christen the new base."

Her straight face held for all of five seconds before she began laughing, that sounded like something Roy might think..but there were an awful lot of rooms and not so much time. She hugged his arm and nodded to his suggestion. They needed others, and he was right, looking up their old teammates was the best place to start.

"And what about Bumble Bee? Last I heard she wasn't teamed with any groups specifically, seemed to be doing a lot of freelance work."

Donna would like to have that woman on their side, diminutive as she might be there was no questioning her abilities. There were a few she could think of and maybe they would have ideas as well. The sooner they got started the better really.

"I know Batman had this place pretty well set up, I can leave anytime are you good on transportation?

Her powers of flight tended to come in very handy in situations like these, she preferred to fly on her own rather then take one of the vehicles the base came with, there was always something in the freedom of self flight that made her happy.

They were walking for the main control room, there they should be able to find some recent locations for the potential team mates they were seeking.

 

[chronicle_tenko]

"Oh? I thought we were going to christen the new base."

What? Five of the longest seconds of Roy's life flashed before his eyes, Several thoughts and sharp comments forming in a large bump in his throat and almost in another place as well. Five long seconds before she laughed. Musically. That was a joke more suited to him. Her laughter was infectious and Roy started up too. Chuckling at her innuendo. Later maybe but they needed to get going now, and besides there just wasn't time to do it right.

And what about Bumble Bee? Last I heard she wasn't teamed with any groups specifically, seemed to be doing a lot of freelance work."

"Sounds good to me. I'm going to go hit Keystone city to try and find Wally. After everything that's happened I bet he'll be grateful to see some friendly faces, and a speedster always helps with the team. Besides I'd kind of like to see if I could steal him out of the JLA for this. He might think it was fun to be an outlaw."

Roy hugged Donna close to him for a moment, before he checked up the computer. Blips and markers showed possible recruitment. People they might be able to ask, and who would be quiet about it.

"I know Batman had this place pretty well set up, I can leave anytime are you good on transportation?

"I do have my own transport. Bruce gave me a ton of vouchers and we have our own jet. if I could fly the thing I'd take it. But I'm gonna go see wally."

Roy gave donna a kiss as he left. It was sudden but they really had to get moving. Less than an hour later he was on a flight to keystone, looking for the goofy kid who grew up to be the flash.

 

[Armphid]

The staccatto sound of gunfire tore through the air moments before the lock of a door on the roof of the austere Keystone Credit Union was blasted to pieces. The door was kicked open, a ski-masked gunman rushing out onto the roof. He signaled to the helicopter that sat on the roof's edge, the pilot inside giving a thumb's up and starting the rotors. The gunman turned to the door, calling "Hey, move it, guys!" "Having hostages is only gonna keep 'em off us for so long!"

"C-comin', Rocco!" A more heavyset man, carrying an AK-47, came out pushing two young women before him. Behind him was a third man, heavily laden with a large backpack and two long duffelbags. "Man, I can't believe we're doin' this here." "Why couldn't we a-gone to Star City?" "They just got that Arrow guy."

The lead gunman frowned, "'Cause he'd a shot us wit' an arrow!" "Sides, we're cool here." "Ain't no heroes but that old Flash, an' he's in New York wit' dat Justice Society." "Nothin' t' worry about."

The third man shook his head, "I dunno, I hear that the Flash was back." "You know, the guy in the red suit."

"Yeah," the heavy robber nodded vigorously, "I heard that too."

The leader sighed, "Look, even if he is, it don't matter." "That's why we put dat bomb on the Interstate." "All the cops'll be there, and so'll the Flash." "I mean, come on, the guy's fast, but what're the odds he's gonna be able to take care o' that mess an' still have time to mess wit' us?"

There was a sudden gust of wind and red blur, and one of the hostages was gone. Before a full second had passed, the scarlet wide blew through again and the second vanished. "Actually," said a new voice, "pretty good." The three looked in the direction of the voice. Standing with his arms crossed over his chest was a man clad in a tight red bodysuit. Yellow lightning bolts twined around his forearms near the elbow, and came together diagonally at his waist. His boots were yellow as well, as were the small golden wings on either side of the suit's hood, space cut out for the man's eyes and the lower part of his face. The Flash held up a hand, "Now before you do anything, you know I can stop you." "So why don't you just put down the guns and spare us all a lot of trouble."

"The Flash!" "Waste 'em!"

Flash sighed, "I don't know why I bother." The three men pointed their guns and opened fire. To Bart Allen, they moved in slow motion, bullets bleching forth in a burst of fire, crawling through the air. Guns first, then bullets, then bad guys. He dashed forward, recalling from the translated field manual he'd read once how to field strip an AK-47. In a red blur, the gunmen were left holding only the trigger guards of their weapons, the other parts neatly arranged in front of them. The bullets continued their lazy drilling through the air as Bart danced among them, snatching them out of the air. He had to be careful here, catching bullets wasn't as easy as it looked. There was a lot of force to deal with,and you could break your wrist if you did it wrong. This model Klashnikov went through 10 rounds per second, and they'd fired for 1.5 seconds before he'd dismantled the guns, so...there.

Before the robbers' eyes, the crimson streak turned into the Flash again, the lean hero holding his hands together. He let them part, forty-five bullets jingling as they tumbled to the rooftop. Then streaked toward them, striking them with blows faster than thought, leaving the entire group sprawled out on the rooftop groaning. "Bank robbers." "Did they really think they had anything I couldn't dodge?"

That was when Bart remembered the pilot. Directly behind him, the last man had his pistol almost touching the back of Bart's head. The criminal was going to say, "Dodge this," but ended up saying, "Do-gyaaa" as there was the whistling impact of an arrow through his hand, sending the gun flying.

Chagrined, Bart punched the pilot, decking the man just as the police came boiling up from inside the bank. Bart looked at the arrow protruding from the pilot's hand. The shaft and fletching were red, almost the same red as his suit. He looked up, scanning the skyline.

"Flash!" One of the cops walked toward him, "Looks like you got 'em, but...what happened to that guy?" "Do you have any idea?"

"Yes," Bart answered as he stood. Then he was gone, racing down the strairway, out of the building and through the streets in a crimson blur. The blur rocketed through downtown, suddenly veering to shoot straight up the side of a skyscaper, resolving again into the Flash as he leaped up onto the observation platform. Bart wasn't really sure what to say to the man who was waiting for him there. A man who wanted to see the Flash, but wasn't expecting this him. Again. "Arsenal." "Uh, hey."

Smooth, Bart. Real smooth.

 

[lil_squirter]

Donna nodded and let Roy take his own path, as he always would. She keyed in a few coordinates for some of the candidates she would like to see involved in the organization. Bag slung over her shoulder, honestly sometimes not having pockets sucked.

Such was life and the Amazon headed for the access chamber which lead outside from the central core of the building. First up was Bumble Bee, word had it she'd been spending time out in San Fran these days so she should be easy enough to find. After that Jesse Quick, a more elusive woman but one who would be well worth looking up.

A graceful arching upward of her body as it sailed on he air currents and Donna was on her way, burst of will and speed making short work of the trip to the Golden Gate city. She paused for a moment, looking,listening and zeroing in on the coordinates given by the computer. She should be somewhere in the general vicinity, all Donna had to do was wait and watch.

 

[Wyldfire]

"Thanks Ma," Jesse said to Ma Hunkle as she finished putting the visor on her mask, "The costume fits as perfectly as the Belle costume you made for me." She looked herself over in the mirror. A lot of leg showing again, she thought to herself, but it felt good to be back in this costume. Jesse'd always been closer to her dad than mom.

"Have you talked to Rick about all of this yet?" Ma asked her, "The two of you are very good together you know."

"Yeah, Rick and I talked this out. We're going to hold off on the wedding until I get back from Keystone. Flash needs my help and I can't help but wonder if that's not why my speed powers have come back as much as they have," she said, "Besides, the JSA already has it's own speedster in Jay. I'd be redundant here."

"Never." was all Ma Hunkle said to that.

"I'm glad you feel that way Ma, but I need to get moving. Keystone needs another speedster there to help Flash while he's being erratic." Jesse replied. She couldn't tell Ma that she already knew why the Flash was being erratic. She knew Wally well. Almost as well as the man she saw wearing the Flash costume now. After the crisis a lot of things had changed. The Flash was a huge change. You don't hang around with two guys and not get to know mannerisms and voices. The Flash isn't Wally anymore. Wally would be doing things a lot cleaner. Maybe going to help him would bring him into line and get him over these problems.

She gave Ma Hunkle one last hug before she left the headquarters in a blur. It shouldn't take long to get to Keystone from here. She accelerated more as she got out of the city. Thinking fondly of the farwell night she and Rick had had the night before. He'd been so passionate that she'd sworn he was trying to either cripple her or make her never want to leave. She dodged around the eighteen wheeler she'd almost plowed into and wiped the tears out of her eyes. She wasn't leaving him, she had to remind herself, she was just going to help an old friend out is all. She took a moment to touch the ring that was in her belt as she ran. The engagement ring felt good to her touch. Almost as good as Rick.

As she blurred through Keystone she saw the blast of the bomb and the familiar red blur of the Flash as he disposed of it and he moved off in another direction. She tried to catch up to him as he took off but he was faster than her. Nothing new there. She'd always been just a bit slower than him. She rushed to try to keep him in sight as he went up a building. Still blocks away she heard the faint sound of gunshots. She blurred up the building in time to see Flash blur away from the crimescene he'd just busted up. The police never even noticed her as she followed him. That had been an arrow she'd seen in that thug's hand.

She followed him up the skyscraper. "Arsenal." "Uh, hey." Flash said as she blurred up to stop next to him.

"Hey Roy. Long time," she said to him, "Hey Flash, I just showed up in town thinking you could use a hand. But it looks like you're doing okay for being new to the costume."

 

[Kuuroinochou]

Karen *Intro*

Another visit with the doctor as she liked to call it. Filling her perscription with Niles Caulder, Karen had went to the other in hopes of finding some way of reversing the effects on her body. Being small was one thing but constantly going into a state of cardiac arrest was another thing... it often made her sluggish and tired afterwards but Niles' medicine had done wonders in keeping her going.

The Titans had relocated to San Fran some time ago but had disbanded recently and with it, Karen decided to settle down on her own. While not divorced she no longer lives with her husband nor do the two of them converse on reglular terms the two of them deciding to go their seperate ways.

Karen resolved herself to answer Barabra Gordan's letter to assist with the Bird's of Prey. As such, she's been helping out there on occasions though it has not effected her status with the Doom Patrol to which she has been giving her expertise.

As it were, Karen had just finished her meeting with Niles who had been running tests on her in hopes of fixing her shrunken status. "So is there any possibilities of fixing this?" she asked him, reading the data for herself. She could read the statistics, nothing seemed possible currently but she wasn't the type to give up hope so easily. If she could make a suit that could strink a human body to the size of an insect then she could find a way to return that form to normal. At least that's how she thought of it.

"Well it doesn't really matter at this point. We have to focus on your healthy, over exerting yourself is not an option. Get plenty of rest and take your medicine regularly. That's all we can do for now until some new information comes up."

Karen nodded, her tiny form sitting upon Niles shoulder. This made it easier for others to hear her for being so small she sounded more like a bug then anything else if not in close ear shot. "I can do that. Just keep working at it I'm not giving up." she stated and pushed off his shoulder taking flight.

From there she was in deep thought, so much to go over, and so little time. What's to say this condition would ultimately take over her life. Constantly putting stress on her where she didn't need it. Sighing she decided against dwelling for now, she would lend her help where she could; while Niles and others worked to correct her situation. As she fluttered through the halls she decided some fresh air was in order, finding a small opening in a window she slipped through taking to the skies. She was careful to watch out for large birds, most likely they'd mistaken her for food of shorts but for the most part flying was always a privelage and a sense of freedom.

As she fluttered about she caught the shadow of something above her. An airplane? Looking toward the shadow she noted the form of Donna, a smile came to her face as she met the other woman fluttering about. "What brings you this way?" she asked with a smirk coming up within view of the other.

 

[Armphid]

"Hey Roy. Long time," she said to him, "Hey Flash, I just showed up in town thinking you could use a hand. But it looks like you're doing okay for being new to the costume."

There was a rush of wind, and he felt the presence of another person behind him before he heard her voice. Jesse. Given the way she'd just appeared, the rush of wind, it meant that she wasn't just Jesse Chambers, but Jesse Quick.

Bart shifted a few steps away faster than the beat of a hummingbird's wings, looking over the striking blonde. She'd gone back to the red and gold, he noticed. He liked that costume, even as a kid, although he found himself appreciating certain aspects of it more than he did then.

"Jesse!" "I, uh,..." Truth was, he was a little worried about what would happen if he ran into Jesse. She and Wally had a lot of friction, and he had never helped matters. Plus, he was the punk kid she'd striven mightily to babysit. She knew the same thing he did, in terms of experience and wisdom, Jesse deserved to be the Flash more than he did. All Bart had was the family connection and the raw power. But he was glad to see her. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I'm doing okay." He looked out over the rooftops to the now distant crimescene where the lights of a police helicopter flashed. "But okay isn't good enough sometimes."