The night was quiet, too quiet for this part of the city. Streetlights flickered, throwing pale pools of light onto the empty road, until the screech of tires broke the calm. A black sedan tore around the corner, headlights blazing, with a few masked men leaning out the windows clutching sacks of items. Not cash like most would expect. No. These criminals were in possession of something with more power behind it
Magic relics from the local museum that they had stolen and were currently trying to get away with. The driver stepped on the gas and swerved to avoid a pedestrian, narrowly missing them.
"Look at this...Is it really the real deal?" One of them asked.
"They're lesser known items from what we know. Not many seek them out, but that doesn't make them less valuable."
"Should we sell them?"
"I don't think that'd be a good idea."
"Aw come on...We've got a good thing going on here, right? If we just hold onto it, we can make some serious cash!"
"No!" The man snapped back at him.
"Come on. It's not like anyone knows about these relics anyways. We can sell 'em, no problem!"
As the thieves argued over the items they held, a sudden flash of pink light appeared before the car, causing it to skid to a halt. Standing in front of the vehicle was a tall, dark skinned, athletic young woman dressed in almost familiar getup and wielding a sword. Her eyes narrowed at the group of men inside the vehicle, who quickly scrambled out, dropping their bags.
"You clowns really thought you'd get away with this?" a voice said, incredibly smug.
"Who are you?!" The driver said in confusion as the others backed away slowly. They were not sure whether they wanted to face the strange woman or flee back into the car. As soon they began to turn, the woman moved forward and slammed her foot down, causing a crack in the concrete beneath her boot. The criminals froze in place, unsure what to do next.
"It's my debut," The girl stated. "One you'll remember for a long, long time...After I make you the first of many!"
The mystery girl's first action was to grab one of the criminals by his shirt. Lifting him off the ground, she threw him into the air, letting go when he reached a height that left him no chance of surviving the impact should she let him fall. He screamed in terror, flailing wildly as gravity took over once again. But th girl didn't intend on allowing that to happen. Reaching up, she caught him easily midair before tossing him aside. His body landed hard against a nearby dumpster, leaving him groaning in pain. Another criminal rushed at her, brandishing a knife, which caused the woman to raise a single eyebrow in amusement.
"Hm" She smirked with physical intent behind those eyes. The man lunged, slashing wildly, but she dodged each strike with ease. Finally, growing bored, she grabbed his wrist and twisted sharply. Bones popped audibly as his hand went limp and dropped the weapon. With her free hand, she struck him across the face, sending the hapless crook flying several yards.
Turning to the last pair, she gave a smirk and gestured for the two remaining men to come at her. One charged while the other pulled a gun from his pants pocket. However, the charging one found himself suddenly halted. By a complete elbow to the face that he ran right into, the girl, moving surprisingly fast. So fast that she became a blur.
"Ugh..." The charging one would faint right away. And that's when it hid the last person. This whole time, this girl was moving at a slower pace just for the fun of it. Now that it was over...she wasn't holding back anymore.
As the final criminal aimed his gun and fired, the bullet was deflected, the round embedding itself in the wall of a nearby building. He fired several more shots, each being deflected by silver bracelets, the sound ringing through the otherwise quiet night. Then, she charged towards the shooter, covering the distance between them in moments. Snatching the weapon out of his hands, the girl crushed it like it was made of cheap plastic and tossed it to the side.
"Aw too bad. You didn't stand a chance." The woman spoke in an arrogant tone. Before slamming the butt end of her sword's hilt against the man's skull, knocking him unconscious. "No cameras around for this...a shame. She would've seen me for the first time. But I can still make it happen." The girl smiled as police sirens grew louder, she stood in the middle of the street, rolling her shoulders like she'd just finished a warm-up. "Yeah. Pretty soon."
Florida. The Arcade Hideout.
Gwen Tennyson was currently inside of the Arcade. She was sitting down on a chair, watching as her cousin, Ben Tennyson, was on a table, his legs crossed.
In his hands were the Omnitrix and a device that was hooked up to the watch. He was typing something on the screen of the device, his fingers moving quickly. Nightwing was also with them, sitting down on another chair, watching as Ben worked.
"Are you almost done yet?" Gwen asked. Ben had been working on the watch for the past few days. It's been a few days since they took down that Ice Goddess, Nilaa. And in that time, Ben had been working on the Omnitrix, wanting to make some adjustments to the alien roster that he could turn into.
"Yeah, just a moment. So, Starfire. Anything else? Please?" Ben held the Omnitrix up to Starfire.
"I am afraid not. Again, my knowledge is still so limited based on what First Thinker Azmuth shared." Starfire shook her head, holding her hands up in defense.
"Alright...I understnad. Man..." Ben sighed, looking at the Omnitrix. "What else can this thing even do that I don't know about...?"
Opening the door was Nightwing who had just arrived. But he had something with him. A large duffel bag with certain items inside. "Hey." He greeted.
"Hey, what's that?" Raven asked, pointing to the duffle bag.
"This is my equipment that I'll need to take care of business." Nightwing answered. "Batman passed it over to me since I'm gonna be around here a lot." He opened the bag, showing the contents. Inside were things meant to benefit this hideout. "Since this is our base of operations from the looks of it, we'll need some of equipment that'll help us out. This is just the first batch I managed to bring over."
"Wait. Does that mean Batman's gonna bring some stuff for us?!" Ben would sit up.
"Well, yeah. But you can expect the Justice League to do the same. Same we're the newest team, they'll give us what we need." Nightwing continued.
"Cool. Or..." Ben propped up the Omnitrix. "Gray Matter, Brainstorm or Jury Rigg can sort that out pretty quickly."
"Who?" Nightwing turned his head, only to be flashbanged by the green light that came from Ben slamming down on the Omnitrix. He transformed into an alien as he would be fine with either three. They were smart in their owns ways, the latter being a creative genius. But instead, he ended up as someone that was arguably just as good. Perhaps even better.
The Galvanic Mechamorph known as Upgrade.
"Upgrade? Oh, why didn't I bring him up?" Upgrade spoke. "He's just as good."
"A Galvanic Mechamorph?" Starfire looked over at Upgrade, inspecting him. "I have never seen one in person! Only rumors about what they can do! You are truly a technological wonder!"
"Heh. I sure am. I can get this hideout looking like a proper place for heroes in no time. Just leave it to me!" Upgrade would say in excitement.
"A-Are you sure? Some of this stuff is pretty valuable..." Nightwing was unsure, hoping that Ben knew what he was doing. Or well, he was sure he knew what he was doing...
"I'm sure!" Upgrade flew over, his hands starting to melt as he placed them on a computer. His nanotechnology would start to merge with the computer and the device that Ben was using. The computer would begin to light up and the device would start to beep.
"All of this is valuable tech..." Nightwing would repeat. "Batman's not gonna be happy with me if this breaks."
"I know what I'm doing." Upgrade insisted as the results were being shown. By interacting with the tech, he was upgrading them while also being able to see what the Omnitrix had to offer.
"Uh huh..." Nightwing wasn't too sure.
"Ben, can you please not put my laptop at risk?" Gwen groaned, holding her laptop close to her in case Upgrade reaches it. And the results were showing. The computers Nightwing brought were being upgraded into much sleeker models with higher capabilities, even growing in size and number.
Other technology was soon changed, becoming more advanced and high tech. The device that was hooked up to the Omnitrix was upgraded, the screen and keyboard glowing, and the device was now larger and more complex. Upgrade's hands were still melting as he continued to upgrade the computer.
Soon, the place was given tech of higher capabilities and quality. The whole room had a sleek look to it, the lights dimming, the walls shining, the tables and chairs replaced with ones that were more modern.
"There. I think that's good for now. That's really all I could think of though." Upgrade said.
"Ooh. Not bad. Years worth of hard research and work just completely outdone by that. Or I guess upgraded." Nightwing admired the technology around them.
"Yeah. Upgrade is one of a kind. But Jury Rigg would've made something fun. Oh well." Upgrade shrugged. "You think Batman will mind the touch up I gave his stuff?"
"Maybe not. He passed it over to me anyways so..." Nightwing wasn't too sure. Just in the nick of time, he was getting a call. From Batman himself. "Speak of the devil. Hello?" He answered.
"Is it too early right now?"
"No, not really. We're all up and energized from the looks of it."
"Good. Then I can start you off by giving you all your first mission." Right away, Batman had a mission for them already. "A mission that you'll all be able to handle. Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"There's been magical incidents happening just west of here. Some even up north. Its unknown who's behind it at the moment, but we know its magic in origin. Whoever they are, they're using magic to create life."
"Create life? Like...for real? Or is there a catch to it?" Nightwing questioned.
"You'll see for yourself. They're magical creatures, but Dr. Fate confirms that they aren't ones that have existed yet. I need your new team to intercept some of these creatures and even see if you can find whoever's making them. They seem to lurk around instead of attacking others out in plain sight and the most common place they're at is Iowa."
"Well, this might be done pretty quickly. I've got two Magic users here after all." Nightwing looked back at Gwen and Raven who just looked at him with confused faces, unable to hear the comms. "But I guess since Dr. Fate hasn't solved it yet, it won't be done as fast as I'd like it to be."
"Head to Iowa. And if possible, make sure the Magical Creatures don't cause any damage. They're not hostile yet, but they're excellent at escaping and vanishing out of sight."
"Hopefully not better than you." Nightwing smirked, ending the comms. "Alright, we've got a mission already. Time to head to Iowa. I'll tell you what we're doing along the way."
"Oh, wait! Before we go...if possible, do you suppose I could have attire that is more suitable for me?" Starfire asked, wanting a change of clothes. Right now, she was just wearing the spare clothes Gwen gave her. "These clothes of yours are nice, Friend Gwen. But I would love something else. Something that could protect me in a way."
"Oh. Like a battlesuit? Umm..." But Gwen didn't have anything like that. "I'm not sure if I have anything like that..."
"I don't." Raven certainly didn't.
"I have a suit, but its just a spare of the one I'm wearing." Nightwing pointed to his bag. "Not sure if it can fit you though..."
"Hmmm. Does this stuff have any tech in it?" That's when Upgrade got an idea as he asked Nightwing about the suit.
"A bit, yeah. Not many though. Just a few to help with the fighting and all of that." Nightwing replied.
"I see." With that, Upgrade would fly over, his hands melting as he placed them on the suit inside the bag, his body beginning to merge with it, causing the suit to glow.
In a few moments, the suit would change, transforming into a pinkish-purple outfit. One that was a sleeveless leotard on the top, a belt skirt for the bottom along with some purple boots as well as armored elbow vambraces that were silver. As a bonus, a nice green circular protrusion on parts of the clothing, representing her Starbolts. Upgrade would detach from it, looking at his work. "How about that?"
"Wow...! This is...!" Starfire gasped in amazement, picking up the battlesuit and looking at it with a big smile. "This is so beautiful! I love it! Oh, what a wonderful design, Friend Ben!"
"No problem." Ben said, reverting back.
"Thanks. I can do the same for you all if you'd like. I'd be glad to." Ben offered to the others.
"No thanks. Knowing you anyways..." Gwen passed on that in a heartbeat. Starfire flew off to get changed into her new outfit as soon as possible. All while Nightwing was gearing up for this mission, getting his equipment ready.
"I'm not the best with magic. So for this one, I'm counting on you guys to help see me through it." Nightwing requested as they were off for Iowa to investigate this Magical Creature problem.
Within an unknown location, there existed a place that looked to be a manor of some sorts. With its massive chambers and large rooms, it gave off an eerie feeling to those who weren't familiar with it. And on the outside, the place looked just as foreboding as it was on the inside. Mainly because on the outside...was the spatial makeup of another dimension, swirling around. Inside, 3 figures sat in darkness, the shadows around the room obscuring their faces and bodies from view.
All except for one, who was walking into frame.
A girl with white hair with pink tips, having a purple dress on her. She was one that could be described as a daughter of a great sorceror. As she held a staff in her hands, she came into view, showing herself.
Her name was Charmcaster.
"Well, no thanks to you all, that experiment might as well be a failure." Charmcaster said, looking at the others obscured by shadows. "What's the point in creating magical life if they don't even listen to you?"
"It's because you don't know how to control the magic properly." One of them spoke in a gruff voice. "If you did, then they'd listen to you. You need a better grasp on the magic itself. That is all."
"I for sure know I can control it. It's just different from what I know anyways. Doesn't even help that you can't even capture one of these things. We're the only ones who could make them and you can't even catch one of them. How am I supposed to improve if I can't even catch them?" Charmcaster asked. She wasn't the only one trying to create life out of magic. It was the other two that were with her.
"If we're to make this experiment a success, you will have to work in our place for the meantime, child." Another voice, a feminine one replied to Charmcaster. "Unless you can already achieve our goal somehow?"
"No..." Charmcaster sighed, rolling her eyes. "But this is anything but pleasant. The only thing those creatures are good at is vanishing out of sight. But even then, the Justice League or whatever they're called have probably caught wind of them. You don't expect me to work while they're snooping around, do you?"
"We do, child." The feminine voice replied. "Of course, you will still have your support. But for the time being, ensure that you succeed. Create magical life and this time, ensure that they listen to you."
"Tch. You don't have to keep calling me, child." Charmcaster would turn around, departing from this place. She walked onwards, opening the door which didn't lead to another room. But rather, out of this mansion.
Out of this dimension entirely.
Her body would move through the dimensional space, warping, as she left it all.
The RV was already on its way to Iowa, using those Jet Boosters to get there quicker.
"How wonderful this is! Even though this is our first mission, it is technically our second, isn't it?" Starfire said to the girls. "Maybe for this one, we'll have proper time to bond. Oh, but I do wish we could've bonded already back at our base of operations."
"Maybe when this is all over, we can do that." Gwen said, clutching the seats tightly. "If you can get used to life on Earth. Maybe you too, Raven."
"Oh, that will be joyous!" Starfire grinned. "We will do many things together! And it will be, how you say? Fun?!"
"M-Maybe..." Raven stuttered a bit. "Are we there yet?"
"Uh...I think so." Ben's eyes widened as he was able to see what was up ahead. And soon, they too would see the same. To the surprise of everyone there, something bizarre had happened to one of the cities known as Newton. Up above, Surrounding the entire city was a strange mass of unknown material with purple glowing cracks around it. It was transparent, but visible enough for it to be seen.
Soon, the RV came to a stop. They all got out and looked upon the mass of the city.
"What is all of this?" Nightwing hopped out of the RV, gazing upon the strange mass.
"Magical Energy...?" Gwen gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. "No way. What's going on?"
"It's all mass of mass of magic that surrounded the whole city." Raven observed it, her eyes widening in shock. "It's hard to see through it. There's too much of the energy blocking us."
"Well, can we go through? Look at it." Ben pointed his thumb at the mass, wondering if they could even enter the city. Raven would be the one to test it out, holding her hand out towards the mass, coating her hand in magic for protection.
When she did, she would place her hand on the strange mass of magic...and be completely fine. In fact, her hand arm went right through, safe from any harm. "We can. it's safe."
"Whew..." Ben sighed with relief.
"Is it now? Do you think the people know about this?" Nightwing questioned, he too put his finger through the mass of magic. It was indeed safe, not harming him in the slightest. There was only one way to find out what was happening in that town. And so, Nightwing was the first to pass through the strange mass of magic that was around the town. It seemed like a protective dome of sorts. But for now, they would just call it an odd mass of magic.
As they all passed through, Nightwing was the first to enter. And when he did, everything was fine from the looks of it. The city was being its usual self despite the existence of this magical mass. People were just walking along and minding their own business as they did so.
"Huh...well, that's a relief. So far, anyways." Gwen said as she entered through next. And soon, the others did.
"Batman didn't bring it up at all when he told me. It might be new or..." Nightwing pondered.
"Well, obviously someone here's doing something." Ben crossed his arms, looking around. "They might be in here still...but something about this magic looks pretty familiar."
"Yeah. Familiar..." Gwen agreed, looking at the magical cracks and purple glowing colors, completely focused on it.
"Then let's get searching." Nightwing would point ahead. "How about we try and cover some ground?"
"I will go with you once more, Friend Nightwing!" Starfire would fly over to Nightwing, choosing to go along with him.
"Sure. But uh...for this one, I think I wanna go undercover a bit." Seeing that the person behind this may still be lurking around somewhere, Nightwing opted to go as someone else. Or rather, his true self. And that just meant doing something rather important that involved revealing it to the others. "You guys. Can you keep a secret?"
"Hm? Uh, sure. We can do that." Ben shrugged.
"Ben. Gwen. You don't exactly have any secret identities, do you? No hero names aside from your own. And so far, you haven't really given me a reason not to trust you."
"You're gonna reveal your real name, aren't you? Are you sure?" Gwen already realized what Nightwing was about to do.
"Pretty sure." Nightwing smirked. "I think I can count on you guys to know. Not that some of you will really find it that important, right?" He was right on that part. Starfire and Raven would be unaffected since they aren't even from Earth, even though the former is Half-Human but just raised elsewhere. But Ben and Gwen had no need for secret identities. So for Nightwing, it was fair game.
He would look around for a bit, seeing that no eyes were on his group and they were out of sight. And after that, he would remove his mask, letting it fall onto the ground. His eyes were revealed to be blue in color, his hair black. He was a young man. That was all that was known of him at that moment.
"Uh...who are you again?" Ben was dumbfounded, raising an eyebrow. "You don't look familiar at all."
"Richard Grayson. Just call me Dick. That's my actual name." Dick smirked.
"Hmm...Doesn't ring a bell." Ben just wasn't sure if that name was all that familiar to him. Much to Dick's relief. "You don't really have to worry about that. Your secret's safe with us. But now that you mention it, if I had a hero name though..."
"Well, should I re-introduce myself to you, Friend Dick?" Starfire said to him, now that she knew his real name.
"Not really, but thanks anyways." Dick was fine with it. "We're a small team now, so this works out. I'm just gonna move around as my usual self so I don't draw too much attention."
"Ahem." Gwen cleared her throat, pointing her thumb at Starfire and Gwen, who will most definitely draw attention.
"Oh, right." Dick scratched the back of his hair. "You two...How are we gonna go about this?"
"Shopping. Easy. We'll just stealth our way through and get them dressed up as new. I'll help you out, Raven." Gwen put her hand on Raven's shoulders.
"Huh? What?" Raven was a bit surprised.
"Then I'll find something for you. Not that we can go back for Gwen's clothes after all." Dick would do the same, opting to shop for Starfire.
"Oh? But I just received this amazing suit from Friend Ben." The Princess of Tamaran pouted.
"Oh, trust me. I'm sure you'll like what's there. Here, you can wear my suit as a scarf for a while. Come on." Dick was off, guiding Starfire to the nearest shop. Gwen would do the same with Raven, the former covering her whole body with her cloak.
And that just left Ben.
"Uhh...well, I guess I'll go on my own then..." He scratched the back of his hair, going solo.
Dick had managed to remove his bodysuit, revealing his casual clothing underneath as a backup. When he did, the bodysuit was used to cover up Starfire, specifically as a waist sash. Now she had a scarf and sash to conceal her identity a bit more. But casual clothes would be the way to really conceal her.
Dick, Starfire, Gwen and Raven had each gone to the same shop in Newton to find new clothes, this being the first experience of shopping for Raven and Gwen.
"Have you ever gone shopping back at your homeworld, Raven?" Gwen asked.
"No." She bluntly replied. "Shopping in Azarath doesn't exactly exist. There's no reason to buy things when you can just make them yourself or have someone else create it. And if it does, I don't know about it."
"Then I'm glad to be giving you your first shopping trip, Raven." Gwen lightly grinned. "It's so much fun."
"I'll pass." Raven would say in her usual monotone voice.
"Come on. Just this once, see what it's like. If you have something that interests you." But Gwen insisted, holding Raven's hand and pulling her along to try and give her that experience. And Raven, not really feeling the need to be rude, went along with it just barely.
"Oh, what is this?" Starfire was of the opposite feeling to Raven. Starfire looked around, gazing upon all of the clothes in the store. Her eyes were wide as she was in awe of this place. "What is all this for?"
"This is a clothing store. Here, we shop for clothes. You know, to wear." Dick explained, gesturing to all of the clothes. "You can pick anything you'd like."
"But...everything here is so..." Starfire's eyes sparkled with delight, her mouth falling open. "Amazing like many star clusters forming around each other! I must have one of everything!" She flew around, looking at everything in the store.
"Whoa, whoa! Uh...I'm not sure if we can afford all of that..." Dick chuckled. "You don't have to choose everything. Just a few things for now. We can come back anytime."
"Oh, but I must!" She was far too into it now, much to Dick's chagrin. Starfire was already in the midst of grabbing as many clothes as she can based on what interested her. Dick gulped a bit, gripping his wallet tightly as he feared the checkout that was soon to come.
"Raven. This is all you want to buy?" Gwen looked at the dark blue jacket that Raven held. That was the only thing that Raven was remotely interested in.
"I guess. I mean, it looks nice." Raven admitted. "I'll try it on."
"Hmm. Well, maybe we can find something else that will look just as nice." Gwen would search around, hoping to find something that suited Raven's tastes. She found something nice. A black t-shirt that was the same shade of black as Raven's leotard, with a skull design. "How about this?"
"I guess I'll try it on too." Raven said. As much as she wanted to stay true to her leotard and cloak, she didn't want to be rude to Gwen. Even though this wasn't her scene, she felt inclined to give it a try. Moving to the changing room, she took the clothes with her, trying them both on.
She first tried the shirt. It was pretty simple. A plain black shirt with a skull on it. Raven was indifferent. She would go out, showing the shirt to Gwen. "What do you think?"
"It's a little plain, but not bad. It's nice." Gwen admitted. "Try the jacket on."
"Fine..." Raven went back in, putting on the dark blue jacket. This time, it fit her nicely and was much more to her liking. The sleeves were long enough to cover her wrists. She came back out, wearing it. The dark blue jacket was long enough to cover her waist and she liked it. It wasn't too big on her and was nice enough to wear.
"Oh! Wow, that looks great on you!" Gwen complimented. Raven blushed a bit, not really expecting that. But she liked it. "I think we're good."
"Yeah. I guess." Raven would take off the jacket. She had to admit, this wasn't so bad. "Actually...I'll take the black shirt too as a bonus."
But for Dick, it was the opposite. Currently, his upper body was covered in a mess of clothes. All being flung by Starfire who was frantically trying to decide what to buy, taking whatever she could get her hands on. All while Dick was the equivalent of a coat rack, catching them all.
"Oh, this would look wonderful for ceremonial gatherings if you have such things on your planet! And this could be for when we are in the middle of the battlefield, battling against our foes! Oh, and this could be for the occasion when I go to rest!" Starfire was just too into it, flying around, trying on many different clothes and deciding what she liked best. But in reality, she just wanted everything. "Oh, Friend Dick! Which one should I wear?! I cannot decide!"
"I-I'm sure they all look good on you, Star! But...I can't afford everything! Not all at once, anyways..." Dick stammered a bit, hoping that she would stop soon. "We have a mission to do after all..."
"Oh, right! The mission!" Starfire was soon reminded of why they were here to begin with. "Then I will complete my purchase!"
"Hah, thank God..." To Dick's ultimate relief. Now he just had to hope he had enough money. Considering who his mentor was, he should. Hopefully.
Ben was walking through the town on his own, wondering what he could do to pass the time until he was needed. He looked around, seeing all the places that Newton had to offer. Since it was just him, he would be the one to try and seek out the Magical Creatures and whoever was behind this, looking for any signs that they were still in town. And so far, that mass of magic around the town was the only indication of anything magical.
"Whoever made that must still be in town. I'm sure of it. But where?" Ben was looking around. So far, there wasn't much of anything. But then he heard something in the distance. It was faint. Like a sound coming from a far away place. It was hard to describe, but it was like an animal of sorts. "Huh. Is that it? An animal...? Sounds like a baby."
He was hearing a strange sound. One that was coming from somewhere. It was faint, but he was sure of it. A sound that was like a baby. Or a puppy. Something cute for sure. And so, Ben was following that sound. As he did so, the sound was getting clearer, confirming that he was on the right path. But the problem was, it wasn't sounding like a baby or a puppy anymore. It sounded much different.
It sounded...like a cat.
Ben stopped. That wasn't what he was expecting. But even though the sound wasn't what he was expecting, he still followed it. "I bet I can do better as someone else..." Ben propped up the Omnitrix, smiling. "Someone like Wildmutt!" He would then smile down, the green light surrounding him as he slammed down on the core of the Omnitrix.
And now, he emerged as the Vulpimancer Wildmutt. No eyes, but amazing senses. He started to sniff around. His nose would pick up the scent of the cat. A scent that he followed. But as he did, that scent felt familiar.
Very familiar.
At the Hall of Justice...
The Justice League were obviously already on this case as usual. And in the Hall of Justice, Superman, Batman and Flash were gathered, speaking to each other. But they would be joined by someone else who came right through those doors.
Opening them was a great friend of Superman and Batman respectively. Hailing from a Paradise Island known as Themyscira, she was a Princess that was the daughter of the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta. She is a founding member of the Justice League. The world's greatest superheroine known as the one and only Wonder Woman.
The city I stopped by, it's magical creatures have fled the scene." She said upon walking in. "Not even the slightest bit hostile from what I've seen. And yet, I can still expect dangerous things from them."
"They just won't talk? Why's' that?" Superman asked.
"Probably just shy." Flash shrugged. "Or just too afraid to say anything. I would be too if I was brand new to the world.
"No. I've tried to talk to them. They won't respond. They're just running. From me and from everyone." Wonder Woman sighed.
"And yet they're still trouble." said Batman. "Despite their shyness, Dr. Fate was able to sense the potential of those Magical Creatures. Whatever they're connected to, it's dangerous magic, according to him."
"So if left unchecked, it is only a matter of time that they do something critical to others." Wonder Woman said, holding up her Lasso f Truth. A powerful item with a powerful effect. "If I could just entrap them with my lasso, I would receive the answers. I haven't given up on interacting with them yet."
"It's that diplomatic side, right?" Flash smirked. "I'll try it out. Since they're so hard to catch, let me take a shot at it."
"They seem to use teleportation in some instances. You should be careful, Barry." Wonder Woman warned. "And too much sudden speed will surely force them to flee even more."
"I'll handle that part. I'll find a way to stop them. Don't worry. They can't be faster than me." Flash would say with confidence. "And I'll be sure to get the info you want."
"Lucky for you, it's not too many places where they've appeared. And anywhere they have, they've mostly evacuated. It's only Iowa and Georgia that some of them are around, still." Batman observed on the large monitor. "Nightwing's team is already at Iowa, seeing if they can have better luck than us. But I'm worried that might be disturbed."
"Disturbed by what exactly?" Wonder Woman asked.
"The recent issue related to you. The one going around claiming that she's your daughter." Batman said. This was news to Wonder Woman. "Her name is Wonder Girl. Have you heard of her?"
"My daughter?! I don't have a daughter!" This was news to Wonder Woman.
"I thought so. I've been investigating this Wonder Girl. I haven't found much, but I know she's going around saying she's your daughter, Diana." Batman was on the same page. "And to be fair, she certainly has a similar getup to you."
"Sounds like the Superboy situation all over again." Flash pointed out.
"This is ridiculous. I have no daughter. And who does she think she is claiming such a thing?"
"Whoever she is, she's not shy of it. Only a few days after we brought down Nilaa's whole plot, she started, engaging against crime in different areas. No doubt she'll show up for this one too." Batman continued. "She's someone I doubt we'll have a hard time catching."
"Well then, I suppose I'll go and see her for myself. I was already planning to set off anyways. Iowa or Georgia, you say?" Wonder Woman would take flight, ready to try and interact with the Magical Creatures yet again, but this time with success. And as a bonus, she was hoping to meet with this supposed Wonder Girl, who would dare proclaim herself as her daughter.
"I think I'll go with her. She seems a bit riled up after that." Superman would chime in, taking flight as well. He was hoping it doesn't become a big problem so soon. That goes for both situations collectively.
"Move! Run!" In an abandoned warehouse somewhere in Newton, commands were being made. Commands that came from the mouth of Charmcaster herself. She was present here, away from others to stay in secrecy. But she was not alone. The ones she was blurting these commands to were those very same Magical Creatures.
Her Creatures.
But alas, despite her words, they weren't doing anything of the sort. They were just standing around there, not executing any orders of the sort. These magical creatures appeared as bipedal beings with white eyes. Their bodies were made of a strange magical material. One that was completely purple in color. It was a strange, purple crystal that had an ethereal glow to them. Their body types came in slightly altered sizes too.
Charmcaster was watching them, observing what they were doing. Which was nothing. "Talk! Jump! Roll over! Sit, or something!" Her words still meant nothing to the magical creatures, who were just wandering around. "What's the point of creating life if they're just going to ignore me?" Charmcaster sighed, placing her hand on her forehead in irritation.
"Agh! Fine!" She didn't want to do this. "I guess you all need to listen to me." With that, Charmcaster would place her staff in front of them, the orb on it glowing with energy. "If you can understand me, then I can do something about that. Even though I really don't want to..."
Charmcaster would close her eyes, concentrating deeply. The magical creatures would begin to feel a strange feeling in their heads, an influence that was taking hold.
Since she couldn't command them naturally despite her being the one to make them, she figured that influencing them in some way would help. And it was. She was taking control of their bodies. And soon enough, she would open her eyes, the magical creatures' own eyes glowing now.
"Alright, you all better listen to me now. And when you do, you're not gonna stop." Charmcaster said, holding up her staff once more. "Now that I have your focus, we can get somewhere. I need you to do something to the people of this city. "
Ben was sniffing around, still as Wildmutt. He was trying to find the source of the cat-like sounds. As he did, the sound was getting louder. And soon, it was right in front of him, the cat noises being clear as day. He stopped, standing in place. Wildmutt was in front of an alleyway. One that would lead to a dead end.
In that dead end, there was a cat. A purple cat. One that was made of the same material as the rest of these magical creatures.
It was one of them. And it was a purple cat, its color the same shade of purple as that mass of magical energy that surrounded the city.
Ben would willingly revert back, going back to normal by putting his paw on the Omnitrix symbol. "Whoa, it's...you. So I was right." He said with a smile, gazing upon the cat. It looked at him in an odd way. "So, what are you doing here anyways? Are you one of those guys who are causing a ruckus here or something?" The cat didn't do anything.
Not yet at least.
Because when looking at Ben for a while, its face would suddenly shift from a neutral one...to a completely hostile one. The magical energy that made up its body would pulsate as the cat hissed at Ben.
"Huh?!" Ben stepped back in shock, a sweatdrop forming on his forehead. "You weren't a threat, were you?!"
The cat's tail would start glowing, the energy within it charging. In a few moments, it was glowing brightly, and the cat would unleash the energy in the form of a bolt of magic. It was heading for Ben, but he was able to react quickly.
"Whoa!" Ben ducked, avoiding the blast of magic that went over him. "Whoa, whoa! Easy!" Ben had to act quickly. If he didn't, he would be destroyed. Thankfully, reverting back to normal via his own decision allowed the Omnitrix to still have power instead of timing out. He propped it up once more, quickly taking form as he slammed down on it.
The green light from the Omnitrix would defend him from another incoming bolt, his body soon leaving the light as he emerged as Four Arms. And when he became Four Arms, the third bolt was soon deflected by swat of his arms.
"Hey, listen. You're way smaller than me and I don't know if I wanna hit someone your size." Four Arms said, looking down at the Magical Creature. "How about we talk it out?"
The magical cat, despite not understanding Ben's words, would just fire another bolt at the Tetramand. Four Arms would easily catch it in his hand. It was not eager to listen to him. It was just highly hostile all of a sudden. But very soon, it would become anything but little.
The cat hissed and hissed as the magical mass from its body was starting to rise. As well as its size. Four Arm's eyes would widen as he witnessed the cat's size increase. Its body would grow and grow, the magic making up its body growing along with it. Soon, it wasn't a cat anymore.
It was now a Magical Tiger.
Just around Four Arm's size.
And it was still hostile. It roared loudly at Four Arms, the shockwave of it being enough to push him back and almost knock him off balance. Its hostility had greatly increased.
"Whoa..." Raven was looking at herself in the mirror, wearing her new clothes. She was wearing a black shirt with a skull design and a dark blue jacket. And on her head was a small hat with a flower design on it, which she wore backwards to conceal her chakra. She wasn't used to these new clothes, but she was slowly starting to like them. "Huh..."
"You look good." Gwen complimented, looking at the mirror. "You'd never think that's the same girl who was just a second ago. You look like a new person."
"Yeah...I guess." Raven said, still observing herself.
"You two look like you had an easier time..." Dick was carrying a bag full of clothes that Starfire purchased, feeling the weight of the bag on his shoulder.
Starfire was smiling brightly, now wearing new clothes. She had on a pink top with the design of a green heart on the front of it and a pink skirt that matched her top, which was above her knees. "Oh, Friend Dick, this is most wonderful! I love this outfit that you have given me!" She exclaimed, running over to hug him.
"Gah...!" Dick couldn't hold the hug and the bag, so he ended up dropping it. "It was nothing. Really...!" But deep in his mind, he thought to himself, crying inside. "My money for the week!"
"Well, that's that. Now we can move around without being too suspicious. You think Ben found something yet?" Gwen asked. And soon, she got her answer in the form of a loud noise that reached all the way to the shop, grabbing everyone's attention. They all gasped, looking through the window right away.
And when they did, they saw that Four Arms had flown through a building, crashing into the local park. "Guess that answers that question."
"Agh! What happened?!" Four Arms groaned, pulling himself out of the crater. It was then that he could see that he was in the middle of a park. One that thankfully didn't have people. But that may change if he were to fight this magical tiger right here.
He had no idea why it was suddenly so hostile to him, but he didn't have the time to think about it. Because that Magical Tiger was now charging at him at high speeds.
"Fine then!" Four Arms got up, readying himself. When the tiger came in range, it tried to swipe him with its claws. But Four Arms caught it by its wrist, stopping it. It tried to do the same with its other claw, but Four Arms grabbed that too. And the two engaged in a battle of strength, pushing each other with their limbs locked. Four Arms grit his teeth as he pushed against the Magical Creature.
"You're not so bad, but I got this!" He would grab its wrists, pulling it towards him and throwing it over his shoulder. The tiger was thrown, but it would land on its feet. Next, Four Arms would stomp the ground, and soon, a large chunk of the ground would come right up. He then pulled that rock right out, using all four of his arms.
He threw that rock at the Magical Tiger, hoping it would at least damage it. But to his shock, it would vanish, just before the rock hit it. "Wha?" Four Arms looked around. But then, he heard something behind him. "?!"
The tiger had reappeared again, and Four Arms turned around, facing it once more. It tried to slash him with its claws, but Four Arms was able to react quickly by grabbing it. However, it was able to slash him across the chest with its other set of claws. "Agh!"
The Magical Tiger then threw Four Arms, sending him flying back. He landed on the ground, but he rolled back to his feet. He would charge right at it. And the tiger would do the same. Both would throw a punch at each other. Four Arms was able to land his blow, and the tiger was able to land his blow.
Thankfully, Four Arms managed to overpower the Tiger, pushing it back with great force, causing it to fall back. As it fell back, its body would slide, landing in the nearby lake of the park. It wasn't out of the picture just yet as it was slowly rising.
Just as Four Arms was ready to engage with it some more, rumbling was heard, grabbing his attention. The Magical Tiger wasn't the only one to appear. Emerging from a mass of energy that manifested on the ground, new faces showed up. The Magical Bipedal Creatures from the Warehouse. They were here, greatly influenced by Charmcaster, who had them out to do one thing.
And that involved the people of the city.
"More?!" Four Arms exclaimed, now standing before at least 16 of them. And when they emerged, despite ere for the people of the city, their attention was drawn to somewhere else. Or rather, someone.
All of them looked right at Four Arms and Four Arms alone.
And when they did, just like the cat, they suddenly became incredibly hostile. Their eyes would narrow, their bodies would pulsate, the magical mass that made them up would glow brightly.
They did not react this way when looking at anyone else. Only at Four Arms. Almost as if they specifically had it out for him.
"What's with that death glare?" Four Arms grimaced at the creatures, bracing himself for the worst. On the bright side, at least they weren't vanishing out of sight, being more up front. But that was only because of Charmcaster. "Whatever! Come on!"
But as soon as he said that, the Omnitrix was about to time out. The red light could eb seen flashing rapidly as well as that infernal sound. Four Arms groaned, this being the worst time for it to time out. Especially since one of the creatures was approaching him.
"Aw, man! Not now!" Four Arms exclaimed, hoping he could get a quick punch in before he turns back into Ben. But as soon as he pulled his fist back and the creature lunged towards him, something swift came by.
In a blur, the creature was slashed, losing its arm right away by a powerful blade. Right as Ben turned back, failing to get a punch in, he fell on his back. The slash from this mystery figure was so great, it sent a shockwave through the park, reaching the other Magical Creatures, making their bodies stagger.
"Ugh!" Ben grunted, feeling the same shockwave. But it didn't hurt him, it just startled him. When he turned, he saw the culprit who stood over him.
"Whoa, what the-?" Ben got up, rubbing his eyes. He could have sworn he just saw that. But when he saw it again, it was right by his side, the owner being right next to him.
"Hey there, little man." A voice said. It was feminine, and somewhat sarcastic. Ben looked to the right, seeing that this figure was a girl. One who was rather tall.
A dark-skinned woman, she was wearing a sleek outfit that resembled Wonder Woman's, but more modern. A form-fitting sleeveless blue bodysuit hugged her athletic frame, the upper half patterned with a crimson, ribbed texture and adorned with Wonder Woman's iconic golden "W" emblem.
A golden belt cinched her waist while metallic silver bracers gleamed on her forearms. Her long, dark hair was tied into a high ponytail, spilling over her shoulder, and a golden tiara with a bold red star rested across her brow as she wore red boots.
Uh...hello?" Ben raised an eyebrow, not exactly sure what to make of this. "Wonder Woman...?"
"Not quite. Wonder Girl here. Just sit back, okay? And watch me. I'll be your savior today." She said with great confidence and pride in her voice as she stepped forward, looking at all the Magical Creatures here. Her sword in hand. "You all want me? Well, here I am."
The Magical Creatures weren't phased by her appearance at all, and they all charged at her at once. Wonder Girl was not intimidated at all. In fact, she was smiling, having the time of her life. "This should be fun!"
She would rush forward, meeting their attack. One of the Magical Creatures tried to slash her with a claw, but she blocked that attack. And then, with one swipe of her blade, she cut its arm off. She would then duck, dodging the attack of another one before she would slash its body, causing it to fall down and stagger.
"Ha! You guys are nothing!" Wonder Girl exclaimed, slashing and blocking the incoming attacks from the creatures, moving at a great speed. The way she fought was full of such aggressiveness. But it was controlled aggressiveness, one that was done with confidence and skill. "How do you like me now?!"
She wasn't done yet, though. After she had taken care of a few of them, she would take flight. Flying in the sky, she would look down at the remaining Magical Creatures, who were still trying to get her. She would smile confidently as she gripped the handle of her sword, ready to unleash her power.
"Hah! Is that all? I'm just getting started!" Wonder Girl flew down towards them. The first thing she did was grab the arm of one of the creatures and slam him into the ground. Then, she jumped up and kicked another one in the face, sending it flying. Next, she grabbed another by the throat and slammed it into the ground as well.
And she wasn't done. She would then grab another one of the Magical Creatures, holding it by the head before she slammed him into the ground as well. She would then stomp on its head, crushing it under her foot. And then, she would kick it again, sending it flying once more.
Ben was just stunned by what he was seeing. A new face had joined. One named Wonder Girl, which was certainly news to him. And news to everyone else. Nightwing, Raven, Gwen and Starfire, who were originally headed to help Ben, would stop in place, just watching this new face go to work.
"Who is that...?" Gwen squinted her eyes in confused. "Wonder Woman?"
"I don't think so." Dick shook his head. This girl was completely new to him as well.
"Oh, but what skill!" Starfire gawked.
Wonder Girl was still fighting, not missing a beat. She was still smiling, feeling very proud of herself as she continued to fight. She was loving the attention she was getting from others, feeling as if she was proving herself. "See that?! I'm the real deal!"
"Now who's next?" She smirked at them, "Don't be shy now!" Her victory was short lived however as the Magical Tiger, unlike the rest, wasn't as slow and weak as the others and came barrelling towards her.
She dodged swiftly by rolling to her right and slicing upwards towards its face with a swift slash of her blade but unfortunately missed by just inches as he ducked under her attack leaving her wide open for another assault by one of its paws coming down hard from above which forced her backwards into an alley between two buildings where she slammed into the side wall. But despite this setback, she still held her sword firmly and confidently, readying herself for more attacks to come.
"Okay...So maybe they are tough, huh?" The heroine smiled and said to herself. "But not so tough." With her smile turning into a grin, Wonder Girl dug her fingers into the walls, using them as leverage to launch herself forward with great force at the last remaining Magical Creature. It roared at her, and in response, she roared back at it, charging right at it.
As it swiped its claw at her, she would block that attack, her blade clashing with its claws, giving birth to a flurry of sparks and energy. But with one clear opening, she would slash the sword against its chest, slicing its body open. The Magical Tiger would roar in pain, stumbling back. But it wasn't done yet. It tried to claw her once more, but Wonder Girl was prepared for it.
"Gotcha!" She exclaimed, jumping into the air and delivering a powerful kick to its jaw, sending it flying backwards.
With her being in the air, she would use the time to bring the blade of her sword against its neck, and with a strong and swift slash, she would almost slice its head clean off, only leaving a massive cut. She then landed gracefully on the ground. Her feet touching the grass of the park, her hair flowing in the wind, the blade of her sword stained with magical blood. She looked at the creature, that instantly ran, fleeing.
It's body would even return to its original size as it ran off. Wonder Girl did not pursue. Instead, she just stayed, smirking and waiting for something. The applause. She turned around, facing all the people that witnessed her take down these Magical Creatures.
"Woah..." Ben certainly said something, still taken aback.
"W-Who is that...?" A man asked, thinking he was seeing Wonder Woman. But not quite. All of them thought she was Wonder Woman from a first glance but obviously not.
"I am Wonder Girl, the Daughter of Wonder Woman! Now who's ready to thank their saviour?!" She spoke with prideful confidence and raised her arms high above her head in celebration as people around them clapped their hands together loudly and cheered wildly at how amazing she was to defeat those magical creatures easily and save the day.
Naturally, she loved the attention and praise that she was getting, raising her arms even more to bask in the crowd's applause and cheer of praise. To her, she was just starting out. And yet, she already did the same as many others that were more known to do.
"Thank you, thank you, I know. I know. Just keep on praising me and all." Wonder Girl would say, her arms crossed. Her eyes would scan the crowd, seeing the faces of the people that were praising her.
Dick and the others finally caught up, approaching Ben who was still on the ground, bewildered. But he soon said something else. "Hey, wait a sec. I fought too."
"Yeah. But who's the one who won?" Wonder Girl smirked, looking at Ben. She didn't even know him, but she clearly had an attitude. Ben wasn't sure what to think of her, but he was already a bit irritated.
"And who are you?" Gwen would ask, approaching her. "I've never seen you before."
"Didn't you hear? Wonder Girl." She shrugged. "I know, I know. It's all so surprising and new, right? I mean, you've never heard of me until now, so I don't blame you. But here I am. Fresh to the world." She stabbed her blade on the ground.
"Wonder Woman's daughter? Since when did Wonder Woman have a kid?" Dick Grayson was just surprised that Wonder Woman apparently had an offspring.
"You guys are heroes, aren't you? You were someone else and now you're just this. Little man." She pointed at Ben, swiftly taunting him."
"Little?!"
"Uh, yeah." Gwen confirmed. "We're here because we heard there were these magical creatures running around. Looks like we know what they look like now. Thanks for that, Wonder Girl. Or whoever you are." She looked at her, noticing how she seemed to have a similar outfit to Wonder Woman.
"Same here! I'm also here because of those things. And they are nothing. I took care of them easily!" She exclaimed with such pride, her arms crossed. "I'd love to bring down way more if they're around. Whether in this city or the next."
"Ugh..." Ben stood up, wiping the grass off of him. "Well, I would've used them to find whoever summoned them in the first place."
"Ben. You would've destroyed them all too." Gwen pointed out as Ben would've created a similar outcome regardless.
"Yeah, probably. But, Gwen. Something was familiar about them. I only got a good feel for one of them when I was Wildmutt, but that felt like enough. And when I was looking at the cat, it just got hostile out of nowhere."
"I'm feeling it too, Ben. I've been focusing on the magic around here, trying to understand it. And I think you're right about it being familiar." Gwen looked up, gazing at the magical mass. "I've got no doubt. This magic. It belongs to Charmcaster."
"So Charmcaster's back..." Ben added. " Boy, we haven't seen her in a long time, huh?"
"Whoever this Charmcaster is, if you'd be so kind to lead me to her, that'd be great." Wonder Girl spoke. "Put down a problem before it gets too out of control."
"You make it sound like you're going at it alone." Dick said to her.
"Why wouldn't I? Unless you wanna tag along or something?" She pointed her sword at each of them.
"It's why we're here to begin with." Ben gave his retort. "Where'd you even come from? If Wonder Woman had a daughter, Gwen would've figured it out first. She's her biggest fan."
"Well, I don't know about that..." Gwen nervously chuckled.
"Don't worry about it, little man. I'll do you a favor too. Since we're both here for the same thing, why don't you guide and I strike? Sound good?"
"And have you get all the action? You wish." Ben scoffed.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll leave you some scraps." She smirked, "So, what do you say?"
"How about we just continue our search, okay?" Dick got in front of them both. "We know they're here now and that they can be hostile. If this Charmcaster really is around, then we'll find her. If she's still somewhere here."
"Only one way to know how..." Gwen would close her eyes, deciding to focus on Charmcaster's Manna to see if she was truly here somewhere. Wonder Girl, not exactly wanting to wait, would take off, flying into the sky. She wasn't going to wait for others to catch up to her. She was just going to do things at her own pace, searching for the villain in question.
"Well, if you're doing that, I'm just gonna find here somewhere here. Later!"
"I got her! Or rather, I got her Manna." Gwen opened her eyes, feeling her energy. "She's here somewhere. I know that Manna all too well. It's Charmcaster." She looked at the others. "I can't believe she's actually back..."
"Well, you're the one who can find her. So lead the way." Dick nodded. Raven and Starfire were also ready to go, and so was Ben.
"Right. Just follow me. And keep your guard up." Gwen would lead the group, focusing on the Manna in question. They would leave the park, heading for the streets of Newton. All while Ben looked up at the sky, seeing Wonder Girl just soar onwards.
At the abandoned warehouse, the Magical Cat had fled, returning to Charmcaster's location, badly damaged. And when it did, Charmcaster looked at its state and was aware that the other Magical Creatures have been defeated.
"Defeated?! All of them?!" Charmcaster was in complete shock. She didn't expect this at all. What she had done wasn't supposed to go wrong, and yet here she was. Standing in the warehouse and looking at a wounded Magical Creature that had just lost.
The cat was badly damaged and barely moving.
"Someone's already getting in my way...Great." She picked the bridge of her nose. "I can't have them find me." Raising her staff, she would use her magic to try and conceal her presence in the chance that someone could sense her. Magic burst forth from the staff, engulfing the warehouse in a veil of magic. The warehouse would soon be cloaked in a haze of her magic, making it impossible for anyone to sense her.
But she couldn't rest easy. If she had been detected, she had to act quickly. And that meant making new creatures, not wanting to slow down on her work. And thus, the process for how these creatures were made would be unveiled.
Chamcaster would use her magic to cut a small piece of her own hair off, holding it in her hand. She would then close her eyes, and a small ball of magical energy would appear in her hand. It would start to grow, and soon, it was in the shape of a cube. It was a purple cube, and Charmcaster would use her magic to make the cube float in the air. She then began to chant a spell.
"Odu-Vor-Melras-Dar! Bari-Paratah-Arcana!" She chanted as the cube would begin to glow brightly, and the ground would shake beneath her feet. A purple light would burst from the cube, and soon, it was floating in the air, suspended by a force that could only be described as magical. The cube would start spinning rapidly, and soon, it would take the shape of a bipedal creature.
And not just any creature, but one of the many that had just been taken down. A copy of one of them. And she was able to make as many as she wanted. All of the defeated Magical Creatures were remade through this process, as well as some additional Magical Cats.
But that wasn't all. Since her original plan was foiled and she was possibly in the sights of another hero, she needed a new plan. One that would involve a new batch of Magical Creatures. One that was far more dangerous than the last. One that would involve the creation of several Magical Tigers and Bears.
"I don't know who's getting my way, but this one plan I don't want them to ruin." Charmcaster said, narrowing her eyes. "My position is on the line."