Emergence 2.6

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Manhattan, New York

July 27, 2010

9:05 EDT

Ezekiel bit down on the fluffy goodness on the end of his fork, relishing in the overwhelming amount of maple and powdered sweetness that burst from the waffle with every single bite he took. The entire stack dripped with an almost sickening amount of syrup since Zeke had applied a healthy coating of the stuff as soon as his plate had been placed in front of him. It trailed down from his mountain of waffles, the peak dusted with a heap of powdered sugar, all the way down past the various different selections of pork he had available to him until it came to a stop near the very end of the plate, just short of his fluffy, sun-colored, scrambled eggs. While a portion of his breakfast may have been swimming in a river of his own making, so was he.

And that river was a sugary sweet heaven.

A few moments and several bites later, his other hand stabbed down, a black plastic knife spearing the fattest sausage link he had available. Raising his knife, prey still skewered on top of it, he dropped it down into the small bowl on the right side of his heavily-laden plate and grinned. A second later, the link broke the surface again, rising from the small container of homemade gravy and directly into an open and awaiting mouth.

He bit down and let out a small breath from his nose, a pleased smile spreading across his face.

Correction, a heaven of many different flavors. His plate was near finished now, but it was still as good as when he started and he could attest to that.

Nodding his head, the dark-skinned youth raised his head, fingers encircled around the cup to his left as he began to wash down the mouthful of food with another burst of flavor; this one in the form of apple juice.

Another pleased sigh left him as he lowered the cup, eyes opening as he glanced up for the first time since he had started eating. A pair of warm green eyes met his hazel, the young teen pausing for a moment as he noted his mentor's silent watch.

He swallowed once more as a smile spread across Nate's face, the man raising his steaming cup of coffee to his face. "I suppose making a pit stop for breakfast was a good idea, after all."

Zeke felt his ears heat up and fought the urge to duck his head down again, slight embarrassment worming through him for a moment before he firmly pushed it away and held his mentor's gaze. "Yep! Guess I am a bit hungry, huh?"

"I'd say." Nate Atom raised the mug up to his face again, drinking in the smell yet again but not actually taking a sip of the black sludge in the cup.

"I'd say." Zeke pulled a face, mimicking Nate's cadence with a stern expression of his own. "You're the one who got me out of bed this morning because we were going places again."

There was that soft smile again, Nate's expression warming just slightly before sliding back to it's usual stoic line in a few seconds. Seemingly done with the little snippet of conservation, he turned away from Zeke to glance around the bustling diner they found themselves occupying a booth in. He couldn't help but wonder all this was about, at least a little, as the captain had yet to explain his sudden appearance in the Cave earlier this morning.

Past that of a greeting and a simple message to "get ready", Zeke had no real idea what was on the agenda for today. In hindsight, considering how often that seemed to be the case, he should probably have gotten used to it by now.

He shook that last negative thought out of his head as he leaned closer to his plate, allowing the last bite of waffle to find itself between his teeth. Chewing, he glanced up from his plate and took in Nate's human form again. Tall, muscular, and imposing as he was, the man's features seemed carved from stone, body or face rarely moving an inch or even shifting in a way that didn't seem perfectly controlled at all times.

White hair and all, he looked like a painted statue almost, a sculptists' rendition of a man as his piercing green gaze was focused on the waitress as she paused at their table, the captain handing her a set of bills before she walked away again. "So, Ezekiel... I never got around to asking about your first mission. Do you mind telling me how it all ended up?"

Zeke started slightly at the question, blinking rapidly as he realized a moment too late the captain had turned his gaze back to him. After a few more moments of silence staring at the now-empty plate in front of him, he asked back, "Uhhh… doesn't the League talk about this kinda stuff already?"

He let out a small uncertain laugh, a little worried as to whether there was a certain reason why the captain was so curious. "You don't already know?"

Nathaniel Adams let out a slight sigh before he replied again, the sound causing Zeke to raise an eyebrow. "Trust me, unless Batman decides to bring an issue up during League meetings, the League is essentially out of the loop when it comes to you kids. He even keeps your reports filed separately from League documents."

Okay, I do not like the sound of that, Zeke mused, expression shifting as his thoughts raced again. I would have thought the League was spying on us during missions. I mean, I honestly would prefer them to be spying on us. Like… for our safety. I mean, they really should be. Right?

"Well…" the boy began, quickly pushing yet another set of uncomfortable thoughts down and to the side, "we fought Kobra and that was… hectic, I guess is the word. I personally took down the boss, Kobra himself, with a surprise energy blast… I mean," he tilted his head, taking another sip of juice, "it was more like one big blast and then a bunch of smaller ones but the guy refused to go down."

His gaze went distant for a second as he thought back, eyes flickering back and forth between his mentor and the bustling New York street outside. "Like, I hit him real hard and he just kept trucking. I'm pretty sure he actually popped his shoulder back into its socket before he actually hit the ground for the last time. Just… uggh."

Zeke couldn't help but pull a face at that memory, actual disgust in his expression as he stuck his tongue out. "Talk about creepy. Had to hit him a bunch of times after he went down to make sure he wasn't faking. And then a couple more for good luck. And then another one cause I felt like it." It hadn't been necessary in the slightest, the villain already unconscious by the tenth or so [Mana Burst] following the initial [Hadoken] but Zeke couldn't deny that it did make him feel a lot better, each blast that hit home making him feel just a bit more sure of himself.

The kid let out a bit of a snorting laugh before he shook his head and went on. "Anyway, we caught Kobra and all his goons, recovered the Venom; the old stuff, at least. Bad news; a lot of the new batches kinda went missing and nobody has a clue where it went. Also, we hauled in this giant monster guy who – get this – almost killed me – story for later – but was also Kobra's test subject for their new Venom. Meaning he looked like a mess, just like eight or nine feet of torn, leathery skin, exposed muscle and a face that a mother would just give up on, you know? Also also, somehow, when we weren't looking, Bane ended up escaping and this other guy – Sportsmaster, they called him – just vanished out of nowhere. Crazy, right?"

It was crazy, Zeke could acknowledge that much. It had also been terrifying and incredibly frustrating all at once, Bane providing a good deal of that frustration by himself. Feeling useless was one thing but Bane had simply torn him apart with a few punches, the man's raw strength and likely a good helping of skill leaving him unable to even fight back.

Even his meager attempt at a distraction had gone nowhere.

Yeah, feeling useless was one thing but feeling so completely powerless…

He didn't like that not one bit.

Rather than bring any of that up at breakfast though, the teen simply glanced up at Nate with another smile he didn't really feel. "On the whole, though, it was certainly a learning experience," he added as an afterthought. "I learned that supervillains are pretty tough customers, not that I didn't know it already but… practical experience, y'know?"

"I can't imagine what it must have been like for you…" Nate began, raising his mug again and finally, finally, taking a sip from it. Zeke could only nod along in agreement with that single statement, unable to imagine someone with the abilities, experience and temperament of Captain Atom being in his situation. "But I do know that you made your way out of it and helped your team accomplish the objective."

Zeke fought the urge to groan at that. Did we, though? Did we, really? I feel like Batman would disagree at least a little.

"Even then, it sounds like a lot for your first official mission. Don't let it rattle your cage, though. After you get your feet under you, I'm sure you'll look back on this and laugh."

I'm laughing right now. Deep down. Very deep.

The Captain barely paused to catch a breath again before speaking up again, this time with another question Zeke didn't feel like answering. "So, that book I lent you… Last we spoke, you mentioned it helped you get ahold of your powers. Any progress since then?"

"Well…" The boy in the blue hoodie couldn't help but wince at the memories of his multiple attempts to pull off anything more impressive than his [Hadoken] and the basic [Mana Burst] he already had. Things could have gone better...

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"My cookies!"

"...sorry!"

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Wally's still annoyed at me for that one, Zeke mused with a slight shrug. You'd think he'd get over it after eating something else but noooo. With his repeated attempts at working with his mana blasts a bust, he had pushed his efforts into other areas, working on his physical stats and what else he could manage with Connor at his side and M'gann also there… for emotional support (Meditation + 2, STR + 2, SPD + 1, VIT + 2, INT + 1). "I'm making good progress in general," Zeke replied to his mentor, Nate smiling slightly again at those words.

"I'm glad to hear that, son," Captain Atom spoke up slightly, a focused glint in his eyes. "You've really stepped up from that first day we met and I'm proud of you for it."

Zeke acknowledged the words with a polite nod, raising his eyebrows slightly as Captain Atom continued speaking. "Before I forget, I meant to ask how your first briefing went."

The hooded teen paused mid-step, hands stilling in his pockets as he found himself having to duck another diner's errant limb. "T-the briefing?"

"Yes, the one you had a few days ago. Anyone who's spent time with the Batman knows that he's rather gruff sometimes. Keeping that in mind, I just wanted to make sure he wasn't too hard on you for any small mistakes."

Hoo boy.

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

July 23, 8:15 ECT

They stood in a single line, Kaldur at one end and Zeke at the other, all of them with their hands at their sides as they awaited the harsh words they had been expecting. In front of them, Batman paced back and forth, his black cloak trailing behind him and somehow adding an inordinate amount of grim gravitas to what was a simple few steps in either direction.

After several long moments of this, he paused and stared at each of them in turn before finally speaking for the first time that morning. "I… am at a loss for words."

Despite being at a loss for words, Batman still managed to dress them down for the next five minutes seemingly without having to pause for breath.

Truly, the skill of the Batman knows no bounds.

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"Honestly," Zeke began, nodding his head again. There was a pregnant silence, the boy in the blue hoodie taking in a slight hiss of breath as Nate waited for him to continue.

"...Wasn't. As bad. As I thought it would be," he finally concluded.

Not a lie.

"Good. Good." Nate seemed to accept his hesitant statement a bit too readily, however. "That's good to hear. Batman wasn't exactly forthcoming with details but I knew he'd be at least somewhat understanding."

"Yep, understanding. That's Batman for sure."

The captain simply nodded at that, a slight smile on his face. After a moment, he glanced down at his watch before raising his eyebrows. "Would you look at the time? We better get going."

Just like that, Captain Atom simply slid out of the side of his booth and started walking at his usual pace towards the door, Zeke quickly following alongside him. Before Zeke could ask where they had better get going to, Nate preempted him again with another set of questions, leaving the young man floundering for a moment or two.

"Any news about your second mission you feel like sharing? The one to the Salt Flats?" Adams asked again, not noticing his sidekick's flinch at the added questioning. "From what little I could gather from what the Flash had to mention, that one went similarly off the rails."

"Off the rails? Ummm…"

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Robin glanced over at Psycho Pirate mid-backflip in shock, Kid Flash running past him with the villain's golden mask in his grasp along with the plutonium, as an angrily screaming Genesis launched himself at the psychic, lower body glowing as he screamed out the words, "Power Strike!"

His limb struck with a small explosion of force, the glow intensifying for a single instant as the blow hit home. Sneaker sole met the now-unmasked villain's nose with a crunch of cartilage and a spray of blood, the already weakened villain dropping like a stone.

Genesis dropped to the ground in an unsteady landing, grinning triumphantly as he kicked at the downed villain again and again, one hand pointing down.

"Ha-HA! Not so fun when it's you bleeding, huh? Owww…" The boy paused for a moment, stumbling himself as his right hand went to clutch his opposite shoulder, rivulets of scarlet easily visible as they slowly ran down the blue of his costume. "Jesus Christ, who even carries a sword-cane? It's 2010!"

The Boy Wonder rushed over with speed worthy of Batman's sidekick, coming to a quick stop on the nuclear plant's grass by sliding like a baseball player and quickly bound Psycho Pirate with a pair of fold-out handcuffs. That completed, he glanced up at his jumpsuit-clad teammate in confusion. "Dude, kicking P-Pirate like that? A bit much! The guy doesn't even have powers."

The other thirteen-year old gaped, letting go of his currently gaping wound to properly gesture to it. "He stabbed me! In the shoulder! My favorite shoulder! Just because his stupid mask didn't work on me!"

"Real petty of you, though," Robin replied back, jumping to his feet.

Genesis fought the urge to say something insulting back, the kid simply gritting his teeth and replying, "Justice is petty!"

"Umm…" Miss Martian shook her head, the psionically-sensitive girl still looking somewhat unsteady as she tried to recover from the trance Psycho Pirate had put most of the team through. "I don't think that's accurate."

"It also seems rather unheroic," A groaning Aqualad spoke up, the Atlantean glancing back to note that Superboy was still completely out of it.

"HE. STABBED. MY. SHOULDER!"

Observed: Psycho Pirate Psycho-Pirate (Roger Hayden) Lv 12

Wielder of Medusa's Mask

A Caucasian male of average height, strength, and ability, Roger Hayden would be completely unremarkable if it weren't for both his insanity and his ability to wield the Medusa Mask with the ease of its original creator. Although, that raises the question; when did Medusa ever wear a mask… or control emotions, for that matter?

Ability Gained!

Resistance: Piercing Lv 1

The thrust or stab is risky because it can kill and yet not stop.

Reduces piercing or stabbing damage by 0.5% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (1%)

Resistance: Piercing Lvl Up!

1→2

Resistance: Slashing Lv 1

The cut and slash is useful because it will stop but not kill.

Reduces slashing or cutting damage by by 0.5% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health.

+ 300 XP

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o – "...ekiel, are you alright?"

"Huh? Yep!" he answered, response coming just a bit too quickly.

"Are you sure?" Nate asked again, green eyes locking on Zeke's own for a moment as if searching his face. "You went a bit quiet for a second there."

"Me? Fine, but the mess… I mean, the mission, right?" The teenager paused to clear his throat, allowing his voice a moment to ease itself back down to a pitch that most would consider normal. "You were asking about the mission, I mean?"

"I was, yes," the captain responded slowly, eyes still searching Zeke.

"Well, It went… good."

"Really? No unforeseen complications?" Nate raised a pale eyebrow, the motion asking more questions than a thousand words could manage.

"... Define 'complications'."

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"What kind of weapon is that? Why would you even... Who-who does this?" Genesis knew very well that a fight was not the time to be playing twenty questions but the boy simply couldn't resist, his own curiosity warring with the sheer insanity at play in front of him.

"What kind of madman makes that sort of thing?" The sentence left his mouth moments before he [Power Sprint]-ed backward, hands outstretched as he kept on taking potshots at the jade-green form of the second supervillain of the day. Unfortunately for him, his aim wasn't even the best when standing perfectly still and running at top speed to avoid energy beams of the ground-wrecking variety wasn't exactly conducive to accuracy. "No, like seriously! You'd have to be legitimately insane to go that route with something like this!"

"Dude! What are you talking about?!" Kid Flash screamed over at him, the speedster still sore from from being blasted into the ground just a minute ago by Atomic Skull himself. "Explain or shut up already!"

"I'm talking about that stupid helmet that Skeletor's wearing!" Genesis shot back, pointing at the villain currently using a combination of his helmet and M'gann's body to dig a trench through the nuclear plant's front lawn. "It's so unsafe! That level of energy projection and you place it directly on top of your brain? If the radiation doesn't kill him from the excessive use, an unintended explosion definitely will, especially considering he uses it to fight!"

"Oh my god, would you shut up?!"

"When he starts making sense, sure!" Observed: Atomic Skull Atomic Skull (Albert Michaels) Lv 20

Mad Scientist

A research scientist with a neuro-degenerative disorder, Skull went supervillain because Superman put away the evil scientists using his desire for a cure for to get him to do their dirty work. To be fair, his brain's not in the best condition so his rational thinking abilities aren't top notch anyway.

Power Sprint Lvl Up!

10→11

Mana Burst Lvl Up!

16→17

+ 1 INT

+ 1200 XP

+ Neuro-Electricity Infused Battery Fragments

+ Lexcorp Targeting Integration Circuit

+ Accessory Fuse

+ S.T. A. R. Labs Prototype Power Cell x 2

+ K.O.R.D. ACI Armature x 5

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o – Zeke put on another smile as the captain seemed to accept his truncated mission report, still somewhat peeved that for such a hectic second assignment, he hadn't actually gotten a real mission out of it and even the experience from the fights hadn't been worth it, not really. Granted, his opponents were a normal guy with a magic mask that couldn't get past his Gamer's Mind and an eighty-year old scientist who didn't know the meaning of proper safety standards but still…

He let out a long sigh, unsure of what to say back to the Captain other than that. Thankfully, his mentor seemed to be fine with just those three words, nodding back with a thoughtful expression on his face. Like that, the two of them walked out the door of the diner and onto a street that felt more like an ocean full of people that quickly buffeted them forward.

For a few more minutes, they continued walking through the bustling streets of New York, Zeke content to glance all around at the sights and sounds of so many people packed together. It was only after they had walked for what felt like a quarter of an hour before Zeke decided to ask the question that had been on his mind for a little while. "So, what's next on the agenda, sir?"

Captain Atom, for his part, also smiled but as far as Zeke could tell, the expression on the older man's face wasn't forced. "Well… I realized that since you had just completed your first official mission, it was time for you handle some things that were best taken care of as soon as possible. It involves your next official step into the real world of being a superhero."

"...O-oh?" Zeke's smile wavered for a moment, confusion warring with excitement for that single instant before excitement won by a landslide and his expression brightened. "Oh!"

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"Oh…"

The eager light in his eyes faded rather quickly as several forms were layered in front of him, a red pen placed on top of the stack ready and waiting for him to click the thing open. Zeke blinked several times, posture slowly getting worse in the uncomfortable office chair he sat in as he realized his current unfortunate situation.

He glanced up and to his right to where his mentor sat there, a pleasant smile on the white-haired man's face as if nothing at all was wrong. Seemingly at ease filling out the papers that he himself had been handed, Captain Atom took a second to spare Zeke a glance, only to raise an eyebrow as he found the boy himself glancing back.

"Is there a problem, Ezekiel?"

"There shouldn't be," cut in another voice, the bare hint of a New England accent dripping with impatience. "These forms are easy, simple, and literally child-proof. As in, any child should be able to fill one out. As long as they can read or write, that is."

Zeke glanced up with a decidedly stern frown on his face to shoot an insulted glare at the figure sitting behind the large wooden desk across from him, the woman staring back as if daring him to say something.

The young teen wasn't sure how to categorize her, the woman in question giving off various conflicting signals that he wasn't sure how to decipher. With her jet-black business suit, thin square glasses, hair pulled back in a severe bun, and expression that screamed seriousness, she gave off the strong air of someone that was strictly business and had no time or patience for anything else.

However, that appearance was at odds with the fact that she was currently working her way through a small pink lollipop, her heeled feet placed atop her desk as she leaned back in her office chair. Certain decorations in her office also seemed to contradict Zeke's immediate assessment of her; photos of the woman in far more casual clothing smiling with an eagerness that didn't fit her now and several of her shaking the hands of various costumed individuals, Captain Atom's image being the largest. Truly, a conundrum.

The woman in question had introduced herself just a few minutes ago as 'Willow Wilson, public relations manager for Nathaniel Adams aka Cameron Scott aka Captain Atom and, by extension, you as his sidekick.' She hadn't sounded exactly pleased about that last part, shooting him a slightly displeased expression, but before Zeke could manage to ask what especially vicious insect had managed to crawl its way up her butt - albeit, not with those exact words - Ms. Wilson had proceeded to pre-empt his questioning with a series of forms for him to fill, offering a much smaller stack to the captain as well.

"Okay, first of all, ma'am, I'm thirteen years old, not three. I can read and write and I do not appreciate the assertion that I'm incapable of either. Second," Zeke turned to the captain sitting by his side, the man still powered down and staring at him expectantly, "I thought you said we were taking the next official step into me being a superhero."

Nate stared back patiently, the man tilting his head ever so slightly as an open palm gestured at the forms laid out in front of the both of them.

A long sigh left the young sidekick as he glanced between the paperwork awaiting him and his mentor again, disappointment and confusion both melding into a simple look of dismay on his face. "Paperwork… really?"

"Really." Ms. Wilson chose to answer in place of the captain, the severe-looking woman lowering her feet from her desk to ease forward in her chair, arms now resting where her feet were. "If you had struck out on your own or had been picked up by almost any other hero, this wouldn't be a necessity. However, Captain Atom is a military-sponsored hero, which makes you a military-sponsored sidekick…" She leaned forward again, one hand raised to her temple to adjust her glasses slightly as she stared Zeke in the eyes, "meaning paperwork is a requirement."

Zeke let out a slight hum, the sound conveying both annoyance and understanding. "Okay, I get that but," he paused to level the publicist with a small glare, "why do I feel like you have a problem with me?"

A slight sigh came from his right as the words left Zeke's mouth, the boy turning to face his mentor. The white-haired man held his expression taut, teeth visible in an expression halfway between an open grimace and a half-hearted smile. "Son… it's not with you. She's rather annoyed at me right now and you just happen to be here. There's something I might have forgotten when I asked you to be my partner."

"Me." Zeke turned his gaze back to Willow, the annoyed-looking publicist pointing a finger at herself. "He forgot me. Actually, let me rephrase that..." she rolled her eyes and pushed back against her desk, leaning back again slightly as she angled the lollipop away from her mouth. "He forgot to run it by me. I'm his public relations manager, after all. Among other things, I have the responsibility of managing his image."

"...okay?" The teenager raised an eyebrow as high as it could go, not understanding what any of this had to do with him. "I just don't ge-"

"I know," Ms. Wilson interrupted him with a raised lollipop. "That's why I'm explaining it to you. I've been managing the good captain's image for the last four years. That's four years of appearances, interviews and image work done to give the public the impression that Captain Atom is a strong, stern career military man that works best on his own and while he joined the League for the Greater Good, his first and only focus is serving his country and keeping it's people safe, above all else."

Zeke blinked.

Once. Twice.

"...o-oh. I… I can see how I might mess that image up, yeah." He glanced down at the small stack of papers in front of him again, expression falling slightly.

"Ezekiel, you haven't messed anything up," Nate replied after a moment, the captain resting one hand on his sidekick shoulder. "Trust me, there's no real problem here."

Ms. Wilson let out a long hum, the sound itself showing very well what she thought of that statement. "Let's put a pin in that for now. Just… know that I don't blame you, kid. No, my client should have run it by me first so I blame him." Pausing for a moment to shoot Captain Atom a playful glare as the man let out a slight scoff, the publicist continued speaking, "But enough about him, let's get back to you. What's your name? The one you picked out." She stared at him for a moment longer, waiting expectantly for him to reply.

"Uhh… Genesis."

The name barely left his lips before Ms. Wilson let out a sigh of her own, the noise sounding more and more like a groan the longer it went on. "Oh good God, please tell me you haven't already started using that in any…" She waved her hand around, a slight scowl marring her face, "official capacity."

"Willow…" Captain Atom's voice took on a slight warning tone, but he didn't have to say a thing more as the woman in question glanced back at him and sighed again, raising her hands up.

"I know, I know, Captain, but you have to understand where I'm coming from here. Flash has Kid Flash, Aquaman; Aqualad, Batman; Robin, Shining Knight;Squire… catchy names that go along with each other in a certain way. Best of all, it would have made my job a great deal easier."

How do Batman and Robin fit there, though? Zeke managed to suppress the thought before it could leave his mouth, simply nodding along to the publicist as she spoke. Green Arrow and Speedy don't even work at all, either. What was the deal there?

Nate's hand on his shoulder was a minor comfort but Zeke couldn't help but feel like he had made a major blunder, regardless; picking a name without considering the consequences. "Trust me, Ezekiel, I don't mind. You have your own identity and it doesn't have to be copied from mine."

The hooded boy glanced upwards, a sigh on his lips again. "I understand, Cap. It's just… she makes a good point." As much as he didn't want to admit that, it was undeniably true.

"You're working with Captain Atom and you couldn't come up with a name that fit?" Ms. Wilson paused at that, finally having gotten to the crux of her point, not even noticing that neither Zeke nor the captain were paying her much attention at this point as they returned to their paperwork.

"You know, I literally have a list of names prepared for something just like this. If you had just come to me first, I could have given you some that tested extremely well with most audiences, like, for instance; Warhead, X-Ray, Manhattan, Atom Smasher, Proton, Megaton, Nuke, Fission, Radical, Particle Lad, Fallout Boy…" She finally paused to rub the bridge of her nose, letting out a long breath as she did so.

"Just… see if you can give... Proton a try. For marketing purposes, at least. You can put whatever you want down on that form but just try the name out."

Zeke stared back, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment as he mulled it over. He glanced over at Captain Atom, the man saying nothing, and then back again to Ms. Wilson, before letting out a sigh. "I… I'll think about it."

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"So, what's next on the big agenda?"

His question was met with a slight questioning noise from the Captain, the man raising an eyebrow at Zeke's question as they made their way down the bustling Manhattan sidewalk once again. "What makes you think that wasn't all we had to take care of?"

Zeke spent a moment pretending to give the reply some thought before shaking his head in response. "Nah, doubt it. I figure if we're starting the day with paperwork, we probably have a bunch more to do. Am I right?"

"You might be."

"Let me guess," the teen picked up his pace, shorter legs working double time to match his mentor's stride, "We're going to get me fingerprinted? No… a doctor's appointment? No, no…" Zeke shook his head at that, fingers raised to cup his chin as he seemingly gave the issue some more thought. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and glanced up at his white-haired mentor and gave the man a grin. "Jury duty!"

While he did well to hide it, Nate couldn't entirely hide the amusement on his face, Zeke's own smile growing in tandem. "Jury duty? Here I thought you were far too young for that. It seems I'm learning something new today."

They both let out a slight laugh at that, Zeke walking slightly faster to prevent himself from being buffeted along with the river of people making their way down the Manhattan sidewalk. After spending nearly an entire half hour cooped up in an office filling out repetitive and boring paperwork that was apparently a 'military requirement', he was finally able to stretch his legs again.

"So, what are we actually doing with the rest of today?" Zeke finally ventured after a few more minutes of walking alongside the captain. He turned around to face the captain, hurrying up his pace until he was nearly skipping backwards as they turned a corner, the flow of the street dying away rather quickly as they turned another and another. "Unless, we're just enjoying the sights…"

Nate didn't respond, a slight smile on his face as he continued walking forward.

The kid's face quickly fell, disappointment working its way into his grin. "Please tell me we're not actual-" The words fell away from his mouth as he hit what felt like a wall, Zeke blinking as a hand that felt more like a baseball mitt clapped him on the shoulder. Christ.

"Hey, 'nuff talking."

Propelled by instinct as much as shock, Zeke jumped back and away from the wall of meat, nearly tripping over himself from his sudden rush over to Captain Atom's side. Eyes wide, he stared back at the figure blocking his way.

An older man stood there in nothing but a blank tank-top and blue jeans, grinning down at Zeke with a set of pearly-whites that gleamed as if polished. He was large and muscular, extremely so despite his apparent age, with biceps and triceps that seemed to be in a perpetual state of flex from how unbelievably defined and veiny they were. Bristly hairs coated the sheer masses of muscle you could call his arms, even more of the stuff peeking out from behind the low neckline of the man's loose fitting muscle shirt. A near-white beard and mustache framed the lower portion of his face, the facial hair trimmed well despite its thickness. Both arms met at his waist in a classic hero pose, the man smiling back at him with just as much confidence as Zeke would expect from someone who looked like that.

"Well, Nate, you told me you got your own little brat but I didn't quite believe it till I saw 'im," the muscled grandpa spoke up again, shooting Captain Atom a smirk as he somehow managed to growl out the words in a way that was both threatening and comforting all at the same time. The fact that he looked like a very buff Santa Claus likely helped there. "A scrawny one, ain't 'e?"

Well, excuse y- The slightly annoyed response in Zeke's head faded as he heard a snort from behind him. Captain Atom allowed himself an audible chuckle, the white-haired man stepping past Zeke to lock arms with the other man, somehow looking much less imposing when against the stranger. Pulling back from the handshake, Nate let out another chuckle and patted Zeke on the shoulder, slightly pushing the young man forward. "He's only thirteen, Ted. What were you expecting exactly? At the very least, give him some time."

"Heh, guess you're right," the man named Ted replied with a growling chuckle. "Can't expect everyone to be a freak a' nature like me. Wouldn't be any trees left if every kid took to punching through 'em for exercise like yours truly."

A set of hazel eyes widened at that statement. I'm sorry, wha- A large hand shot out towards Zeke and shattered his train of thought, the kid barely avoiding a flinch as it came to a stop near his chest, palm simply outstretched in expectation. "Name's Ted Grant, son. Nice to meet ya."

"Ted… Ted Grant?" Hazel eyes widened further, taking in the man's appearance once more. "Like, like… Wildcat Ted Grant?" His voice dropped to a near whisper as his eyes flashed blue, thoughts jumping to an instinctual [Observe] before he could stop himself.

Ted Grant (Wildcat) Lv ?

The Boxer with 9 Lives

???

???

???

"He knows me?" Ted Grant let out a big rumbling belly laugh, raising his gaze back to Nate as he voiced the question. "Look at that! Newest generation and the respect's still there. Guess ol' Southpaw was more popular than he thought. You just made my day, kid." The burly superhero - or ex-superhero, now that Zeke gave it some thought - clapped him on his shoulder as he let out another laugh, Zeke letting out a slight grunt from the weight of it. "Can you believe it, Nate? Two old men with little runts running alongside us," Grant's words seemed to make Nate flinch for some reason, Zeke blinking in confusion as to what that was about. After a second, Ted blinked as well, eyes brightening as if just realizing something. "That reminds me! I'm missing a couple sprogs myself." Cupping his hands around his mouth, the man turned his back to both Nate and Zeke as he called out, "Tomcat, Sonny, get your scrawny little hinds out here already. I told ya he'd be here any minute!"

The front door to the large building – Zeke just noticing the large yellow sign that said 'GRANT'S GYM' at the top – behind the man opened up, twin glass doors swinging open as two children of similar age ran outside and up to Ted's sides, the man stepping back as the duo positioned themselves.

The taller of the two was a boy somewhat older than Zeke himself, his height and general physical development giving credence to the idea. He bore a great resemblance to Ted himself, his skin being more olive than the much fairer tones of the former pro boxer and a frame that wasn't too out of place on a teenager, corded muscles notwithstanding. Running a hand through his thick head of raven-black hair, he nodded at Zeke, the other boy nodding back simply out of propriety.

His gaze turned to the girl taking the opposite position on Ted's side, her appearance at odds with the other boy and Ted himself; the both of them appearing Caucasian and the teenage girl looking more Japanese than anything else. Her eyes were playful, matching that of the other boy's though, and the both of them seemed to be laughing at some private joke the longer they looked at him.

For a moment, it seemed like they weren't going to speak so Zeke took it upon himself to break the ice. Clearing his throat, he stepped forward and extended a hand. "H-hey there, I'm Zeke."

"Hey yourself," Ignoring Zeke's outstretched hand, the other boy stepped forward and stared Zeke down with a smirk on his lips, thick Staten Island accent coming in strong. "Welcome to Grant's Gym. You can call me Tommy G. That's my sister Sonia. It'll be our pleasure to kick the shit outta ya today."

"..."

"..."

"... W-what?"

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o – Observed: Thomas Grant Thomas Grant (Tomcat) Lv 20

Wilder Cat

Ability: Therianthropy

Born to a witch of the same line that his father had gotten tangled up with in his heyday, Thomas Bronson is a skilled boxer and a rather impressive superhuman at the same time. While he may like his fish raw and a few more afternoon naps than most would consider normal, he is not one to be underestimated despite being only fifteen. He's also got a mean right hook, as you can tell. Observed: Sonia Sato Sonia Sato-Grant (Judo) Lv 22

Scion of Judomaster

Ability: Aversion Field

Daughter of the late Judomaster, Yoshio Sato, Sonia was raised by the Yakuza as the last of the traditional assassins her family once served as. Rescued by an out-of-costume Ted Grant while on vacation, she has since been adopted by the man and now considers herself a part of the Grant family. Try as hard as you want, you'll never hit her and you'll only tire yourself trying.

Observe Lvl Up!

10→11

Basic Martial Arts Lvl Up!

4→8

Fighting Style Gained!

Boxing (Basic)

Boxing (Basic)

They say boxing is fighting, backed by technique.

Prove them right.

Resistance: Blunt Force Lvl Up!

20→21

Reflexes Lvl Up!

4→6

VIT + 2

+ Grant Family Handwraps

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

STATUS Ezekiel Patrick Armstrong Title: None Age 13 Job None Level 9 Experience 500/10000 Health 570/570 Mana 230/230 Willpower 210/210 STR 31 SPD 39 VIT 38 INT 38 WIS 9 CHA 12 Stat Points: 0 Cash: $375

INVENTORY

Amulet of Kobra

[Requirement: Must Join Kobra]

Serpentine jewelry worn by those with a more spiritual bent within the cult, the Amulet of Kobra grants sight beyond standard sight, allowing the wearer to see the world as a snake does.

Grants Trait: Snake Eyes Grants Trait: Thermal Sight

Accessory Fuse

A discarded material that can be utilized as a part of the construction of a great many modern technological devices.

Cowl of the Naga

[Requirement: Must Join Kobra]

An unnatural cloak bestowed upon those of the Cult of Kobra who have made the unholy sacrifice and devoted themselves entirely to the Serpent Queen of Hell, Ran Va Daath. While it is unknown what this cloak actually does even among it's wearers, those that do choose to accept it speak of a renewed closeness to their mistress and a greater sense of purpose. It has a certain ominous odor about it.

Domino Mask (Robin)

Like a true bro, Robin gave you a few spare domino masks to hide your identity.

White lenses hide your eyes completely while the molded plastic changes the shape of your face when caught on camera. Also comes equipped with a com-link to use in place of a traditional earpiece.

Essence of Kobra

[Requirement: Must Join Kobra]

This vial contains the specially treated blood of a priest within the cult. Imbibing the fluid while saying a prayer to the Serpent Queen grants enhanced strength and aspects of a snake's form for a time while taking on some of the creature's mind.

Grants Trait: Animal Instincts (Snake) Grants Trait: Elastic Arms Grants Trait: Loose Limbs Grants Trait: Scaled Up Grants Trait: Sssssnake Tongue Grants Trait: Strength of The Snake (Lesser)

Grant Family Handwraps [Equipped]

As a child, Ted Grant realized he would only hurt his hands if he kept punching trees so he made himself a pair of handwraps out of old rags. Decades of fighting has allowed the old man to perfect exactly what needs to go into a pair of handwraps to allow for the perfect punch.

(When Worn)

Grants Buff: Tough Knuckles Grants Buff: Basic Training

Kobra Kultist Kowl x5

A cowl worn by all Kobra initiates.

Nothing real special about it.

Kobra-Venom x5

A chemical compound created by Kobra-affiliated scientists based on a combination of the neo-steroid, Venom, and the CADMUS-made Project Blockbuster formula. The resulting mix is three times stronger than Venom and just as permanent as Blockbuster, with the added result of being much safer for the user. Transforms user into a large, musclebound monster and hardens bodily tissues to provide enhanced durability.

Grants Trait: Supercharged Neo-Steroid Grants Trait: Musclebound Grants Trait: Tempered Hide Grants Trait: Roid Rage Grants Trait: Insensitive

K.O.R.D. ACI Armature x5

A material used in the construction of advanced weaponry and armaments, it's components only truly useful for the function of a dynamo.

Neuro-Electricity Infused Battery Fragments

Atomic Skull's neural electricity has become infused into these damaged battery fragments as a result of overuse and kinetic damage to his helmet. I bet you wish you could say, 'I told you so'.

Kalteen Nutrition Bar

A high-calorie, high-protein nutrition bar designed by Swedish company, Dante Foods, Kalteen was originally designed to assist the diet of starving children in third-world countries. However, it's often a recommended item by many health professionals to anorexics or patients suffering from malnutrition.That means you, dummy. Eat up.

Grants Buff: Minor HP Regen (25)/5 minutes (Non-Stackable) Grants Buff: Minor Will Regen (25)/5 minutes Grants Buff: Minor HP Boost (25)/5 minutes (Non-Stackable) Grants Buff: Minor Will Boost (25)/5 minutes

Lexcorp Targeting Integration Circuit

By predicting the trajectory of targets, this circuit helps to boost the tracking speed and range of projected blasts. This module can be loaded with scripts to increase its effectiveness in certain areas.

Soder Cola Extreme x38

Already a rather addictive substance and the most popular soda brand in the Continental U.S., Soder Cola decided to go a step further and create a variant with even more sugar and a dose of caffeine, focusing on the twin demographics of teenage boys and extreme sport athletes. As a sidekick, you're the perfect customer.

Grants Buff: Minor Mana Boost (25)/5 minutes (Non-Stackable) Grants Buff: Minimal Mana Regen (10)/5 minutes

S.T.A.R. Labs Prototype Power Cell x2

A prototype material used in the creation of advanced technology. This power cell is designed to provide a quick injection of power into the capacitor it is attached to.

S.T.A.R. SmartSuit x3 [Equipped]

Whether you’re sprinting at top speed or simply stretching your legs after a long day, S.T.A.R. Laboratories SmartSuit a general use utility designed to provide total protection against environments and vacuum. Built out of a durable but flexible polymer known as DynaFlex, the suit provides a wide freedom of motion for a variety of body types while also able to withstand severe stress owing to its flexibility.

(While Worn)

Grants Buff: Second Skin (Minimal) Grants Buff: ...Like Wearing Nothing At All

S.T.A.R. Tab

A device that's still somewhat advanced even by the standards of the current universe, your S.T.A.R. Tab is hundreds of dollars worth of advanced technology and communication capability that was essentially part of your payment for allowing S.T.A.R. Labs to run tests on you and your abilities. You wish the actual money would hurry up and get to you but, hey, you're not complaining.

Venom x25

Venom is a potent drug variant based on the secretive Miraclo formula used by the original Hourman. An addictive strength-enhancing neo-steroid used by the super villain, Bane, it instantly transforms the user into a hulking mass of unbridled physical strength. As the drug wears off, the user's body would rapidly return to its original state or sometimes even weaker.

Grants Buff: Venom Boost Grants Buff: Musclebound Grants Trait: Thick-Skinned Grants Debuff: Roid Rage Grants Debuff: Exhausted Physique

WayFarer Sport Shoes [Equipped]

Stay on your feet all day with Wayfarer. These slip-resistant shoes utilize memory foam, shock absorbent technology and modern impact cushioning to keep you up and active for days on end.

(While Worn)

Grants Buff: Faster, Harder, Further... (Minor)

TRAITS

Bright Kid: While you're no genius or some prodigy, you're obviously brighter than most kids. By the time you're an adult, however, no one will care. (Before the age of 18: +75% to INT gain and +25% to speed of learning Mana-based skills/abilities)

PERKS

Hard Hitter

Bare knuckle boxer.

All unarmed strikes deliver 25% more knockback force but no additional damage.

Quick Healer

Don't worry, it won't scar.

You heal rather fast, at a rate of a tenth of your VIT every fifteen seconds.

Reactive Reflexes

Gotta be quicker than that.

When attempting to dodge an attack, your reflexes ability is 10% more effective.

Quick Study A mind is a terrible thing to waste. With this skill, an additional 20% bonus is given whenever Exp is earned.

Skills

Mana Burst Lv 17

Pew-pew! Pew-pew-pew!

A hastily-formed burst of energy with an unspecified nature.

Max Damage: 10% of INT x Skill Level

Minimum Cost: 5 Mana

SS: Hadoken

A derivative of Mana Burst created through the forced merging of two bursts.

Explodes on contact with far more force than any singular Mana Burst could manage.

Max Damage: 5x Mana Burst

Cost: 5x Mana Burst

Mana Shield Lv 6

Shields at 20% and holding!

A protective construct formed from the desire for protection and made from an energy of an unspecified nature. Drains 1 MP for every point of damage blocked. Shatters if more than 20% of MP is drained by a single blow. Ignores damage up to 6% of INT x VIT.

Minimum Cost: 5 Mana

Observe Lv 11

Kinda like a scouter, but less cool somehow.

Allows you to view the status or qualities of anyone or anything, allowing you to learn information about them.

Cost: 1 MP

Power Leap Lv 5 Jump good. Using your inherent physical energy, jump higher than you ever could before. While active, your jumping height/length increases by 5% per level. (50%) Cost: 10 Will

Power Sprint Lv 11

You'll never be the Flash relying on this alone. Still, we've all gotta start somewhere.

While active, your running speed increases by 5% per level. (50%)

Cost: 1 Will/s

Power Strike Lv 7

Not exactly a heavy hitter quite yet.

Increases the STR value and knockback of your physical strikes by 10% per level. (50%)

Cost: 5 Will

Abilities

Gamer's Body Lv. MAX

Allows your body to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.

Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects. Health, Will, and Mana regenerate at a base of 1 point every 30 seconds. Food and drink items can accelerate recovery.

Gamer's Mind Lv. MAX

Allows your mind to exist in a similar standard to that of a video game character.

Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional trauma and severely damaging emotional states. Grants immunity to forceful/unwanted mental intrusion.

Acrobatics Lv 4

Basically a flip kick, but without the kick part.

An ability that enables you to pull off backflips, frontflips and any manner of jumping-based ground-movement technique with greater ease.

Awareness: Mana Lv 16

Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, spirit energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.

You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.

Awareness: Willpower Lv 5

Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.

You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.

Spoiler: Styles

Boxing (Basic)

They say boxing is fighting, backed by technique.

Prove them right.

Basic Martial Arts Lv 4

Heroes prefer fists. Apparently, so do sidekicks.

This ability measures your skill and intuition in bare-handed combat, allowing for rapid growth and adaptation in martial arts.

Breathing Control Lv 7

Batman can breathe in space. Why can't you?

The ability to use oxygen efficiently, enabling you to hold your breath for extended periods of time. Increases by 1 minute every level. (2 minutes)

Meditation Lv 7

When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is freed and the body matters not.

The ability to train your mind in order to achieve a state of oneness with your spiritual essence and life force, as well your mind and body.

Reflexes Lv 6

DODGE!

Decreases innate reaction time and increases innate perception speed by 10% per level. (60%)

Resistance: Blunt Force Lv 21

A little pain never hurt anyone.

Reduce all blunt force damage from attacks less than 100% of your health. Increases 1% by level. (21%)

Resistance: Electricity Lv 5

Harmless Electrocution.

Reduce all electrical damage from attacks less than 100% of your health.

Increases 2% by level. (10%)

Stealth Lv 1

It's so overt, it's covert.

This represents your ability to avoid being seen, allowing you to slip past foes or strike them from an unseen position.

This skill does not cover the art of silent movement. Increases critical chance of stealth attacks by .5% per level.