Risk It All: Fresh Deck (ch. 9)

"Happy Harbor?" I questioned, having no clue where that was. Sounded like a nice place, though.

"A small municipal city in the state of Rhode Island," Batman answered, before he sharply turned around and began to walk away. I quickly fell in step, trying not to gape at my surroundings and the fact that I had apparently been teleported to another state. That was so cool. "After careful consideration, you've been invited to join a small team of heroes that operate under the Justice League. If you're committed to becoming a vigilante, then this is non-negotiable." He didn't stop or slow down while he spoke, leaving me to catch up.

A team of heroes? The fact that I had to join a team made me want to dig in my heels a bit, but it wasn't like I was against the idea or anything. I could see the logic behind the decision -- it would be safer for me to have a team to support me, as well as showing me the ropes. I wasn't Robin, and I'm guessing Batman was a busy guy. So, instead of being a sidekick, I was handed off to learn from my peers.

"Okay… uh, should I tell my parents…?" I trailed off, not sure what I should keep under my hat and what I could tell them.

"It's already been discussed with them," Batman stated as he continued to lead me through a long hall. Okay, that made sense. And I'm guessing the nonnegotiable joining of the team came from my mom. "Additionally, you will not upload any videos of your exploits as a hero or from the cave. Nor will you arrange for videos or pictures to be taken during missions. Not only do these pose a risk to your secret identity, but you would also be risking the identities of your teammates."

Annoying because that cut me off from easy Prestige, but I also understood the point. It was dangerous and risky. I knew that much when I posted the video of me fighting. I guess it didn't matter too much. A team of heroes? Like the Justice League? Being a part of something like that would net me a lot of Prestige by default.

"You will receive martial arts lessons from League members. The attack you use-"

"The Soul-Crushing Strike," I offered. Batman turned to me, his eyes narrowing. Right, he thought I named it, didn't he? "It's the punch I copied -- mine just has Qi, so it's more effective," I continued. I had found that out when I looked up the name during the wait for Batman to reach out. He seemed to mull that over for a second before nodding.

"It's forbidden to be used on your teammates and reserved for emergencies when used against enemies. You were correct about Black Mask -- it doesn't seem to be possible for you to kill anyone, but it would be a dangerous mistake to act on that assumption. The point being, you will gain other options and reserve it for only when the situation calls for it," Batman continued, leading me towards a door at the end of the hallway. He came to a stop at the door before looking at me.

"Lastly, you will maintain a 4.0 GPA, or you will be suspended from the team," he finished. And… yeah, he was definitely in contact with my parents. My grades had always kinda sucked, averaging B's and C's more often than not. Being on a superhero team was more than enough motivation to actually study.

"That all sounds fair to me," I agreed. Soul Crushing Strike was too dangerous to use in general. I had no problem with shelving it if I got less brutal techniques. It was also pretty easy to see which rules came from the Justice League and which came from my parents. It wasn't perfect, but they were compromises that I was more than happy to make.

Batman nodded, expecting that answer. Then, without any warning, the door that we stood in front of opened. Standing on the other side in a kitchen area were two people. One was impossible to not recognize. A humanoid, but not human—lime green skin and dark red eyes, without a hair in sight. He was tall, wearing a black skin-tight bodysuit similar to my own with a red X over his chest, and a deep blue cloak that covered his shoulders and hung around his feet.

Martian Manhunter.

An alien.

From Mars.

So fucking cool.

Standing next to him was a girl, and based on the skin tone, she was also a martian. Lime green skin, similarly dressed in a white undershirt and a blue skirt that revealed slender green legs, but that was where the similarities ended. Her eyes were a golden brown, her hair was a mane of auburn red, while freckles were sprinkled across her cheeks and nose. I noticed how expressive her eyes were when they widened dramatically upon seeing me.

Hello! Are you one of the teammates I'm supposed to be meeting? It's very nice to meet you!

I blinked, recoiling at the sound a voice other than my own in my head. Right. Telepathy. That was on Martian Manhunter's fanpage. That, and shapeshifting. So, how exactly… Uhhh… Yeah? Can you hear me?

Martian Manhunter's lips curled upwards in a smile, "Loud and clear. To communicate telepathically, one must simply project their thoughts."

I'm… not sure that made any sense or not?

"It will get easier with time, I assure you," He continued, giving me a look that told me that this was a very common issue. I hoped he was right before I horribly embarrassed myself.

Though judging by the small giggle the girl Martin let out, it was already too late. "You're like a baby projecting their thoughts to everyone," she informed, her face lighting up.

Right. Goodbye, good first impression, "Then I apologize in advance if you hear me think something stupid. I'm Ren, by the way. Ren Song." I introduced myself, throwing on what I hoped was a winning smile.

"I'm M'gann M'orzz, but you can just call me Megan. It's my earth name, and I'm on Earth now! It's very nice to meet you, Ren," Megan stated, sounding enthused by the idea of being on earth… probably as excited as I would be if I was on Mars.

Batman stepped forward, looking between the two of us. "Both of you are the most inexperienced members of the team. You are here to learn -- follow the lead of the others, but don't be afraid to speak up if you have concerns or objections. Experience doesn't mean perfection." He told the two of us, earning a slow nod from me and Megan. "Let's introduce you to the rest of the team, then."

I was practically vibrating with excitement as I followed Batman and Martian Manhunter down another hallway. Megan was beside me, equally as excited, though she probably hid it better than me. The doors slid open, and I just about tripped over my own two feet the moment I saw who was inside.

Holy fucking shit, it's the Justice League. God, this was so damn cool. I don't even care if I was horribly embarrassing myself if someone was reading my mind. It was the Justice League. Earth's protectors. They saved the planet more times than I really wanted to think about. If teenage girls could squeal over some hotshot handsome singer, then I was completely in my right to fanboy over the fact that I was standing in the same room as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Green Arrow.

I was so distracted that I almost failed to notice the four others standing in a line, dressed in casual clothing. One I recognized just about instantly -- dark skin, blonde buzz cut hair, and most notably, the gills on his neck. Aqualad. Standing next to him was a solidly built teenager -- broad shoulders and thick arms, wearing a black t-shirt… with Superman's shielded S on it.

He could just be a Supes fan, but given that Batman said that Megan and I were the most inexperienced members… Did Superman have a kid?

Standing next to him was a teenager with red hair, lanky but tall. I didn't know him… but given the Flash was in the same room… Kid Flash?

Lastly, there was a smaller boy wearing dark sunglasses. I didn't recognize him at a glance because of the casual clothes, but with the lineup and the fact I was born and raised in Gotham city… Robin.

I was standing in a room filled with heroes. I was going to become a hero.

Wow.

Megan giggled next to me, and I didn't even care. Way too busy being starstruck. I straightened when everyone turned to look in our direction, while Batman spoke. "This is Megan M'orzz, code name Miss Martian, and Ren Song, codename pending. Starting today, they will be in your care so they can one day be your peers."

Megan offered a smile while I gave a painfully awkward wave. The redhead proved that he really was Kid Flash, zooming over in a blur that was even faster than my Flash Step. In a split second, he crossed the distance, leaning on my shoulder while he offered a lopsided smile to Megan, "Kid Flash, nice to meet you Megan. Lovely name, by the way." He added, winking at her and pretty much ignoring me.

"It's an honor, Kid Flash," Megan returned while the others began to drift over. I looked over to find Aqualad offering a hand and a thin smile.

Right. It's go time. Let's try to not horribly embarrass myself.

"Ren Song," I introduced myself, my expression stiff because the moment I said the words, I became painfully aware that Batman had already introduced me. Aqualad chose not to comment about it as I shook hands with him, idly noting that his fingers were webbed and his grip was like iron.

"Kaldur'ahm, but my friends call me Kaldur," he introduced himself. He nodded to Kid Flash, "the one hanging off of you is Kid Flash, and this is Robin and Superboy." He introduced, getting to each in turn.

Wow.

Megan chuckled, looking at me, "Ren, you really need to stop broadcasting your thoughts so freely." She remarked, making Kid Flash pause mid-sentence. I felt a flush creep up my neck as everyone turned to me, wondering exactly what I had just thought.

You know what? Screw it. If I had the telepathy capacity of a toddler, and they were going to hear it all, I might as well just say it.

"I'm a big fan. Of all of you. Really honored to be here," I said, giving Kaldur's hand a firm shake before letting go. "And I'm not trying to broadcast them," I turned to Megan. "I'm just thinking normally?" Did I somehow think weird?

Martian Manhunter looked to me, a frown curling at the edges of his lips, "Your mind is unusually open. Most have to actively try to send their thoughts to another…" he trailed off, looking at me like I was a puzzle that was missing a piece.

That was pretty bad, wasn't it? "Er… I was shot in the head? Could that have something to do with it?" I questioned, pushing up my hairline to show the scars as evidence. Kid Flash sputtered, while the others eyed them with interest.

"You were shot in the head?" Kid Flash questioned, earning a hesitant nod from me as I let go of my hair.

"Yeah, a couple of times," I confirmed.

"Head trauma is as likely of a cause as any," Martian Manhunter said, offering a nod. So, I got the lock to my thoughts shot off? That was annoying. And dangerous. "Very much so. It is something we will have to remedy. Until then, precautions should be made."

Batman nodded, "Until then, Ren is under an information blackout. Do not reveal your secret identities or the exact location of this base." He said, his voice a low growl, and this was very much not how I imagined my introduction going. I felt like I just screwed up majorly. I mean, it wasn't my fault, really, but it was a major downer.

Could I fix it?

My Market window appeared, revealing a skill purchasing section. Everything was Tier 1 Rank 1, but it was better than nothing. It only took a moment for me to zero in on what I needed at the moment.

Mind Defense

T1R1

A mental barrier that prevents outsiders from entering the user's mind without their permission.

Buy: 7000

It was expensive, but it was worth it if it was going to cause a problem. Martins weren’t the only ones that used telepathy, after all.

"There, I think I fixed it?" I questioned, looking to Martian Manhunter, who had his mouth open to speak. He looked at me, blinking once before he narrowed his eyes. A moment later, I felt what could only be described as a pressure on my brain. Like someone was knocking at my metaphorical front door. Hello? Did it work?

"How…?" Martian Manhunter questioned, sounding bewildered.

Megan, on the other hand, lit up, "How did you do that? Your mental defenses are really strong all of a sudden. Well, not really strong compared to some. But they're a lot stronger than they were," she noted., somewhat babbling. I think she might be as nervous and awe struck as I was. So it had worked. That was good to know. It ate up a chunk of my Prestige, but it was worth it. I didn't want to be the weak link on the team.

Everyone else was eying me while I turned to Batman, who offered a curt nod. I'm guessing that was permission to share and that I wasn't on an information blackout any longer. "I'm not really sure how it works myself, but… I recently learned that I come from a long line of Chinese Martial Arts Cultivators, so I have access to something called Qi. When I took two to the left hemisphere, which controls logic and thought processes, that turned me into some kind of savant. So, I can learn skills on the fly more or less."

It wasn't the whole truth, and it didn't even cover the Market aspect, but it was my best working theory so far. It explained why I felt a pinch in my brain every time I learned something new, why I felt the physical changes… as far as I could tell, it was how I controlled my Qi. What I didn't understand was how fame factored into the equation.

"Dude," Kid Flash remarked, blinking. "Cool."

"It has some limiting factors, but… yeah, I think so," I agreed. The air cleared now that I wasn't a potential security threat.

Batman chose to move the conversation along, "In any case, Ren, Megan -- you have been granted limited access to the Zeta tube network. You don't have to stay here any longer than you wish, but it is expected that you will drop anything when called for a mission. Is that understood?" The two of us nodded. "Good. Red Tornado will stay behind, but you all should familiarize yourselves with the cave and each other. You're a team now."

With that being said, Batman turned on a heel and began walking away. Martian Manhunter reached out and squeezed Megan’s shoulder before following Batman. That seemed to be the unspoken signal because the Justice League began to file out of the room, Wonder Woman was first -- and Mind Defense was worth its cost for her alone because she was more incredible in person. Tall, shapely, yet muscular with a mane of black hair.

She offered a smile as she walked by, but said nothing while the mentors for the others offered some parting words. Before long, it was just us standing in the room.

“So, beautiful, care to check out the place with me?” Kid Flash questioned, directing it towards Megan, who offered a smile in response. I couldn’t tell if she was encouraging flirting or unaware of it. I had absolutely no clue if flirting worked differently with Martians or not.

“I actually know the layout already? I’ll be living here for now, so… I could show all of you around?” She tried, earning an encouraging nod from Kaldur.

“It would be appreciated,” Kaldur said, seeming to be the spokesperson for the rest of the group. My gaze flickered to the others -- Superboy hung back, his arms crossed over his chest and his face suffering from just as bad of a case of Resting-Bitch Face syndrome as mine. Robin, on the other hand, hovered at the edge of the group, his hands in his hoodie, and the glasses on his face making it impossible to see what he was looking at.

It was a bit awkward, mostly because it was clear that everyone else had a fair bit of history with each other, but it was manageable as Megan took us for a tour of the Cave. It was a sizable place -- apparently, the entire mountain had been hollowed out way back when the Justice League first used it as a base. There were a meal hall and kitchen, a dormitory large enough to house us all several times over, a lounge, a briefing area, and the teleporter where we had arrived at. In all? As far as secret bases went, it was pretty awesome.

Eventually, we wounded our way back around and found ourselves at the start point of our journey.

“So… what exactly do we do?” I questioned, keenly aware of my gear in my bag. Did we go out now and do superhero things? Did we formally announce the team to the world?

Robin shrugged, “Now we wait for Batman to give us a mission to do. It probably won’t happen today, but we should have something for tomorrow.” To that, Kaldur nodded.

“For now, it might be best if we take his advice. While Robin, Kid Flash, and I have worked together for some time, and Superboy and Megan have abilities mimicking Superman and Martian Manhunter, your abilities are unknown to us. For starters, how experienced of a vigilante are you, Ren?” He asked, looking to me.

However, before I could say a word, Robin spoke up. “He’s only been active for a few weeks, but in that time, he’s crippled about a dozen people and turned Black Mask into a vegetable. For which, Batman has been getting blamed for.” He said, an decidedly audible edge in his tone. I couldn't see his eyes, but I knew from the feeling I was being glared at.

Kaldur’s eyes narrowed, while Kid Flash flinched back. Megan looked a bit uncertain… the only one that looked like they couldn’t have cared less was Superboy.

Dick move, Robin, but… fair enough, I guess. “Yeah, that’s me,” I confirmed with a nod. “And I didn’t ask Batman to take the blame for Black Mask. Don’t want him to either. I did what I did, and I don’t regret it,” I spoke, looking right back at Robin. It felt a bit weird to be treated as an enemy by a hero I looked up to, even if he was younger than me. Being Robin was the dream of every kid in Gotham. Though, this sure did take the edge off of it.

“What did you do?” Kid Flash questioned, and it was clear his side was already decided.

Kaldur stepped forward, “I’m sure there is an explanation. Batman wouldn’t have brought him here if he didn’t believe that Ren had the capacity to be a hero. Ren?”

“Black Mask is the one who shot me in the head a couple of times. Then when I woke up from six months in a coma, he tried to kill me again. except the assassin screwed up. He ended up killing my physical therapist instead. When I got out of the hospital, I thought it was only a matter of time before he tried again,” I started, an edge in my tone that matched Robins. “I wasn’t going to let that happen to my parents, so I decided to take the fight to him. The only issue is that Black Mask has been on trial a couple of times already, and each time he gets acquitted.”

“So, you broke every bone in his body?” Robin pressed, that edge still in his tone, but the judging condemnation that I expected wasn’t really there.

“Yeah,” I answered shortly. I could still recall the moment that Soul Crushing Strike hit his sternum and ribs. “I know it’s fucked. I’m not arguing that. But my family is safe from him for good now. Same with everyone else he would try to murder because they’re an inconvenience like I was. That part, I don’t regret. I did my best with what I had. I made mistakes and it wasn’t always me that paid the price for that.”

Kaldur nodded, “I see,” he said, and it was impossible to tell if he was just trying to keep the peace or if he meant that. “But, as I understand, you haven’t killed anyone?”

“I haven’t. I can’t without actively trying to. Part of my ability is that it makes it next to impossible for me to kill anyone unless I target the brain,” I offered. This was… frustrating, but I guess this was to be expected. I had avoided condemnation from the public for what I did to Black Mask, but I should have expected that Robin, Batman’s sidekick, would take issue with me. “I don’t want to either.”

Robin’s lips thinned, looking like he wanted to argue with me, but Kaldur reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Robin tensed, but said nothing before he ripped free of Kaldur's grasp and walked by without saying a word. He gave me a sideways look that I met flatly until he had walked by, heading to the Zetatube.

“I guess that’s it for today. I’ll catch you later, Megan,” Kid Flash said, offering a wink before he blurred after Robin, a bright flash filling the area. I narrowed my eyes, feeling…

“I would have stormed off too if I knew how those things work,” I remarked, not overly impressed with Robin or Kid Flash. I get it. I did. I had crossed a line and made mistakes. It just felt a bit hollow coming from Robin, who had probably put more people in the hospital than I could dream of at this point. I wasn’t sure how old he was, but he had been doing this for something like five years now.

Kaldur sighed, “Please don’t hold it against Robin. He’s taking the situation with Batman in Gotham very personally.”

I swallowed a sigh and nodded, “I don’t blame him. It’s fair enough. Just… not what I had in mind when I came here,” I admitted. At the very least, Kaldur seemed understanding. Megan too, because she nodded approvingly.

“You don’t seem like the type of person that enjoys hurting anyone, Ren,” she voiced. And I was glad that I at least had someone in my corner.

“I suppose there’s no time like the present to discover what you’re capable of, if you have no objections?” Kaldur said, gesturing to the floor. Or, rather, the large circle that covered the floor. I offered a nod, glad to move on from the subject, and eager to prove that I could bring something to the table despite my inexperience.

“Hm,” Superboy grunted, stepping off of the ring to lean against a wall while Megan… flew away to hover near him. That was cool. I’ve seen plenty of videos of heroes flying, but it was different seeing it in person. A moment later, Kaldur and I were alone in the ring before a hologram appeared before him. He pressed a button on the projection, and the ring was covered in a layer of white light, not too different from the white floor of a boxing ring.

I looked down, mulling it over. Kaldur was from Atlantis, meaning he was hands down the most physically powerful person I had ever fought before. He had to be to survive on the bottom of the ocean, where there was something like ten thousand pounds of pressure pressing down on him at all sides. To survive that, and thrive there, you had to be incredibly resilient.

In all likelihood, I could probably use Soul Crushing Strike on him and it would be fine. But, Batman had forbidden the move and if I was wrong, then I'd break Kaldur’s arm. Outside of that… I really didn’t have anything offensive going for me. My fighting style was based on counters, which was fine, but that wouldn’t be enough to win a fight or impress anyone.

“Would you mind waiting a moment?” I requested, earning a cocked eyebrow, prompting me to continue. “I… well, honestly, outside of some extreme moves that I don’t want to use, I don’t really have anything going for me. I just need a second to come up with something.” Kaldur looked faintly amused, but he nodded all the same.

Very aware of the fact I was being watched, I brought up my free rolls. One was a skill roll, and the other was an item roll for completing a quest. There weren’t words to describe how awkward it was miming the motions for a game of tic tac toe and connect four, but the results spoke for themselves. I even made some extra prestige with a well placed bet.

Breathing: Moon Style

T3R4

The Moon Breathing combat and breathing style mimics the ethereal mystique of the crescent moon, specifically the shape of classical crescent moons, and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities.

Bokken

R1

A simple wooden katana made for practice.

Neither were exactly what I had in mind, but the Bokken was oddly the best and worst thing I could have gotten from the item roll. There was a lot of cool stuff on the Market, like boats or cars, or actual weapons, yet I ended up with a wooden stick. Which was pretty much perfect for the situation.

Clutching it in my hand, I looked through the market once -- I had absolutely no clue how to use a sword, but with five thousand of my eight thousand points, I could change that.

It was worth it.

“Alright, I think I’m good,” I said, holding the bokken at the ready as I slowly breathed in. Moon Breathing was a breathing pattern that enhanced the body. It didn’t come with techniques , though Katana Basics gave me some basic strikes, but if I combined it with Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist… along with Reinforcement… and use Flash Step and Double Jump for mobility… I had the beginnings of a semi functional fighting style.

“Might I ask what that was?” Kaldur questioned, and I figured I should explain what I could.

I offered a small shrug. “I’m not sure myself, honestly, but I think it’s because of the bullets to the head. I can’t control my Qi normally, or… at all, really. Not outside of using it for techniques. So, I think it’s something like my brain is working through a creative process or something to create a skill.” It’s how I was making sense of it. It made sense given which hemisphere I had taken the bullets to.

“...And the wooden sword?” He questioned, and all I could give him was a shrug.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I admitted. I still wasn’t sure how the market fitted in with my ability.

“I see. Then let us begin,” Kaldur remarked, a smirk on his face as my heel arched. The distance between us was closed in an instant, but unlike all the times I used it before, Kaldur was able to react to the Flash Step. He lashed out with a fist, dodging my thrust with the bokken towards his stomach. However, something felt wrong with the action. Almost like I had strained a muscle or something. I spun sharply on my heel, evading the blow before shifting my grip on my bokken. I breathed in, and I could feel my lungs straining to contain the breath in them, yet my blood surged in my veins.

I slashed with the hilt of the bokken, aiming at Kaldur’s chin, only to be forced to Flash Step back when he countered by lashing out with a foot that would have caught me at the knee. Getting hit by him, however lightly, did not sound like a fun time.

Breathing out, I felt the air leave me, as did the strength the Moon Style granted me. After, it felt like my lungs had deflated. It seemed that my body wasn’t quite prepared to fully utilize the technique, but I could still manage it in quick bursts. Breathing in sharply, I Flash Stepped to Kaldur, who waited with his guard up. I stopped at the mid point, using the momentum that the Flash Step offered to launch myself in the air.

Kaldur responded with a high kick that would have folded me over his foot if I hadn't Double Jumped, changing my trajectory so that I landed behind him. He twisted around, and I caught a hint of surprise on his face before I Flash Stepped the distance between us, holding the bokken above my head before I brought it down.

It paused just short of hitting Kaldur in the head. He held my gaze for a moment, and I tried not to heave as my lungs began to ache. After a moment, he smirked. “Impressive.”

I smiled in response, backing up for round two. “Try not to set the bar too high for me. I’m pretty sure that was my best showing.”

...

[SPOILER="Author Note"]

Fun story -- this is the first chapter that I’ve done a reroll for. The first time during the item roll, Ren got a mega yacht about the size of a small cruise ship. I was about halfway through writing the scene before I decided that the gag of playing it straight just wasn’t worth it because it took too much away from introducing a few characters that will be the main cast for the story.

So, I decided to reroll, and this time I picked a category for swords. There was some crazy stuff in there -- Excalibur, Enma, Shushi, Anti-demon swords, swords from Demon Slayer, and so on. Somehow, though, when I rerolled, I pulled the most trash option I had included purely for the sake of including a trash option. After all, a true gacha experience is rolling trash most of the time and hoping for a good roll.

But, as I wrote the scene, it felt very thematically appropriate. I rolled a literal piece of wood but it really suited where Ren’s character is at the moment.

With that out of the way, I wanted to address the vocal minority from the last chapter. I understand the knee jerk rejection of having the MC reveal their super special power to others. It dumb, but I get it. I don’t like it for the same reason that I don’t like stuff like the party system -- it feels like the power is being devalued somehow.

However, there's a very big issue with keeping the specifics of his power a secret. Keeping the fame aspect a secret? Batman is just going to think that Ren is a glory hound and he wouldn’t let him anywhere near the team to start. He would also be extremely less sympathetic to Ren's situation if he thought that fame was just a priority for the sake of being famous. And you think the Team won’t ever question how exactly Ren is pulling items out of his ass whenever they need something like a tracker or explosives in a pinch and he just has them on hand?

This chapter more or less shows what they’re going to get as an explanation. Ren was shot in the head a couple of times, so he lost the ability to control his Qi, and instead gained the ability to instantly learn abilities by going through a creative process that they don’t really understand. To them, it’s just a part of his head injury. The item creation is as much of a mystery to Ren as is to them, so he has no answers to give them. The general conclusion is going to be some sort of mystic component that has yet to be explored.

In the end, there was just no way to realistically keep Ren's powers a secret. So, better come clean now then get caught in a lie later. [/SPOILER]