Young Justice Plus

Rosewood, Pennsylvania- July 23, 16: 18 EDT

"He was a great man, they say. Kivar was an orphan found in a field, or by a river. There are many stories, and they are probably lies. Kivar had money, weapons, and magic that allowed him to spark a fire across our world. His armies claimed cities without a single life lost. Every time he won it was through some brilliant plan or trick. Kivar became a legend, his exploits flooding the day clubs of the children and the gaming houses of the royal court.

"My name was Ava, back then. I only have ever had flashes of that time, what it was like. The man who raised me, Nasedo, said that it was all there, but it would take time to unlock. We would all have to be together to gain our full powers, our full memories, to be born again in these bodies.

"I was a queen on Antar, a young queen for a dying regime. My husband was a great man, from what I know. He was kind but hard, very hard. There was always a distance in his eyes, a need to control."

"Stop," Ethan says. "You are an alien?"

"Queen Ava of Antar was murdered. My husband's sister fell in love with Kivar, though how that is possible I will never know. She let Kivar into the capital of Manes to talk with her brother, sue for peace, end the war before one side or the other went too far. Nasedo said there were too many reasons to count for Kivar's rebellion and why King Zan refused to listen. I remember Kivar standing with Zan. The two spoke for sixteen of Antar's days about politics and history, literature and law. Nasedo said I stayed up with them and drank the eiréné so I need not sleep.

"It was too late when the sixteen days were up. When Princess Vilandra let in Kivar she let in Kivar's men. They moved through Manes as shadows, thousands upon thousands, and on the sixteenth day they struck. They slaughtered a thousand slaves bound in their genes to protect the Kingdom, and then stormed the palace. Kivar and Zan turned from words to blows as the city fell apart around us. Queen Ava died as Kivar's men stormed throne room."

"You died?" Ethan asks, a note of hope in his voice.

"I died. The chief adviser, the general, Rath, lived hours more than Ava, Vilandra, and Zan. He gave our cells to my mother in-law, including his own. As Kivar's army began a civil war that is fought to this day the loyalists worked in secret to bring us back to life. They succeeded, in their eyes, and sent eight children hidden in pods to land in a New Mexican desert. The power of that ship took decades to produce Antarian Royals, my kind, without a world behind our creation. Furthermore they mixed us with human DNA so we could pass, hide on Earth, a place that was hoped to be too formidable to search. They were wrong of course. Kivar commanded the loyalty of hundreds of his followers to wear Skins of human biology so they could search for us."

"Do we have to worry about them?" Ethan asks, the hope drained out of him.

"Not them, no. They are all dead by now. They went after me in defective husks, all but powerless. All would have gone according to Rath's plan if one of the followers of the royal line was not corrupt. Kivar offered him something, I don't know what, and Nasedo accepted. He sabotaged the ship and killed two of the other protectors. The survivor deserted. Nasedo left the lesser batch in Roswell and dumped the superior versions in a New York sewer."

"I don't understand," Ethan mutters. "Batches?"

"They made four clones of each of us. The lesser two clones were flushed, the stronger two were sent to Earth. My batch are strong, but had aggressive growth of human cells. Our New York brothers and sisters were the hoped for model, but were given no guidance, no education, and turned feral. They killed their clone of Zan and I killed his murderers. One of them, my sister, might still be alive. She fled Roswell and New York after her family was annihilated."

"That is rather dark, don't you think?" Ethan asks.

"It was life. Nasedo picked me up when we hatched. Trained me, educated me for the deal. I would deliver a legitimate child of Zan and Ava to Kivar, to be appointed prince. Kivar would rule as regent, and I would be queen dowager. The other clone reincarnations would be executed to prevent rival claims to the throne. Kivar would eventually give a child to marry the heir, and all would be well. I would be home, in comfort, safe. I would have stopped a civil war that has raged for the better part of a century!"

"What went wrong?" Ethan sounds so tired.

"I did everything Nasedo said, no matter how hard, no matter how terrible. We went back to Roswell and reunited with my family. There were complications. People died and they would never have trusted me enough that I could explain what happened. They found out, and I went back to Antar alone with the heir. But it turns out that I was a little too human after all." You glare bitterly at the blinking hospital lights. "The human cells had invaded my reproductive system and Max's. None of our germline was Ava and Zan. It was all Tess and Max. He was born to be a king and all he cared about was-" You stop yourself.

"So there was another woman." Ethan observes wryly.

"Liz Parker," You hiss. "I was his wife and he cared more about a human girl he met in high school. After everything I did, all I gave him, he listened to her instead of me!"

"You were giving him over to be killed," Ethan points out.

"That was the deal. It was the only way any of us could go home. His son would have been king. If he had stayed with me on the ship we could have driven into his DNA and extracted a real prince, but he stayed on Earth and I went home." You get up and start to pace. "It was beautiful, Ethan. Everything knew what you wanted. The water was like jello, reacting to your every whim before you even had it. It was always the right temperature, the air was always perfect, you were never thirsty, and when you were hungry you could eat all you wanted and it always tasted good. The smells, the feel of everything, it was right. This disgusting little potter's field will never compare to that."

"But other places might, if you can become strong enough," Ethan laughs. "I think you are exactly the woman I should have taken in as my apprentice." Ethan closes his eyes and sits down. "Tomorrow I will tell you my plan."

Rosewood, Pennsylvania- July 24, 17: 22 EDT

"Once Sector 2814 was the heart of vast empire, the greatest empire there ever was. Gods born from the Source and the Anti-Life Equation ruled with peers, some of them we still know to this day. The Lords of Order and Chaos and the Old Ones, or Old Gods, ruled three galaxies. They warred among themselves as we breathe, constantly. Their civilization was a quest for light, emotion, the shining answer. Love, compassion, hope, will, fear, avarice, and rage were stoked in populations stretching across more planets than hold life today. The cruelty and largess of Empire of Tears is beyond our comprehension." Ethan tells you a version of the old story, told in kindergartens and universities all across Earth.

"I know what happened next. The Guardians of the Universe came in, broke the demons, and saved the universe from an unceasing nightmare." You recite it only a bit bored.

"That is one way of looking at it. Currently we are spared a world devoted to a tree of impaled torture victims or the regular and ritualized cannibalism of our children. If the wonders of endless gods and monsters working for their own grandeur could have given us something worth our Tears is of course unknowable. However, one of their wonders is still known. Ethan opens a door into an occult greenhouse. Strange flowers of an amazing variety surround you. One of them you recognize from Antar, a long red pitcher plant "weeping" nectar.

"I rather like not being impaled on a giant tree," You say. "But what are you on about?"

"They held their empire together with portals. Fifty-two portals to a planet. Without the dread Empire to maintain it, the portal network has slowly withered away over thousands of years." Ethan explains happily.

"You can bring back the portals that crossed three galaxies?" You ask incredulously.

"No, but I know where the person who made the network is buried. His corpse is buried under the horrible town of Ravenswood, draining the color out of the place and calling all manner of evils to it. I want to wake him up and put him to work." Ethan spins around and grins at you.

"You want to bring an Old God back?" You recoil.

"Of course not, Pet! I want to bring a Lord of Order just back enough to repair a few portals before he loses power and goes back to dead. He wants to do it, and I want him to do it. He wants all places connected, and he will be happy to have one last go at life." You consider if he's crazy or not. Of course he is.

"This will give me a way back to Antar, a two way portal?" You smile at Ethan.

"Of course! It might benefit you more than anyone else on this planet." Ethan investigates one of the flowers.

"What do you get out of this?" You ask.

"The Wild West is dying, Tess. The Justice League and the Panopticon push from one side to end crime as we know it. Lawyers and supervillains push the other direction, taking control of every criminal they can and killing those they can't. The world has gotten too small for people to breathe. No one has the right to be naughty, to go into the back alleys and the bad part of town anymore. Soon the whole world will be roasting in a suit of armor. They broke the game first, so I am going to fight back to bring another age of fun to this bloody world."

You can live with this idea.

"How can I help?"

[X] "I have an auction for you to attend. One of the items I need for this little spell is being sold by a right brat. Amon Sur is in Metropolis, and he's selling his father's bones."

[X] "I have an assignment in Gotham. Our benefactor in Rosewood has given me the name of someone who wants the body of the TO Morrow robot. His offer is a robot of our own, which could speed things up."

[X] "I am going to need to leave for a mission of my own. In the meantime I would appreciate it if you could watch over Ravenswood in my absence.

 

Gotham City, New Jersey- July 25, 02: 16 EDT

You roll into Gotham City exhausted from an eight hour drive. Ethan had called ahead to get a place to stay with an "old friend." Any friend of Ethan's is someone not to turn your back to.

Ethan's directions take you to an abandoned warehouse district. An abandoned warehouse district in Gotham City. What's next, a motel in Blüdhaven?

There is a well dressed man in a suit waiting for you on the street. He has two pistols in holsters, cowboy style, and something like a Tommy Gun hanging around his chest.

"You could get arrested walking around like that." You say the code phrase Ethan had given you.

"Welcome to Gotham City," The criminal answers with a grin.

You look the car. "What do we do with the car?"

"Leave your keys in the ignition, Miss. Someone should be by to steal it sooner or later, and it's easier to just get another rental than to put it somewhere halfway safe." Gotham City is another country. The man begins walking purposefully down the street.

"My boss said he was friends with your boss." You hurry up to his side, gawking like a tourist. There are girls, definitely girls on the street corner dressed in slutty cop costumes, who call lewdly at your escort to his laughter and a jovial wave. An old woman is shooting up nearby. Windows are broken everywhere and it looks like every street light was deliberately broken.

"Yeah, the boss was happy to hear from him. The happiest I've seen him since the Batman grabbed him. Never took him for a fairy, but the way he went on about your guy gave me some ideas." Mr. Thug nods as you turn onto a street where the whole side of a building is broken down and sprawling outward. A group of kids give the thug Nazi salutes and he laughs.

"Is there a story to them?" You ask curiously.

"Yeah, they're the False Face Youth. This new guy, came in after the Mobs broke down. The man had a real plan, an idea, and a lot of people listened to him. A lot of kids asked to join, but a lot of gangs here have a policy about kids. Black Mask, that new guy, set them all up. They don't do jobs, but they get together, keep each other safe, get like, mentors from the new Mobs. My sister's kids are in it. Cute kids."

You are a bit stunned, but keep on walking. If they go to school is a topic you do not want to touch. A few blocks of twisting and turning later you arrive in another abandoned warehouse exactly like the others. The thug points to a yellow cross.

"Is that your gang sign?" You ask.

"Yeah, you could say that. Scarecrow's gang. The boss doesn't advertise much, but he's one of the best. Go with him and you get real money and smart jobs, not like some of the new guys. The day he asked me to join him I called my momma. He had heard of me. I'm not some nobody anymore, I'm one of Scarecrow's men. People out here, they respect that.

At this point you realize he is bragging to a pretty girl, and a pretty girl in the same line of work as him. It's kind of flattering, in a way.

"I'm Ava. What's your name?" You ask.

"The boss tells me to say Bugbear now. Silliest thing I ever heard, but then he told me about it. a bugbear's a kind of monster under the bed. Lives in the woods and scares kids. I like that. He gives us all names like that. Sure, Bugbear's not the scariest name out there, but if you're working for Scarecrow, and he has all these nasty old names for us then people stop laughing." Bugbear gives you a shit eating grin.

"Oh, if we're being formal, call me Figment." You smile at him. Bugbear walks a bit farther and starts knocking what you realize is some kind of special knock password. A man with a red fedora answers you.

"Howdy Cap! This here is Miss Figment, the lady the boss's friend sent down. Now you treat her good." Cap nods, looking bored. "Follow me Miss Figment, the boss wanted you to come straight to him." He takes you down several flights of stairs into a creepy and shadowed laboratory.



"It is terrific to see you Miss Figment. I am the Scarecrow. Ethan recommends you very highly as a woman not to be messed with. I am happy to provide you with shelter for as long as you would like. Ethan has done more for me than you can imagine." You get why Bugbear thought he and Ethan used to sleep together.

"I can't thank you enough sir. I hope it's not any trouble." You smile at him bashfully.

"Trouble? Oh my dear, no trouble at all. Fortune has been most kind to me this last year. It will be a pleasure to house you while you take care of business." Scarecrow bows.

"Do you have a room I could stay in or something?" You ask hopefully.

"I admit we are not used to guests such as yourself. I live here to be close to my work, and my associates keep apartments nearby. This is the safest place, but not the most comfortable. I would not advise any hotels in the city, as the ones that are safe have security policies which would alert every police department in several states if someone like us tried to rent a room." Scarecrow seems unsettlingly happy with his statement.

"Oh, of course. I understand that this is not the easiest city to get by in. I think I will just..."

[X] "Sleep here for the night." Ethan recommended this man, so he probably won't harm you. Probably...

[X] "Stay with one of your associates it that is alright with everyone." You can handle anyone he could hire, and you are not staying one minute longer in this building than you have to.

[X] Look around the area. I am curious about the city." You are very tired, but you do not want to sleep with any of these creepy Halloween men. You will just have to find someplace safe. In Gotham.

 

Gotham City, New Jersey- July 25, 02: 36 EDT

You start with talking to Scarecrow. "So how exactly did you and Ethan meet?"

Scarecrow laughs. "It was when I was in graduate school. I was just a few blocks from East End, having gotten into graduate school. I was living with a prostitute who went by the name of Phillip and his girlfriend in an apartment in the Sabatino Family territory near the university. It was about fifteen years ago now. I was investigating the history of sub-terrestrials in folklore and how they inspired the theories of Carl Jung." He is getting into it, and then goes over to one of the bottles of the lab and looks at it with some worry.

"Fascinating," You lie. "Tell me more."

"The human psyche is by nature religious, and religion is at root a thing of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of authority, fear of retribution! The sub-terrestrial races, called demons, monsters, ghosts, faeries, were constantly on the edge of human cultures as they developed their collective unconscious separate from the greater Red. Exposure to a Najakot demon, a species still lacking a scientific name, attacking a local wizard out of hunger could inspire a village to apply spider totems and gods to their mythology. As memes spread through the collective unconscious and by human communication, the demons became archetypes. The Devil, the Trickster, and most importantly the Shadow are all shaped by humanity's history of contact with our cousins and predecessors." Crane is excited as he talks and moves rapidly to another part of the room to grab another vial and dropper to mix with the one that first caught his eye.

You realize too late that he took your question as one about the theories of Carl Jung, not his relationship with Ethan Rayne.

"I meant more, what was he like back then?" You say cautiously as he stops talking and moves in on only slightly panicked rush to grab another vial.

"Ah! He was a charming book seller and a major player in the local community of necromancers. Not corpse taking or any of that vileness. Necromancy is an art of spirit summoning and divination, at least among the people who I cannot dare to name to this day that he counseled. Ethan Rayne was second only to the Zataras in those circles of Gotham, and he was considered far more approachable by the more influential members of the city. He would do anything for money in those days, and that is a trait to develop if you wish to survive here for long. He let me read his books in exchange for small errands, and he was very interested in my research." Scarecrow looks rather less worried now. Hopefully he managed to avert this little crisis.

"Who are the Zataras?" You ask curiously. The name sounds very familiar.

"Girl! One of them is in the Justice League! A new member of course, but one with quite a bit of style. He dresses as a stage magician and his magic is deep in the green, so calling on the emotions of others has always been something he benefited from. Giovanni's family is old, and mostly centered on Italy, but his cousin John was in the city, sticking to himself and occasionally displaying the gruesome body of some sub-terrestrial or sorcerer who offended him by crucifying him in Crime Alley and letting people see for themselves. Giovanni moved to a suburb so he could be with his first cousin's family after his wife's death and have family support raising his daughter about seven years ago. He was talked about all the time. He rejected offers that no wise man would have rejected, and the offers stopped being made after he survived the reprisals. They said he wanted to die in those days. He erased memories, cursed, and made a citizen's arrest of a Dimitrov daughter over some truly obscene acts she was allegedly involved in. This is Gotham, so of course things quieted down after the right men talked to the right men, but the Batman started not long after, and rumors said Giovanni was to blame. I don't believe it myself, but half the Families thought that Giovanni had summoned a demon out of Hell itself to plague them. Others merely believed Giovanni had hired him from the League of Shadows. No matter, no one was willing to stand up and go after him, not with his power and relatives. And of course the Blur had his eyes on Gotham, so the Families had more immediate concerns."

Scarecrow can talk a great deal without giving you much to go on. You decide to change the subject to more "immediate concerns" that might give you something to go on. "How is it now? From the sound of it everyone is terrified of the Justice League now."

Scarecrow laughs out loud. "Scared, girl? The lower end are certainly scared, but criminals are men who are wrapped in a career of risk. Like athletes or military men they take great stock in superstition. The RICO act and the FBI's tackling of Gotham has certainly changed things, but Gotham crime is as old as the city. Certainly the Blur testified and hinted and gave names to people who should never have gotten involved. But it is not like their world was all giving the prison unions champagne and smuggling heroin before. Ethan spent years in Dreamland's military predecessor starting before the Blur was even an urban myth, and the RICO act long predated the era I knew. There is always churn from overdoses and suicides and gang wars, and the FBI has come in full of sound and fury to signify business as usual for as long as anyone can remember. The only real change is that new opportunities have opened up for people like myself. The Families are willing to tolerate men of vision and style in the hopes that they will distract everyone from how Gotham is run until the charges are dropped and the sentences are done and the real men are back in charge. This is merely a dramatic setback as far as they are concerned. I myself am merely interested in my work, settling a few scores, and leaving the country with a very comfortable amount of money to fund further experimentation. All I really need is a place where they are willing to do real trials for my creations and I will be able to assemble a plan. That of course and I would love to capture the Batman. I would love to see what truly drives a man like that."

Not a bad plan, really. He almost sounds sane for a man Ethan had mentioned being fired for shooting a gun in a crowded classroom.

You check the nearby lab as Scarecrow works, and find that there are no traps you can detect. You take two disposed hospital scrubs and change them into a nice thin blanket that covers you, covering the outside with a poison akin to stinging nettles. You make the floor soft enough to sink into, forming a quick substitute for a mattress and pillow, and then you are happily set to sleep with one eye open.

Gotham City, New Jersey- July 25, 07: 15 EDT

You awaken to a delighted shriek by the Scarecrow.

"Got another one, boss. Just like you said." A frantic looking fat woman is being led into the room.

"Please..." She moans.

"Oh do not worry dear. If I were to kill you it would defeat the point. I need to understand you after the experiment." Scarecrow is preparing a syringe worryingly quickly. "Before we begin, understand that we now have a standing appointment once a week. Be in your home at 6 AM, and it will be fine. If you move, notify my associate before you do. As long as it is within the city limits I see no problem at all."

"I'll do whatever you want!" She shouts. You watch, feeling rather disturbed by Scarecrow's obvious enjoyment.

"That is excellent news. Outside of that, it is the obvious. You are not to resist or notify any agencies to relocate. If you do, I shall murder one teenaged girl picked at random from the local high school who I believe looks similar to you. The first time an associate does not make the meeting, you are released from all conditions of our contract and I promise you that I shall never set out to contact you again. Are these conditions acceptable to you?" Scarecrow leans in as she nods.

"The serum, boss?" Bugbear asks.

"Of course. Thank you." He holds out his hand and Bugbear returns with another bottle. Scarecrow injects first one, then the other, into her neck and her arm. she does not struggle. "Please escort her out. That is all." He turns back to you. "I know you did not get enough sleep, but it really has to be done here."

"What was that?" You ask.

"I am seeing if I can create a fear response in a pregnant woman sufficient to ensure she does not form a maternal attachment," Scarecrow answers. "If I can do that the psychiatric benefits could be absolutely remarkable. Miscarriage, abortion, early infant death, and giving up a child for adoption are highly traumatic experiences. I have been hired to conduct experiments on the subject." You feel like throwing up. "They requested that I be extremely confidential, of course. Unless Ethan asks I will say no more about them."

"I see." You are a bit shaken. "You know, I think I will see Professor Ivo a bit early as long as I am up. Can that be arranged easily?"

Scarecrow leans forward and kisses your hand. "Of course. Your request is perfectly reasonable. Bugbear, please drive her to the location put into your GPS." You leave the scene as quickly as you can and are glad you haven't eaten since yesterday.

"I would rather not pickup any breakfast, please. I just want to get a move on. I am very excited to meet this Professor Ivo," You explain.

"I never heard of the man. He's not part of the mobs as far as I have heard," Bugbear offers. "Those kind worry me. I don't trust anyone who doesn't want money. That's just unnatural."

"I can't agree more," You assure him.

Professor Ivo is situated in the basement of an active Gotham high school, but it is a Sunday. Gang signs are everywhere, and Bugbear identifies them for you. "The bunch of cute squiggles is Ghost Dragons, they're spooky chinks. Intergang, absolute lunatics from out of town who think they can own the mobs are that boring V thing. False Face Society, hard as shit motherfuckers who are everywhere these days, the colored in smiley face..Jokerz, kids with way too much time on their hand who think the Joker is some kind of Jesus are the ones that are painting over half of them. Ah, that's a Talon sign, not a gang one. Wow, Figment, you're in deep." Bugbear sounds scared.

"Talon?" You ask.

"The lawyers, the ones in the fancy offices at the center of town. The center of every town? That's them in Gotham. They aren't in the mobs, they're not in the city. But when someone says too much, like who they are or talks about the wrong things, people show up dead. Talons, you can say that name. The cops say they're just those 'sub-terrestrials' that science proved aren't demons, but believe me, those things aren't human. They're like the Batman, from Hell." Bugbear crosses himself, a rather worrying sign.

"I am sure he wants to see me, so if Talons guard this place I am allowed entry." You smile at Bugbear as his eyes grow wide.

"What are you, Lady?" You can practically hear the capitalization.

"Figment." You go inside. The basement starts out full of cobwebs and boxes, very dark. After a moment a small robot's eyes begin to glow. You carefully make your way towards the robot, and find the floor turning into a ramp you follow down into the subbasement. This is the lab of a Mad Scientist.

"Greetings, Miss Ava. Miss Vanderwaal called ahead." You decide to pretend to know who that is and tell Ethan about the name when you get back. "I don't see a package that could carry a robot."

"I work for a wizard." You smile and take out your purse. In the purse are your notes, the endless copying of backwards song lyrics. They are full of the attention and feeling of someone who is magically active. Ethan had put that to use. You pull the pages apart and stack them, slowly, into the outline of a man.

"I should have remembered," Professor Ivo remarks.

"There are seven flowers in a vase. The first flower is violet." You say the activation phrase, and the ink runs and turns fluid. "It will be a few minutes. Do we need to wait?"

"Not at all. Now, I have a selection available. I am overproducing for a project that is fast approaching. As general features, are you most interested in firepower, information, or personal assistance?"

"Would you mind elaborating?" You ask.

"First of all there is a robotic belt could give you. The design is basically a refined version of the "ice gun" to simplify matters. It would have a combat prediction algorithm and a neural interface, so you could either use it yourself or let it assist you with its own computer power. I recommend the second option, as it allows for increased multitasking." Professor Ivo looks very proud of himself. "Imagine another super ally in the field with you, watching out for you and helping you. That is one selection."

"That sounds amazing." You admit. "Ethan did say he wanted me to pick, too. I think it is another secret test thing."

"It does not matter to me. The second possibility is what I call the BF Box. It is a small cube with a highly advanced artificial intelligence system. It can scan the internet, local radio waves, and other such sources. I am offering it to you because I built a superior version, but the thing is just too precious for me to destroy. As you communicate with the device he will map your thoughts, moods, plans, and reactions, as well as the others he is in contact with. You will have a dedicated planner assisting you in decision making and information gathering. I advise against hacking, however. The algorithms for that became surprisingly skewed in feedback mechanisms. BF Box becomes obvious and creative when interacting with another computer system and I cannot stop him. For data analysis and plans that is a great feature." Ivo smiles happily now. "I expect he would send me emails, but unless you move against me it would be nothing damaging to you."

"That is very interesting," You say. It sounds amazing and possibly invaluable, but the risks of an unknown AI are obvious. "What is the third option?"

"A rejected model for me current project. Sara." He gestures to a strange blank mannequin. "The most important elements were removed, but she is a fair trade for this, especially with this phase wrapping up. Over a period of two hours she can assume a human form as precisely matched to the human as the data she possesses. Similarly, she has a neural interface. She can slowly read the minds of anyone she is in physical contact with to acquire skills, memories, and social cues. She is an infiltrator and assistant capable of faking humanity." He pats her. "Too fragile for the current project, but I hope to produce more like her. The AI never quite adapted to combat. Reactive, but not creative, and I had to remove anything weaponized for my latest project."

"That is creepy, but also impressive." Ivo seems very satisfied with that.

"So, what will it be?" Ivo asks.

"I assume I can't just take care of all of them for you?" You ask hopefully. He shakes his head and laughs. "It's not a matter of needing them, but I have other debts I need to repay soon, so I can't expend all of my capital before I return from the dead. So what will it be?"

[X] "The ice belt, please." Combat power is combat power, and you barely survived most of them lately. You would feel much safer this way.

[X] "Why is it called the BF Box?" That is clearly the best item here. It's another mind, and a reliable one. An ally, someone who can help you after Ethan is gone. You want it bad.

[X] "Why is she called Sara?" The doll is creepy, but it is the most impressive piece of equipment here. It has thousands of potential uses.

 

Gotham City, New Jersey- July 25, 08: 16 EDT

Professor Ivo places the belt around you waist, making small adjustments until he is sure it is a perfect fit.

"Is that all?" You ask.

"I believe it is." Professor Ivo steps away and touches a ring on his finger. "That is definitely Professor Morrow's work, though the damage is unbelievable. Were you trying to dissect it yourself?"

"I was." You nod. "I have some experience with alien technology, and I thought it might be familiar. I was surprised at how strange it was."

"Professor Morrow is an iconoclast. I am a post-modernist. I look for what works, while Morrow builds everything in his own head. The arrogant fool would have conquered the world if he had any sense about him." Ivo sounds annoyed. "He could have saved the human race, but instead he decided he should destroy it."

"Thank you very much for the belt," You answer. "You know who to call if you have a job for me." Professor Ivo laughs.

"Believe me, I can afford better. We might talk in a few years."

You are annoyed, but decide it is best just to go. You are worried when you see Bugbear is gone. You look around slowly as an illusion runs down the street and away. You slowly back into the lair and make sure no one normal could see you do it.

"Professor Ivo, I think someone is out there." He looks up. "My escort has vanished, and he seemed to be reliable. I am concerned."

"Your escort was one of Scarecrow's officers. A fight should have left distinguishing marks. It is possible I am under attack." Morrow begins turning his ring mechanically. "Ah yes. I believe Catwoman has him restrained and unconscious nearby."

You frown. "She's a villain. Why would she do that?"

"At times she takes on animal rights causes. I believe the Scarecrow has a history of animal experimentation. Perhaps it relates to that." It could also relate to Scarecrow's kidnapping and medically experimenting on pregnant women, but you decide it would be impolite to bring it up.

"Is she leaving?" You ask.

"According to my cameras she is not leaving. She has positioned herself nearby and is waiting. I would advise that you take care of it yourself."

"Advise?" You frown.

"She has no reason to suspect my presence or reason to interfere if she did. I am not allied with Scarecrow. You however are in his debt. She also is likely to be targeting you as she is still here. Catwoman is not my enemy, and I have no reason to keep you here." Being a villain is hard. Well, it's easy for him.

Leaving under a cloak of illusion seems like your best option. You are halfway to the street when you feel a tripwire snap and gas is released. Taking care of that gives time for a dart to hit the back of your neck. Taking care of the dart exposes you more, and you can't even see the blasted villain.

"Figment." A voice rings out and you can't tell the direction.

"Catwoman." Your own illusionary voice rings out from several feet away. "I didn't know I was well known."

"You aren't, baby. I'm just nosy. How about you drop that cute belt of yours and we go our separate ways?" The voice is bouncy, seductive, even when shouted from a distance.

"Not a chance. It's mine. I can beat you." You feel rather confident in this. Catwoman laughs again.

"Of course you can. That's not the choice, cutie. Either you drop that belt and run or I'm calling the League on you." You can't ignore a cat pun about eating a canary hitting your mind from that voice.

"I can escape," You answer. "I've done it before."

"You could escape from a small newbie test team acting on their own. Zatara and J'onzz are here today to interrogate a mob lawyer in front of our DA and his lawyers. They're just bored until Wolfram and Hart can't keep stalling. Do you think anyone in Gotham is going to so much as jaywalk until this is over?"

Your superhearing kicks in and you locate where the voice is coming from. Superhearing is flipped off and an illusion of yourself stays in place while you bolt for the location and let your illusion talk. "You're bluffing. Why would the League listen to you? You're one of us, you'd get caught too!" You find a microphone purring Catwoman's threats.

"I'd get caught in Gotham. I just knocked out a Scarecrow soldier and called the police on criminals. That doesn't even violate my parole, kitty. You're wanted bad for assault." You can't even trace where she's actually talking from. Paranoia makes you wonder if she's even here or if she's using technology tricks, but that doesn't seem like her MO.

"I might kill you," You point out, getting scared, desperate.

"Nah. You're not a killer, not for something like this. And if you do kill me then you go from a little nice to have minion to someone on League and FBI radar as someone to take seriously. Do you want a little five man crew in DC in charge of figuring out who you are and where you are and when someone important can take care of you? That is worth a lot more then some silly belt."

"You have no idea what I've done, Catwoman!" You shout. "You wouldn't make the third biggest reason to track me down."

There is no pause. "Maybe not you, but Figment? Figment is shiny and new. Figment is low key and out of the way. If you wanted to go all big and public you would. Stop bluffing. You've got sixty seconds."

[X] You run for it. Maybe she's telling the truth, maybe she's not. Either way your best shot is to run into Gotham.

[X] You take off the belt and go. You cannot afford getting into this kind of trouble. Too much and you won't be able to learn from Ethan.

[X] You turn your superhearing back on and try to find Catwoman. You have to stop her before she ruins everything.