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Junior JSA
The Junior Injustice Society
Book Oneby starsky_hutch76 & the_time_trust_2000
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 1a
by starsky_hutch76
Savant lay elegantly upon her side on the chais lounge, eating a bowl of grapes. As serene an activity as this might have seemed, her expression was anything but.
"What is it that troubles you this time, my dear Ms. King?" Faust said, stepping out of the shadows, seemingly from nowhere.
"What is it that usually troubles me?" the beautiful blonde teenage girl said with a pout.
"Ah..." he said, "...that. I don't understand why it's so important to you."
"It's a matter of respect," she said, raising herself up from the chaise lounge. As she turned to look at him with indignation, her luxurious mane of blonde hair fell over one shoulder. "We deserve it, and they haven't given it to us."
"You worry too much about what other people think," he said, sitting on the chaise lounge next to her.
"Maybe," she said. "But don't you think we should have been included when they attacked the JSA? Alexis Luthor isn't more than a few years older than us and they had the nerve to say we're too young? What's up with that?" She pointed to a bottle of nail polish sitting on a dresser and said sweetly, "Could you be a dear and get that for me?"
"Perhaps you're right," Faust said as he waved his hand and made the bottle of nail polish float towards her. "But I simply write it off as their loss. And frankly, I have more important things that require my attention than worrying about whether a bunch of decrepit old men will be able to continue putting on garishly out-dated costumes so they can commit petty larceny."
Savant plucked the floating bottle of nail polish out of mid-air and began applying it to her toenails. She stretched her exquisite legs and leaned over to softly blow on her wet nails. Her actions had Faust's undivided attention.
"Do I sense a note of bitterness in your voice?" she said, looking over her shoulder at him slyly. "You might want to consider paying less attention to your own activities and more to what's going on around you. That is... if you ever intend on being a major player."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 1b
by starsky_hutch76
Faust looked amused. "Your concern for my well being is touching, Henrietta. But it's precisely because I intend on being major player that I spend so much time on my studies. After all, I don't intend on being the Wizard's apprentice forever. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if he has anything left to teach me at all..."
"Really," Savant said. "And to think how you used to sing his praises to anyone who'd listen. Come to think of it, you have been spending more time with Wotan lately."
"He sees things in ways that the Wizard never even thought of," Faust said. "Especially since he became a Lord of Chaos. His eyes have been opened to the forces that move the cosmos. There's much he can teach me."
"I'm very happy for you," she said. "I hope you won't mind putting some of your expertise to use."
"I might be persuaded," he said, leaning towards her slyly.
"Not those talents," she said, rising up from the chaise lounge, much to Faust's consternation. She gathered her long hair together at the crown of her head and pulled it into a ponytail. She then stepped behind an old-fashioned dressing screen to remove her robe.
Faust watched her silhouette admiringly from the other side as she dressed. She's doing this on purpose, he thought to himself with amusement. She never tires of these games.
"What did you have in mind?" Faust said.
"Something to make them realize just how wrong they were to overlook us," Savant said, stepping out from behind the screen. She looked at her self in the full length mirror and adjusted her green mini-dress with long flowing sleeves.
"Really," Faust said. "Sounds ambitious."
"It is," she said, placing her headband on her head. It matched the one worn by her brother, Brainwave Jr., minus the goggles. Her dress was a more stylishly-cut version of the robe worn by her father, the original Brainwave. "I propose we form our own team. I mean, we weren't the only ones overlooked."
"Surely you aren't suggesting we take on the JSA ourselves. Technically, even the group Alexis put together didn't do that. Just the Reserves. Who knows how they would have done against the real thing?"
"Oh, no," she said. "I'm not that crazy. I know we're not ready for that. But I think I know a way we can keep from getting in over our head and still prove ourselves. The way we'll strike our own blow against the JSA," she said, sitting on the chaise lounge next to him again and crossing her legs, "is by dealing it to the Junior JSA."
"I like the way you think," Faust said approvingly.
"Is that all?" she said, batting her eyelashes at him.
"Ah... yes," he said, clearing his throat. "On to this team of yours. I assume you have a few ideas for possible members?"
"A few," she said. "Once you see who they are, I'm sure you'll appreciate the irony."
"I have a few ideas, too," he said. A dusty old book from the last century appeared on his lap. "This one will require a little work on our part."
"Gotham Hall of Records...?" she said, reading the title.
"I make a point of knowing everything there is to know of the men and women who run in our circles. I'm sure you're familiar with the name Cyrus Gold?"
"Of course," she said. "Old dead guy. Turned into Solomon Grundy thanks to some un-eco-friendly behavior. Everyone knows that."
The book on Faust's lap opened by itself and the pages began to turn on their own volition. "Ah, but were you aware he had a son?" Faust said, pointing to a section in the book.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 2a
by the_time_trust_2000
As Faust and Savant read of the fate of Cyrus Gold and his son, in the Gotham Hall of Records, their story seemed to become alive in their minds, as if they had been there to see it all...
What is commonly known is this: Gotham City banker Cyrus Gold was murdered in 1894 in Slaughter Swamp, just outside of Gotham City. He had gone to meet Rachel Rykel, a common prostitute who had told him she was bearing his child. Refusing to pay the blackmail money, despite the scandal which would undoubtedly happen if his wife found out about it, her male accomplice struck a fatal blow to the back of his head, stealing his money and leaving him for dead. It is said that Cyrus Gold, in his last seconds of life, vowed a curse on his murderers and swore to be revenged.
This is the Green Lantern's account, in 1944, of what happened next: "Cyrus Gold's skeleton lay in a bog for fifty years and an incredible biological miracle took place. On his bones a pseudo-life was built. Bits of rotten wood and leaves built themselves into the monster of Solomon Grundy." He was discovered and named by a band of prison escapees, and found an enemy in the Green Lantern. This is all common knowledge...
What is not commonly known is this: Cyrus Gold had a five-year-old son, Alexander, born to him by his wife Linda, who was thirty years his younger. A couple of years after his death, Linda married Bartholomew Olsen, a young shop-owner in Metropolis who was a widower with children of his own. Alexander, now adopted and named Alex Olsen, dimly remembered his real father, but didn't know what had happened to him.
In 1905, at the age of sixteen, Alex Olsen finally discovered what had happened to his father when he found and read an old account of Cyrus Gold's unsolved disappearance. He was determined to find and bring his father's killers to justice.
Returning to Gotham City, Olsen went on an information-gathering quest to find out all that was known about his father. To his dismay, he discovered that his father had been very reclusive and was known as an old miser. Consequently, he had few friends. The few acquaintances he had did not have very flattering things to tell his only son. His father had been a gambler, and was known to have frequented prostitutes in the seedier parts of Gotham City.
Alex Olsen finally met an old whore who called herself Rachel Rykel. By this time, she had none of her original teeth, and was constantly in a drunken stupor. Upon learning that he was Gold's son, she laughed a sick, satisfying laugh, and then wept bitterly. It all came out: Her planned blackmail attempt on Cyrus Gold with an accomplice, and the botched theft which ended up in murder. Rather than the hatred he was sure he would feel which would help him to avenge his father's death on this pathetic old prostitute, Alex Olsen felt only pity for her. She was already in hell.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 2b
by the_time_trust_2000
Finally getting the name of her accomplice out of her, a petty criminal known as "Jem," his real name Jeremy Woodrue. He had been Rykel's pimp during the 1890's, and had been in and out of prison on minor offenses ever since. Alex Olsen felt no pity for him. He confronted Jem Woodrue, accompanied by three hoods he had hired with the last of his inheritance money.
Woodrue woke up to the sight of four men towering over him in the flophouse he had stayed in that night. "Whu -- what's goin' on?"
"Wake up, Jem Woodrue," said a bitter Alex Olsen. "You have an appointment with destiny."
"Who the hell are you?" shouted Woodrue.
"I'm Alex Olsen. Before I was adopted, my name was Gold. I believe you knew my father, Cyrus."
Woodrue seemed shocked, and was silent for a time. "Cyrus Gold," he repeated under his breath. "So it's finally come out, has it?"
Alex Olsen wasn't prepared for this reaction. He couldn't come up with anything to say.
"Your father is indeed... dead. Murdered by my hand, I am sorry to say. For the past decade I have lived with this terrible crime on my blood-stained hands." He paused. "You must be a fine boy to have gotten this far in your quest. Well, I will not deny you your right of vengeance. You must be curious, though, how your father was murdered..."
"I know how my father was murdered," Alex said, before he caught himself.
"Ah. I see... you must have been talking with Rachel." Jem Woodrue looked down. He was still undressed. "Uh... Well, if you will permit me to dress, I can show you exactly where your father's body lies."
Alex studied his enemy's face. Was there trickery to be found there? Perhaps, but what could he possibly do but try to escape? After all, he had three hired men on his side who could stop him. Finally, Alex said decisively, "All right. Get dressed. We're going to Slaughter Swamp."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 2c
by the_time_trust_2000
Hours later, the five men arrived at the place in Slaughter Swamp where Cyrus Gold had been murdered. Alex's childhood home was nearby, but closer to the city. And no one lived there anymore. The swamp's reputation for bloodshed and murder had seen to that.
Jem Woodrue led Alex and his hired men to the same bog where he had killed Cyrus Gold. "Here it is."
Feeling suddenly light-headed and sick to the stomach, Alex asked, weakly, "Is my father in there?" He pointed to the center of the bog.
"Aye, he is, lad. I wish I could tell you how sorry I am."
Alex Olsen turned to Jem Woodrue, a questioning frown on his face. Jem hadn't sounded very sincere. And indeed, he held a smirk on his face. " 'How sorry you are'?" Suddenly, to his horror, he realized what was happening when he looked at his three hired men, who each held smirks of their own on their faces as he looked at each one.
"You really should've been more careful in your hiring choices, lad. These're my friends," he said, indicating the three men, "and besides, after everyone you've been talking to all over Gotham, do you really think you'd go unnoticed by your father's murderer? I've had my eye on you since the first day you were here. It was because of me that you found Rachel Rykel so easily. No, don't look so shocked, she wasn't in with me on this one. I just knew she would talk once you met her. Don't worry about her at all anymore. I've already taken care of her. Now all that's left is you."
Alex's eyes, wide open in horror during this whole time, closed for a second, just before he turned on his heels and darted away through the swamp, away from the bog. "Run, run, run!" shouted the laughing Jem Woodrue as he and his men fanned out to corner him. This was followed by gunshots and Woodrue's maniacal laughter.
He continued running, just running. The memories of this swamp from his childhood had become so dim that he couldn't think of where he was going. He just knew he had to keep on running if he was going to live out the night. He heard more gunshots from behind him and felt something like a kick to his back. Looking downward, he noticed a growing red stain on his shirt. It had been his father's. The last thought in his mind was, "How ironic."
Alex Olsen never knew which direction he was running. But perhaps a small memory had tugged at him, leading him in the direction of his old family home. As it was, he was killed within a hundred yards of his father's house.
Because of the proximity to the outskirts of Gotham City which Alex had led the criminals, the gunshots which had killed him had been heard by nearby hunters. Jem Woodrue and his accomplices were arrested for Alex Olsen's murder. And once Rachel Rykel's body was found, Jem was charged for her murder as well. Alex Olsen's body was ultimately buried in the backyard of Cyrus Gold's old house, on the outskirts of Slaughter Swamp. And it had lain there ever since...
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 3
by starsky_hutch76
"Is this really a good idea?" Faust said.
"She's my friend!" Savant said sternly.
"She's annoying," Faust said, returning her stern gaze.
"If you're going to make us go trudging through Slaughter Swamp for one of your picks, then the least you can do is concede to one of mine!"
"We're facing a team with Superboy on it. We'll need someone with brute strength. He'll bring that. What will she bring?"
"I'll tell you what she'll bring..."
Savant was interrupted by a high pitched squeal as a colorful figure began somersaulting into the room. "Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!" She landed in a nearly impossible position.
"Hello, Dollface," Faust sneered.
"Hiya, Fausty!" Dollface explained. "Still wearing dresses, huh?"
"It's a robe," he said between gritted teeth.
"My dress is prettier," she said, hopping to her feet and pirouetting to show it off. "I just got it."
"Yes, that is a new look for you, isn't it?" Faust said coldly.
Dollface held onto the hem of her very short babydoll dress and gave a brief curtsey.
"You look adorable," Savant said. "I love what you've done with your hair," she said, reaching out to touch the tightly wound golden curls. "And the ribbon's a nice touch."
"She looks like Goldilocks," Faust said.
"Hey Fausty, why don't you use one of yer spells to make two more of you?" Dollface said, somersaulting to land behind him. "That way we could play Goldilocks and the three boors." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and somersaulted away.
"Touché, Dollface, touché," he said, watching her as she spun around the room giggling. Savant clapped her hands at her friends antics.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 4
by the_time_trust_2000
It was close to midnight. Faust realized they had better hurry up. Easily hopping a fence leading into what was once Cyrus Gold's property, they landed in a dark corner of Tyler Chemical's Slaughter Swamp Waste Disposal Grounds.
"Eewww, this place reeks!" shouted Dollface.
"Shh!" whispered Faust angrily. "Be quiet. There are guards about, and the spell of invisibility I've placed on us doesn't hide our voices."
"Oh, boy, you're too serious," Dollface whispered as she hop-skipped around him a few times. Even Faust's normally cool exterior couldn't help but to break out with a smile at her silly antics.
"Okay, Dollface, stop it. We don't have much time," he said finally.
The three of them walked into what was once the backyard of Cyrus Gold's small manor. Several gravestones marked the passage of various members of the Gold family into the hereafter. None of them were recent.
"Here we are," said Savant as she spotted Alex Olsen's lonely gravestone. "He died when he was our age. I hope he'll be grateful for us bringing him back," she said coyly.
Faust said nothing, but took out a spray can of fluorescent green paint, and began drawing a wide circle around the gravesite. He then filled that in with a pentagram.
"Whatcha' doin'?" asked Dollface impatiently.
"If you must know, I'm about to resurrect the dead, so please sit down outside of the circle, and be quiet."
Dollface looked down at the muddy ground. There was no way she was going to sit down on this chemical-infested soil. She looked at Savant, who hovered in mid-air using her telekinesis, and decided to just squat there. "Fine."
Faust knelt before the pentagram, having lit six candles at each tip of the six-pointed star. He began to chant. It was hard to discern at first, but eventually it became louder. Faust's voice seemed different, somehow, almost like it was speaking through a tube, or something.
Fear crept into Dollface's heart. For a psychotic, she was used to the bizarre, but this was way beyond anything she'd experienced so far.
Savant, who until now had kept her eyes closed, opened them and began to feel stirrings in the ground below them. She decided to help them along.
The soil over the gravesite began to loosen and rise, spiraling into a vortex. The vortex began to whirl faster and faster, as more soil began to rise and shoot off into the air. Finally, a cheap, rotten wooden coffin rose from the ground and stopped before them.
Faust began to chant louder, and louder, as the vortex began to make more and more noise. There seemed to be other voices chanting with him. But who could really tell in all the din?
Suddenly, a hand exploded from the side of the coffin. Then the other. And seconds later, the corpse of what was once Alex Olsen smashed out of its coffin, shattering it to bits. It shook mud, soil, and rotted plant-life off of it. The coffin had obviously been a cheaply-made box with no protection from the elements whatsoever.
Now the vortex was a mass of soil and mud swirling about the dark figure within. The din seemed to come to a climax, and then died away, leaving the soil to come to rest back on the ground.
By now Faust had huge beads of sweat coming down on his forehead. He looked at where Alex Olsen's corpse would be, and saw only a huge pile of soil upon his grave.
"Kid Grundy, arise!"
A large figure emerged from the mass of soil. In the darkness, it was hard to see it clearly, but the reflection of the moonlight showed it to be human-like, with pale white skin, and about the size of a taller-than-average man. Cyrus Gold's son was reborn...
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 5a
by starsky_hutch76
Gotham city, midnight...
The truck pulled up outside the warehouse and came to a stop with the metal against metal sound of screeching breaks. The driver stepped outside, looking around furtively, and walked around to the back, unlocked the door, and slid it open.
Another man walked up and said, "What'chu got for us this time, Flannery?"
"A big high fashion score! Reebok high-tops with the velcro fasteners. White leather and black leather. People are paying big money for 'em at the malls. They'll really eat 'em up for the price we can give it to 'em for, considerin' we got no overhead."
"Word is Nike's getting pretty popular," the other man said.
"Nike? Har! Nike's for losers. It'll never replace Reebok. That's like saying IBM'll get bigger'n Apple." He reached into the truck and pulled out a large box.
Suddenly, a blur whizzed by and the box dissappeared from his hands. "What the hell was that?" Flannery said, whipping out a gun.
"I've been hearing about stuff like this happening. Lets move the rest of this stuff and get outta here."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 5b
by starsky_hutch76
"What'd ya get, Mitch?" Stretch said to the blur as it approached him and began slowing down.
"I think it's shoes," the blur said, beginning to take the appearance of a teenage boy. As he slowed to a stop, his features revealed hair that was shaved to just a shock of royal blue on the top of his head and multiple piercings in his ears. He was wearing a Misfits T-shirt with the sleeves cut off and a chain as a necklace fastened with a padlock.
"Cool," Stretch said. "I've about worn a hole in these," he said, lifting up his shoe to reveal a worn spot in the sole. "You got any elevens in there?"
"Let me see," Mitch said, sitting down the box to dig through it. "Yeah. You want black or white?"
"Black," Stretch said. "Ain't you gonna keep a pair for yourself?"
"Nah. I'll stick with my combat boots. They're holding up, and I'd rather have the money I'd get for sellin' the shoes."
"I don't see how you can run in them things," Stretch said, gesturing to Mitch's boots as he slipped on his new shoes."
"Well, when we get a running shoe truck, I'll get some. In the meantime, I have to take what I can get. What'd you get today, anyway?"
"A few watches," Stretch said, pulling them out of his pocket.
"That one's a Rolex!" Mitch exclaimed, pointing to one of them. "I can't believe they don't feel anything when you slip them off their wrists!"
"You just gotta have the right touch," Stretch smiled as he made his fingers suddenly stretch, growing long and thin.
"You think Mookie'll give us anything good for that Rolex?" Mitch asked.
"That no-good cheat?" Stretch said. "I doubt it. And we'll be scroungin' around again after that."
"Yeah," Mitch said miserably. "And we'll probably have to sell these shoes for nothin', too, since they were already hot to begin with. We never get a break."
"That buddy of yours is doing pretty good, ain't he?" Stretch said. "I ain't seen him around here, lately."
"Jason Todd? Yeah. He got some rich old dude to take him in. 'Mr. Moneybags' Dick Grayson. You know... the one everyone thinks had all them facelifts."
"Yeah," Stretch laughed as he lit a cigarette. "You think there's somethin' funny there?"
"Are you kidding?" Mitch said. "Jason was as straight as they come. He didn't drink or toke or nothin'. He got by on liftin', just like you an' me. Besides, Grayson's got this hot young girlfriend now. I figure Jason's just the luckiest guy in the world, is all."
"I wish we could get a break like that," Stretch said, taking a drag off his cigarette.
"Are these the ones you were talking about?" Faust said, waving his hand over the giant crystal ball.
"Oh, yes," Savant said. "Those are the ones I had in mind. With a little work, they'll make great additions to our team."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 6
by starsky_hutch76
Stretch and Mitch ducked behind the corner as the lost and bewildered tourist strolled by, intently gazing at his map, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched. "Let him get a little further away," Mitch whispered.
"I know," Stretch said. "It ain't like I never done this before."
Stretch extended his arm and it began to elongate as it reached towards the back pocket of the tourist, passing the opening to another alley.
Suddenly, Dollface appeared out of the next alley, bent backwards at a ninety-degree angle at the knees. "Limbo! Ha!-ha!-ha!" she cried jubilantly as she passed under his arm.
"What the hell?" Stretch cursed.
The tourist turned to see the commotion behind him and broke into a sprint.
"Dammit!" Stretch cursed. "Get after him, Mitch!"
"The delinquent speedster started to take off after the tourist when Dollface called out, "Hey Savant! Give me a lift! It's piggyback time!" She suddenly became airborne and landed on Mitch's shoulders. "Peek-a-boo!" she laughed, covering his eyes with her hands.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Mitch shouted, missing the tourist and careening towards a row of garbage cans.
"Wha'? The freak can fly?" Stretch gasped. "Hang on Mitch! I'm on my way!" His legs stretched as he attempted to bridge the distance between them. Suddenly, he seemed to hit a barrier that stopped him short and made his body return to normal proportions.
"What's going on here?" Stretch shouted in dismayed rage as he watched his friend attempting to climb out of the garbage cans and their intended target continuing to run.
Suddenly, the tourist simply collapsed and began to slide towards them. His wallet slid out of his pocket and seemed to float in the air towards him. A gorgeous blonde in a green mini-dress with flowing sleeves, blue go-go boots, a golden tiara, and a long ponytail suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere, holding the wallet and began to walk towards him with a stride few supermodels could match. "Lose something?" she said, holding the wallet out towards him.
"Hell, yeah!" Stretch said indignantly. "What the hell game you playing at, babe?"
"Well, we've seen what you can do, so we thought it only fair that we show you what we can do."
"Yeah!" Dollface said, skipping around. "You know, you show us yours, we show you ours!"
Mitch stood up, shaking the dirt and garbage from his clothing. "You...!"
"Sor-ryyy," Dollface said, holding her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth coquettishly. Mitch suddenly found himself disarmed. A loon she might have been, but she was still quite pretty.
"What's this all about?" Stretch said.
"We're putting together a team to make our strike against the JSA and a name for ourselves," Savant said. "Knowing what we do about you, we figured you'd have your own reasons for wanting to get back at some heroes."
"We might have personal reasons for not liking heroes, but we're not crazy enough to try and take on the JSA."
"Yeah!" Mitch said. "Forget that! The shirt may say 'Suicidal Tendencies' but that don't mean I got any!"
"We don't, either," Savant said. "The way we'll strike at them is through their proteges, the Junior JSA."
"Just the four of us?" Mitch exclaimed.
"No," Savant said. "We also have a magic user named Faust and and a strongman named Kid Grundy on our team. And you'll be well rewarded for your participation."
"Sounds good," Stretch said, taking the wallet from her. "Count us in. Those punks won't know what hit them."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 7
by the_time_trust_2000
"Come over here, you big, brainless monstrosity!"
Faust found himself at the end of his rope, where his patience was concerned. Surprising to him, since he considered patience one of his preeminent qualities. It needed to be. However, since they had resurrected the corpse of Alex Olsen into the hulking ogre they coyly referred to as "Kid Grundy," the monster had been out of his control. At least since the day afterwards. His suspicions now became roused.
"Don't want to... want 'Etta!" replied the childlike Kid Grundy in a thick, resonant voice, referring to Henrietta King, a.k.a. Savant, the daughter of Brain Wave. The beast refused to move.
"Hmm... it seems my suspicions may be correct," Faust mused. "So she wants to bring most of the team under her control, does she? Methinks Ms. Henrietta King is due for a comeuppance... I think it's time to pay a visit to one of my mentors..."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 8
by starsky_hutch76
Faust stepped away from the monstrosity known as Kid Grundy in anger. He walked down the hall with a forceful stride, and as he did, the shadows seemed to billow and grow around him into an inky darkness.
Suddenly, in this shadowy void there began to appear an enormous throne. And in this throne sat the enigma known to the world as the Shade. He sat, leaning on his cane, staring at Faust intently.
"Faust, my boy. What can I do for you? Have you come for more of my tutelage?" the Shade asked pleasantly.
"It's that matter I discussed with you earlier."
"The ambitious endeavour you and the beauteous Ms. King are about to undertake?"
"Yes, that one. As I feared, she seeks to align all our forces under herself."
"And you need someone on your side you can trust implicitly," Shade said.
"Yes, I do."
"You've come to the right place," Shade said. "I have someone you can add to your forces. One of my own trusted minions whose services I would be more than happy to lend you. Of course... I may call on you for a favor at a later time."
"I wouldn't have expected otherwise. But aren't most of your shadow beings mindless?" Faust asked.
"A common misconception. The shadow dimension is a realm like any other. It has its own denizens. My fortune is that they are now all under my control. I have merely used the mindless variety more often in the past because they were more pliable. The ones such as the one I will send with you is actually valuable because of his keen wit. Not to mention the fact that his talents are considerable."
"Excellent," Faust said. "Where is this minion?"
"Why, he's been here all along," Shade said. A boy who seemed almost made of the same inkly blackness as the shadow realm stepped forward from beside the throne. "I give you... the Darkling."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 9
by starsky_hutch76
"Forget it," Stretch O'Brien said. "I don't do costumes."
"But you gotta wear a costume," Dollface said. "I think it's a law, or something..."
"We break laws, don't we?" said Stretch.
"If you don't like the one we made for you..." Savant began.
"We can always get you one that shows off your legs, just like your grandaddy's!" Dollface interrupted.
"Please, you're not helping," Savant said.
"If my grandpop wore one like the picture you showed me, it's no wonder he never went big-time in the hero biz," Stretch said.
"Who knows how far he would've gone if he hadn't left for Earth-X with all those other heroes," Savant said. "I don't think it was the costume. It's no more revealing than the Atom's."
"I think his costume's fruity, too," Stretch said. "I'm plain clothes-ing it."
"Suit yerself," Mitch said, speeding into the room in his blue and grey suit. "I think this one's totally awsome! It's a hell of a lot easier to run in."
"You looked like some kind of blue streak just now," Stretch said.
"Cool," Mitch said. "That'll be my name."
"Me, I'll just stick with Stretch," Stretch said.
"How imaginative," Savant said, rolling her eyes.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 10a
by the_time_trust_2000
Six out of the seven members of the newly-formed "Junior Injustice Society" sat assembled in the lounge room in the suburban villa in which Henrietta King (who now called herself Savant) lived. They were an odd bunch.
Stretch O'Brien and his friend Mitch, now calling himself Blue Streak, found themselves easily distracted in the posh surroundings. It was like something out of Hollywood, at least to them. Every once in a while Henrietta would catch them whispering to each other and pointing at various objets d'art and various technological trinkets she kept around. It was obvious they had never been around such wealth before (not that she was terribly wealthy herself), and she hoped that she'd be able to have an opportunity to show them what a mistake it would be to try and steal from her. Stretch had "nimble fingers," as befitted his name, and Blue Streak was probably fast enough to swipe something and get back into his original position before anyone noticed.
Dollface was wearing a Walkman with headphones on and was dancing around the room, singing karaoke-like at the top of her voice to the Cyndi Lauper tape playing in it. That girl could entertain herself for hours. She seemed harmless enough at times like this, but Savant knew of her psychotic reputation long before she'd officially become an outlaw. They'd known each other since before puberty, since their fathers were in the same business. Henrietta's father, the original Brain Wave, had little in common with Dollface's dad, the Rag Doll, and they had hardly ever worked together, except for having been fellow members of the Ultra-Humanite's Secret Society of Super-Villains a few years ago, and somehow their daughters had met in a quite rare occasion, which would have been absolutely surreal to anyone looking on. Her father was a midget with an oversized head, and Dollface's father had a penchant for dressing up like Raggedy Andy.
Kid Grundy sat in a lump on the floor, watching every move Savant made. Ever since her private session with the ogre-like undead teen a couple of weeks ago, he had become her undying slave, much to the consternation of her rival, Faust. He had believed that, since Kid Grundy was resurrected from the dead through his magicks, he had every right to have him under his power. When Savant had wrested him unknowingly from the young mage's control, the well-guarded (but definitely real) anger she saw in Faust's eyes was delicious. Positively delicious.
The newest recruit of the Junior Injustice Society of the World stood in the far corner, away from the window. Faust said his name was the Darkling, and he was literally an intelligent Shadow-Creature. One of the Shade's best, in fact. He had been what in the shadow dimension would be the equivalent of a "litter-mate" to Smudge, the Shade's number one Shadow-Creature. He was one to keep an eye on, especially since he'd been personally recruited by Faust, but even moreso because he was the eyes and ears of the Shade. And she didn't trust that old manipulator any more than she did anyone else.
The six were still in waiting for the arrival of Faust, who was supposed to have been there for the meeting in which they'd give out the assignments. He'd been on an information gathering session, of sorts, and was expected momentarily.
Moments later, the young mage made a dramatic entrance through an otherwordly portal in the middle of the room.
"Is that a new trick?" Savant asked the young man, not in the least impressed.
"Yes. Do you like it?" he asked uncaringly, looking down at the notes he held in his hand. Then without waiting for a response he said, "I've found the information we were looking for, on those other young... 'heroes' who may be potential future candidates of the enemy team."
"Arrowette and Flare? And Star Sapphire?"
"Indeed. Shall we begin the meeting?"
And at that, Savant called the others to gather around them.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 10b
by the_time_trust_2000
The aspiring super-villainess known as Savant smiled at her newly-formed Junior Injustice Society of the World, the assembled body of which were now all looking at her expectantly. She just loved being the center of attention.
"You all know why we're here," she began. "We are the children and protegés of the greatest villains on our world. Well, at least for the most part," she added, glancing at Stretch and Blue Streak. "But while we are young, we are not children. Our elders and mentors did not believe in us enough to bring us into the family business, citing our youth as a reason, and we are gathering here today to prove them wrong."
"So formal," Faust said under his breath, smirking.
Savant continued without acknowledging that remark. "Our goal cannot be reached without testing the waters. It would be foolish to attempt an attack on the Justice Society of America, proper, and so we will start small, by attacking their children. I'm not suggesting anything so base as murder or dismemberment or anything like that. No, I'm suggesting an attack on the things their young hearts prize the most: Their newfound heroism. They aspire to be super-heroes in the same way that we aspire to be super-villains. And so we will attack them at their weakest points, and bring them to their knees, using different methods.
"Dollface, I want you to spar against Red Robin's young partner, Batwing."
"Oooh, he's so cute," Dollface giggled.
"He may be that, but he is also just a boy in over his head. I want you to show him that.
"Blue Streak, your nemesis will be Superboy."
"Wha--?" the speedster said in shock, his mouth agape.
"I know, I know... he's pretty powerful. But with your speed, I'm sure you can come up with something. Remember, you have the street smarts which this blue 'Boy Scout' has no hope of having. I suspect he's just some farmboy who has no idea what's out there. And those powers of his can definitely be as much of a drawback as an advantage. You'll show him how true that is." Before Blue Streak could respond, Savant added, "Don't worry, we'll talk about it after the meeting. I already have a plan for you."
"Oh... okay," Mitch replied.
"Stretch O'Brien..." Savant continued, "...you will be going up against the kid known as Damage."
"Damage?" Stretch said incredulously. "Ain't that the kid who blew up Atlanta? What, are you crazy?"
"Yes, he was the unwitting cause of that explosion in Atlanta, and ever since then he's been dealing with the guilt he feels from it. He's totally unsure of himself. I want you to enforce that feeling."
Stretch grumbled in protest. "Well, who the hell are you going up against?"
"I will be visiting the young speedster known as Whiz Kid."
"Well, how come Mitch ain't going head-to-head with that kid?" Stretch complained. "He has the same speed as him!"
"Yeah!" Mitch agreed.
"I'm sorry, Mitch, but you're outmatched by the Whiz Kid in terms of intellect," she replied, condescendingly. "And I am looking forward to a... 'meeting of the minds,' so to speak," she said, smiling. "I am going to see how much it takes to corrupt this innocent boy. I don't think he's ever met anyone like me." Smiling, Savant then glanced over to her second-in-command and said, "Faust, you have the floor."
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 10c
by the_time_trust_2000
The young magician stood next to her and addressed the team. "My target is Coral, daughter of the King of Atlantis."
"Waitasec," Stretch said. "Why are you going up against a weakling like Coral while you're sending Mitch here against a powerhouse like Superboy? Why don't you go up against Superboy yourself? All Kryptonians have a weakness against magic, don't they?"
"As Savant said earlier, we do have a plan in the works to give Blue Streak an advantage -- please hold all further comments for after the meeting, all right?" Faust said impatiently. "As I was saying, my assignment is Coral, for the simple reason that as an Atlantean, I may be able to corrupt her in a similar way as Savant with Whiz Kid, at the same time learning something of Atlantis, which should prove useful at some point in the future."
Dollface giggled.
Ignoring her, Faust continued: "Kid Grundy will go into battle against the young Star Sapphire, who ironically has similar powers to the Green Lantern, Solomon Grundy's arch-nemesis."
"This is totally messed up," Stretch continued to complain.
"And finally," Faust said loudly, now hardly able to maintain his cool demeanor, "our own Darkling will teach young Arrowette and her partner Flair the meaning of true fear, as only he can." He reached over to the nearby table for some file folders as Savant stepped up again.
"We're giving you each an information folder on your foe, which will give you an advantage, since they have no such information about you. Faust and I will gladly go over each folder with you individually later. I wish you luck on your assignments."
"God, you are such a stiff," said Faust, an ironic smile on his mouth.
"You're one to talk," Savant replied, and they ended the meeting.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 11
by starsky_hutch76
John Garrick walked over to the comic rack in the drug store with his friends from the advanced classes. Most of them towered above him, being a couple of years older.
"Look! They've got the latest General Glory!" one of them called out happily.
"What about the Green Hornet?" one of them said.
"Is Spy Smasher in? Aw man! It's the old one!"
"Hey John! They've got the Doc Savage 80-Page Giant you were looking for! John?"
John Garrick was too distracted to notice what his friends were saying. His view was locked on a gorgeous blonde across the store, gazing at him from behind a copy of Teen Beat.
Is she looking at me? John's mind raced.
Her mouth suddenly turned up into a sweet smile. His heart began to pound, his head swam and his knees felt weak. She was.
Coral lay down on the bed in her room in the JSA Brownstone. She had just finished a particularly arduous training session. That Ma Hunkle had some pretty fancy moves, for an old lady.
She looked around at the various posters of teenage movie and TV stars and boy bands. Since coming to the surface world, she had immersed herself in its youth culture.
Her eyes locked onto one of the young actors she had developed a strong crush on, as she closed them and felt herself drifting to sleep. In her mind's eye, she pictured the boy. His face began to change to one equally handsome, but darker. More mysterious.
He suddenly seemed to float from the poster and hovered above her. He drifted closer to her and planted a light kiss upon her lips. Her eyes darted open and she let out a gasp as she sat up. There was no one there. She looked back at her pillow and there was a single deep red rose by where her pillow had been.
Had someone been in her room? A brief feeling of alarm passed though her until she saw the vase of roses on her dresser. She must have taken one out, though she had no memory of doing so. She couldn't get the image of the mysterious young man out of her mind. She lay back down in hopes of seeing him again.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 12
by starsky_hutch76
"I'm... I'm not exactly what you'd call popular," John Garrick said, laughing sheepishly. His face broke into a grin and he turned away shyly as the beautiful blonde sitting across from him in the booth made contact with him and smiled sweetly.
"But you seem to have a lot of friends," she said, gesturing to his friends, watching and giggling from behind the comics rack.
"Well, they're kind of in the same boat," John said. "They're not popular either, so we've kind of fallen together. Strength in numbers, you know. They've got it easier than me, though. At least they're the same age as everyone else."
"You seem very mature, though," the pretty blonde said. "I'm sort of a prodigy. Things like math and science just come easier for me than they do for others. It's what you'd call both a blessing and a curse."
"I love intelligent boys," the girl said.
"I wish everyone at school did," John said. "It's made me kind of an outcast." He couldn't believe he was saying these things to her... to someone he'd just met. These were things he didn't even talk to his parents about. But when he looked into her beautiful blue eyes, he felt like he could tell her anything. Like he was compelled to open up to her.
"But you have people who like you and respect you," she said, "besides these friends here..."
"I have another group I hang around with sometimes," John said. "I think they might be kind of popular where they are, because they're all sort of athletic. One plays baseball, and another one skateboards and can play guitar... the girls are all pretty..." he suddenly grew quiet. "I'm not sure if they really like me or if they're just putting up with me because my dad's friends with their dads."
"If they don't like you, they're fools," she said. "Anyone can look at you and see what your good qualities are."
"Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever have a normal life like they've got. Friends my own age, dating... a girlfriend."
"Any girl would feel lucky to be your girlfriend," she said slyly. "I know I would."
John gave a shy laugh and looked down to his hands folded on the table. "Really?"
"Really," she said, taking his hands in hers. She leaned over the table and gave him the first kiss of his young life.
He's mine, Henrietta King thought to herself.
THE JUNIOR INJUSTICE SOCIETY: Part 13
by starsky_hutch76
Mina Curry was normally very graceful, which was surprising, considering how little time her people actually spent walking. In spite of that, she usually had the natural poise of a dancer.
This night was different, though. She could hardly stay on her own two feet as everyone else sped around the track of the Gotham City Roller Rink to the sound of "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
"Wait for me!" she called out to her friends Bonnie Jones-Carter and Beth Harper (a.k.a. Arrowette and Flare). She attempted to push herself up, but her skates continued to roll forward, and she found herself moving along, bent over backwards on on all fours.
"Hey, look! Mina's invented a new style of skating!" Beth said, coming around for another lap. "Or is that how they do it in that place you're from?"
"Just you wait until I get back on my feet!" Mina threatened jokingly.
"Then I'd better make sure I'm not here when you do!" Beth laughed, skating off.
"Maybe I should've gotten her to help me up before I started joking around," Mina groaned, still unable to get on her own two feet.
"Here, let me help you," a voice with a trace of an exotic accent said as a hand appeared before her.
Mina stifled a gasp as she looked up to the owner of the hand. It was the boy from her dreams. He took her hand and lifted her to her feet as if she weighed nothing.
"Are you alright?" the darkly handsome boy in the black turtleneck said.
"Y-yes," Mina said, still in shock that this figure from her dreams had stepped out into her reality.
"Relax" faded out and the sone changed to "Purple Rain" by Prince. The lights dimmed and the D.J. announced it was time for a couple skate.
The boy looked up at the lights, and then back to her and said with a smile and a raise of an eyebrow, "Perfect timing." He took her hand for her to skate beside him and this time she had no trouble staying on her feet. In fact, she felt as if she might float away.