Emergence 2.12 (Patreon)

Emergence 2.12

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

In the heart of Mount Justice, Zeke focused intently, hands stretched out as if molding the very air. Come on, work with me. Zeke's fingers pulsed with energy, outstretched index twitching as he tried to conjure a shimmering barrier of cobalt blue without relying on the skill he had previously made. Come on.

Concentrating on his mana manipulation, he felt the cold air prickle his exposed skin – the upper part of his jumpsuit hung low around his waist; he couldn’t afford distractions, not when he was this close to getting it right. Cool air brushed against his bare skin, making the energy around his hands flicker like a pixelated glitch. Individual royal blue pixels began weaving together, inching closer to forming a solid barrier. Just when a blurry outline started to shimmer in the space before him, his eyes widening in excitement, a blaring alarm ripped through the cave.

His forming shield trembled, the delicate bonds of energy shattering into the nothingness. Oh, for the love of...

"Goddamnit!" Zeke’s words bounced off the walls as he shot an annoyed glance at the cave’s holo-computer. So close. I was right there. But the computer didn’t care about his failed magic tricks.

The hologram flickered to life, not displaying any video, but the unmistakable voice of Wally West, Kid Flash, pulsating with a mixture of urgency and annoyance. “Guys, anyone there? Big Red could use some help!”

A jumble of sounds – crashing metal, desperate yells, a hint of desperation – bubbled through the transmission. Wally’s voice registered on the hologram as a vibrant audio visualizer, almost being drowned out by the cacophony.

“Big Red?” Zeke's eyebrows knitted in confusion as he sprinted to the computer's center. He tried his best to keep the smirk out of his voice, but unfortunately he failed. He couldn’t help it, he was only metahuman, after all. “That your new code name?”

There was a pause, then a muttered "Oh God, not you," from Wally, just before another crash echoed out, cutting him off.

Zeke tilted his head, his smirk fading a bit as he knitted his brows. He leaned in closer, as if proximity to the screen would let him make out more of what was happening without a video feed. What’s going on over there? "Sounds like you're having a party. Kinda hurt you didn’t invite me."

Wally, catching his breath, responded hastily, the visualizer wavering, “What, no? It’s nothing! I mean, not nothing! Big, bad, humongous something! Is Aqualad around?”

Zeke rolled his eyes, momentarily forgetting the absence of a video feed. “Nah, he's chasing some slippery guy in San Diego. The Eel, I think?”

Through the interference, a disgruntled groan followed by the ominous rumble of an explosion resonated. Wally’s voice sounded even more distorted as he asked, “What about Supey? He can help!”

Zeke’s nose crinkled, picturing Superboy’s latest escapade. “He's probably in Metropolis. Doing his morning Superman stalking.” Zeke internally sighed. The whole Superboy and Superman dynamic was tiresome. If he had an ounce more power and a pinch less restraint, he'd definitely give Superman a piece of his mind. Yeah, and maybe a mana-punch.

Wally's exasperation oozed from the transmission. "Great. Just my luck."

Zeke smirked, playing with the lingering traces of his mana. "Look on the bright side, you get to chat with yours truly."

“Oh joy,” Wally’s sarcasm was obvious, even over the radio.

“Alright, alright,” Zeke responded, snorting back. "Give me the rundown. I'll do what I can from here. You know, keyboard warrior style."

In the expansive main chamber of Mount Justice, the holographic panel flickered with the voice of a distressed Kid Flash. “This is not my day!” he exclaimed, irritation clear in his tone.

Zeke leaned back slightly, arms crossed, as a wry smirk stretched across his face. “You’re not even gonna ask about Robin? Or Artemis? Miss M?” he joked. The sensation of being somewhere in the middle of Wally’s priority list didn’t really do wonders for Zeke’s ego.

Not that he’d care about my day, Zeke thought to himself.

There was a significant pause from Kid Flash, amidst the background noises of what sounded like the apocalypse's soundtrack. “Look, if Robin was there, he’d have butt in by now,” Kid Flash's voice carried a mix of tiredness and frustration, his words coming through with slightly heavier breathing every other word. “And ‘Green Arrow’s niece’,” – somehow Zeke could picture Wally's eyes rolling with those words, voice full of sarcasm – “let's not get into that.” He sighed heavily. “And if Miss M’s not there? Please, don’t mention this to—”

“Don’t mention what, exactly?” A new voice chimed in, melodic and with a touch of playful curiosity as Miss Martian floated into the cave, her eyes scanning the holographic console.

Kid Flash let out a noise somewhere between a strangled cry and a frustrated growl. “Oh, come on!”

Zeke's smirk morphed into a full-blown grin, the mischievous glint in his eyes obvious as the smile on his face. “Yeah, Big Red, what shouldn’t we tell her?”

A heavy exhale came from the other end.

“You know what, just forget it,” Wally's voice adopted a tone of resignation. “Can anyone Zeta to Central City? Got a villain here who’s decided to redecorate in a real mean way. Leading her to somewhere less packed right now but some backup would be great.”

Miss Martian's face turned down slightly in a frown as she raised a finger to her chin. “Wally, you really should have led with that.” She exchanged glances with Zeke from where she floated, who couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Typical Wally,” Zeke muttered, mostly to himself, “always saving the serious stuff for last.”

"We’d love to help, Wally, but what about the Flash?” Megan’s voice, gentle and kind, juxtaposed Zeke’s cynicism as she tilted her head.

“No!” Kid Flash’s response came off more like a startled shout, clear panic in his voice. All in all, Zeke had to push down the urge to laugh at the sound of it. “The Flash is off dealing with the Shaggy Man in Mexico. And trust me, it's a hairy situation. Ivo whipped up another one.”

Zeke's eyebrows knitted together, and he felt a tinge of confusion, wondering if he missed some kind of superhero memo. “I didn’t even know about the first one,” he mumbled, feeling slightly out of the loop. Didn’t Dr. Zagarian make the Shaggy Man?

Kid Flash's voice, already stressed, carried a sharper note of exasperation. “Yeah, well there’s a lot you don’t know,” he retorted.

And you want my help? Zeke crossed his arms again, fighting back an eye roll. "Alright, no need to get snappy."

Megan placed a soothing hand on Zeke's shoulder. "Wally, don’t worry. We're on our way."

Zeke smirked, the familiar adrenaline starting its sprint through his veins. Here we go.

“Just... hurry,” Wally's voice strained, and for the first time, Zeke sensed the genuine fear lurking beneath the speedster's usually upbeat demeanor.

Zeke nodded, more to himself than to the invisible Wally, hands moving to the controls as he set up the Zeta coordinates for Central City. “On it. Hold tight, Big Red.”

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Zeke had always imagined that flying over Central City would feel like a roller coaster - thrilling, free, and just a bit reckless. But hanging in mid-air, gently cradled in the soft pull of Miss Martian's telekinesis, wasn't the stomach-flipping experience he'd pictured. It was more like dangling from the world's slowest, tamest amusement park ride.

Like a merry-go-round.

Not that he could remember ever being on either.

But still.

The sprawl of Central City stretched out beneath him, the sounds of car horns and distant chatter echoed, giving life to the maze below. As alluring as the view was, though, the chilling silence from Kid Flash’s communicator was more jarring than the height.

For the tenth time in five minutes — or was it the eleventh? — Zeke touched his earbud, which felt cold against his ear. "Kay Eff, you there?" he called, his voice sounding weirdly distant, almost swallowed by the wind. The earbuds had seen better days, especially after the team shifted to Martian telepathy. But they were supposed to be reliable, and usually they were.

As his frustration mounted, a sudden thought hit him. Why am I even shouting? Switching to the mental link, he reached out. [Miss M,] he began, a bit awkwardly, as if clearing his throat in a silent room, [anything from Wally?]

Flying ahead, the green-skinned Martian turned slightly, casting a glance over her shoulder. The look in her eyes, even from this distance, was clear — concern. [There's interference, Zeke. I can't even sense him,] she responded, her telepathic voice tinged with worry. [I don’t like this.]

Interference? In Central City? Zeke mused. But before he could unravel that puzzle, a deep rumble broke his train of thought. A fiery plume erupted on the horizon, the glow reflected in his wide eyes.

His youthful excitement bubbled up, undercutting the gravity of the situation. [How much do you wanna bet that’s Wally?] Zeke smirked with the thought.

Miss Martian hesitated, her face a mix of humor and trepidation. [I think that’s a bad bet.]

“Let’s go then!" he shouted, the wind making his voice wobble.

Miss Martian didn’t bother to hesitate, the green-skinned girl immediately angling herself toward the explosion, accelerating as soon as she did. She shot through the sky like a green bullet, Zeke clutched in her telekinetic grip. The world smeared into streaks of color as they zoomed past Central City’s skyline, the cold wind clawing at Zeke's face, forcing tears into his eyes.

“Woah,” he gasped, the rush of speed stealing his breath away.

[Hold on, Zeke,] she sent back, a hint of amusement touching her mental tone.

They rushed through the air and in no time at all, they neared the fringes of Central City, the less cared-for parts of the area a stark contrast to its vibrant core. As Zeke and Miss Martian approached, Zeke's gaze locked onto the debris scattered on the streets — mangled metal, shards of glass, and uprooted lampposts.

Looks like someone's idea of modern art, Zeke thought with a smirk, even as unease gnawed at him. Something had stormed through here, and it wasn't a tornado.

But then, things got weirder. Miss Martian’s smooth flight began to wobble, the invisible hands that held Zeke up started feeling unsure as the thrum of her telekinesis became a sporadic stutter.

Zeke, feeling the shift, glanced at her with concern in his eyes, both for her and himself. "Miss M, you good?"

The green-skinned girl looked strained, her eyes fogged up with confusion. "I... it's... fuzzy," she murmured, her voice filled with strain. "Something's not right."

And then, out of nowhere what looked like a sizable chunk of a flattened car spiraled through the air like a rogue frisbee, directly towards them.

Zeke's heart leapt into his throat. "Miss M, watch out!"

His warning came too late to the dazed Martian as the metal hit home. The hunk of twisted metal smacked into the green girl with a deafening clang, flinging her through the air like a ragdoll.

Just like that, the comfy telekinetic bubble around Zeke popped, leaving him in free-fall. Holy shi-!

Suddenly weightless, Zeke's world blurred, the sensation of plummeting filling every inch of him. The ground seemed to race up to meet him several stories below, moving much faster than he would have liked. This isn’t how I imagined flying.

He hit the ground with a jarring thud. It was like smacking into a brick wall, pain screaming through every inch of him, as warnings and alerts flickered across his vision.

- 169

- 38

- 23

- 9

- 2

Dislocated Shoulder - Severe

• 5% STR

Gasping, he pushed himself to a sitting position. The world spun around him, a dizzying mix of broken metal and Miss Martian's crumpled form a few yards away. Sprawled on the cold ground, he tried to shake off the dizziness. His mind felt like scrambled eggs, but he tried to pull himself back into focus.

From somewhere, the faintest hint of a familiar voice crackled. "Gen? Miss M? You guys okay?"

Zeke, dust and bits of debris crunching under his feet, tried to flick a wobbly grin, pushing words through gritted teeth as he managed a slightly shaky laugh. "KF? About time you showed up. And by the way," he said, taking in the debris with a wave, "your idea of redecorating sucks."

Kid Flash himself streaked into the grimy scene a half-second after the last syllable left Zeke’s lips, a blur of red and yellow skidding to a stop in front of the boy in blue. He didn’t look thrilled, his face all tightened up like he'd just bitten into something sour. "Not exactly up to me," he grunted, reaching down to give Zeke a hoist up.

"So, who’s wrecking the place then?"

Before Kid Flash could answer, a ground-shaking crash rang out through the junkyard Wally had just sped out from, drowning out whatever the speedster could have possibly had to say.

Zeke's gaze snapped towards the center of the junkyard, eyes widening at the sight. Suspended in mid-air were crushed cars and mangled metal, groaning as they spun through the air in a lazy circle, wrapped in a blanket of purple energy. And right there in the middle of all of it, rising up to meet them was the star of the show.

Long purple hair floated above her head, buffeted by invisible wind, as eyes glowing the same color locked on to their position. Draped in a hospital gown and seemingly nothing else, she looked bizarrely out of place amidst the wreckage. But as her fists clenched, Zeke saw chunks of metal compress into tight spheres, emitting a screech that made him grit his teeth but didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest.

"KID FLASH!" Her voice wasn't just loud; it was volcanic, erratic and far too loud to be natural.

Wally let out a slight groan under his breath at the scream, shoulders visibly drooping. “You’re looking at her.”

Observed: Magenta

Magenta (Frances Kane) Lv 40

Miss Magnetic Mayhem

Teenage girls go through a lot. Imagine having love on the brain and the ability to throw around tons of metal with only a thought. Wait… that’s not right.