AN: May the 4th be with you!
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Anakin Skywalker
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By far the best thing to come out of the tutor sessions with M'gann was the fact that I gained points in the system for teaching others, something I wished I had known earlier. I could have been farming points by tutoring people for over 2 years and missed it by being a loner. If I ever get the chance to meet my younger self, I'll slap the imbecile.
[SP: 17,900]
I had been having sessions with M'gann for weeks now, even taking her out on trips to the mall, an arcade and a fair. I could confidently say I succeeded in maturing the almost fifty-year-old to the point that she's discarded the idea of copying the appearance of the main character in her favourite show, 'Hello Megan'. She now resembled her older counterpart I remembered, albeit to the extent that she appeared eighteen, with pale, white skin and red hair that fell past her shoulders.
Being as nice as she was, she offered to help me develop my telepathy again, and I saw no real reason to decline, especially since I knew how to boot her out. According to her assessment, I made remarkable advancements in art on the more subtle side. While I could get information from people's heads using brute force easily enough, my talents seemed to be more focused on defence. Regardless, I could subtly get what I wanted without having to cause pain, if only much slower than she could.
The scent of solder filled the air in the living room as I leaned over C-3PO's frame, adjusting the final wiring in the legs. A thin cable still ran from its torso to the laptop, running diagnostic code as I worked. I was tightening one last component when a familiar British voice floated casually in from the kitchen, as if he paid rent to live here. "Honestly, mate, I'm surprised you haven't started practising with runes yet. Sigils are good, useful, and the best foundation, but runes are something else."
I didn't even blink, having already sensed him enter.
I softly clicked the access panel shut and straightened. "3PO, walk around the room, but be careful of knocking things over. Log any stability issues or adjustments I will need to make."
"Understood, Master Skywalker," the droid answered. "Beginning locomotion test now, sir."
With a mechanical whirr, 3PO took its first unsteady steps, arms out stiff like a skinny kid trying to look buff. The balance was slightly off as its legs moved in the same awkward fashion it had in the movies. Meanwhile, I put the soldering iron in the [Inventory] and turned to the sorcerer in the kitchen, watching Constantine casually fixing himself a cup of tea at the counter. The scent of Earl Grey drifting through the apartment was all I needed to know what he was making.
"I didn't want to mess with runes just yet," I told my magical book provider. "I'll start when I'm ready. Sticking to sigils for now, and from your lack of comments on the ones you no doubt saw when you entered, I'm drawing them correctly. Besides, they don't need magic to work, just the drawings. They might not keep people out, but they damn well will demons and their lot."
C-3PO clanked around behind me, occasionally teetering to one side before correcting itself, but I ignored the droid as it practised. Constantine, sipping from his tea, glanced over at the awkward metal figure making its rounds with an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Gotta say… that's bloody impressive. You planning to rune-up the tin can once it's walkin' proper? It would make for a good guardian. Your own little tech-golem."
That is the plan, but I wasn't one to rush anything. Sigils could protect me from demons, and that was enough for now. If I needed to rush anything, I would simply become a full-time hero, earning as many points as possible and just buying what I needed from the system.
I folded my arms as I leaned against the wall, answering honestly. "That was the plan. But tutoring's been taking up time. Haven't had a chance to dive into practical rune work just yet."
Constantine gave me a knowing chuckle. "That's life, innit? Always another project, always another problem. Still, you've got talent. When you're ready for runes, I might even throw a few tricks your way."
There was something in the way he was looking at me, like there was something more that he wasn't telling me, but I easily let it go, not sensing anything in the Force. Not that it could be trusted completely, considering Anakin couldn't sense Palpy being the Sith Lord the entire time.
C-3PO clanked between us, arms flailing slightly as it corrected another wobble as it stated the obvious. "Balance at 67% efficiency, further adjustments recommended, sir."
To all intents and purposes, 67% of what 3PO could do in the movies was a pile of dog-shit, so that wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Then again, I was using crappy junk yard scrap, which only made me frown as I remembered that 3PO was gold in the movies. How Anakin's bullshit Force-luck got him that was beyond me.
I exhaled softly through my nose, still not taking my eyes off Constantine. "Yeah. I'll get to it."
Constantine took another slow sip of tea, watching the droid flail awkwardly past with a bit of amusement but didn't comment on it. "Anyway, reason I dropped in," he began, setting the cup down with a quiet clink. "The big ol' Bat decided to officially show off the next generation of the League. 'Wants the world to see what's coming up the ranks and all that."
I arched my brow, but I already knew where he was going with this. It was July 4th, and that was the date canon was supposed to start, if I remembered correctly.
Constantine leaned on the counter. "He also wants a magic user front and centre, someone to represent the mystical side of things. That'd be you, mate."
I narrowed my eyes slightly, thinking of what I remembered from the show. There was Aqualad, but the dude focused more on water combat magic, so I guess he wasn't enough. If everything went as planned, or at least close to it, then I would be meeting and possibly fighting Superboy today. Something I actually looked forward to.
Seeing me delve into my thoughts about the show, Constantine smirked, thinking it was hesitation. "Oh, and to sweeten the deal, the Bat is putting all the official sidekicks through special hand-to-hand training. You included."
Something in the way he said it led me to believe Batman had taken my desire to learn other fighting styles from Ted Grant. And if the escrima sticks added to the loadout he sent over with my armour was anything to go by, he was studying my crowbar sabre-training on the roof and thought I would have talent with them. The extra tech he sent over to integrate into the sets of armour did get him some brownie points though.
After a beat, I shrugged, giving the sorcerer a nod. "Alright. When's this showcase?"
"Tomorrow afternoon," Constantine replied smoothly, ignoring the blank look I sent his way and moving on, not even addressing the fact that he and Bruce had left it to the day before the meet to let me know. "Your usual tutor session with the Martian is cancelled for the day. You'll be meeting her at the Hall of Justice instead."
With a flick of his hand, he summoned a small stack of heavy tomes bound in black leather, all of which seemed to be etched with intricate rune patterns from what I could see.
"Figured you could use these," Constantine added with a sly grin as he stood, grabbing his coat to leave. As he reached the door, he glanced back. "You can use the Zeta Tube, yeah?"
"Yeah." I blinked, already realising he wouldn't be taking me there like the other heroes and their sidekicks.
"Good. Be at the Hall of Justice at 14:00 sharp. Hero get-up. Don't be late." And with that, Constantine pulled the door open and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.
I could only shake my head as I moved to the stack of books, briefly scanning the titles with my eyes. As I'd guessed, they were on more advanced rune work, far more detailed than anything he'd given me before. Without missing a beat, I placed the books in [Inventory].
"Balance now at 71% efficiency," 3PO announced proudly from behind me as he wobbled through another lap of the room. At least his ability to learn was working as planned, if only slowly. I gave him a brief glance, then rolled up his sleeves and returned to the workbench, already planning my next round of adjustments.
I really can't wait until I get my hands on Professor Ivo's Monqi robots to upgrade 3PO to at least commando droid level.
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DC - Hall Of Justice
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While I was there on time, early even, I still waited until just after the announcement outside the Hall was made. I wasn't the type for that.
Striding through, utterly unconcerned with the snapping cameras, the crowd parted slightly as I came through wearing my new all-black Clone War armour. With the shoulder pauldrons, chest plate, utility belt, vambrace, boots and cloak, one would think I was Batman's protégé rather than the group's magic user. And that was before hearing the modulated voice coming out of the Revan-helmet I had modified to sound just like Vader did.
Objectively speaking, I looked like a badass. And I felt it too. The light armour I was wearing underneath fit snug and didn't hinder movement in the slightest. The fact that it was bulletproof, at least against small-calibre bullets, was a nice bonus. Not that any bullets had a chance of hitting me in the first place.
Seeing the 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY' door that the League members had just walked through with their protégés, I headed through, letting the scanner get my information to open the door. As I crossed the threshold, the conversation inside seemed to come to a halt.
The assembled League members, Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Arrow, and their protégés, Robin, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, all turned toward me. And I had to admit, objectively speaking, they looked bad-ass too, if only way too colourful.
"Vader," Batman's gravelly voice cut through the silence as he greeted me, but I could tell he was also chastising me for being late at the same time.
Without missing a beat, my modulated voice echoed through the chamber. "A wizard is never late nor early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
There was a pause.
Kid Flash blinked, then leaned over toward The Flash. "Did he just quote Gandalf?"
While the mentors tried to smother their smirks, baring Red Tornado who literally couldn't, their proteges were outright trying not to laugh and switch places with me on the other end of Batman's glare. The Flash, on the other hand, let out a small chuckle without such a fear as he nodded. "He's a magic user. It tracks. Well, that, and his teacher tends to be late too."
Batman's eyes narrowed beneath the cowl, not amused. Before he could speak, I added, "I was scoping out the area. Took a while with so many people outside."
I was sure to have my League phone in my utility belt, out of the [Inventory]. So either the Detective knew I was here on time using the tracker embedded in it and wanted me to explain to the rest, or he would find out later.
"They're just reporters," Kid Flash snorted. "It's a public event."
I shifted my helmet toward him. "Which would make it all the easier for someone to disguise themselves as one of them to commit a crime."
Kid Flash went to speak, but took one glance at M'gann and huffed, closing his mouth in favour of admiring her looks. Unfortunately for him, M'gann was giving me a wave in greeting, completely ignoring him as she earned herself a nod of my helmet.
Before the conversation could spiral, Batman raised a hand, gesturing to the group. "Vader, meet some of the League members and their proteges." He motioned first to the League members. "Aquaman. Martian Manhunter. The Flash. Green Arrow. Red Tornado." They nodded as their names were called, then he motioned to the sidekicks. "Robin. Miss Martian, whom you have already met. Kid Flash. Aqualad and Speedy."
He turned his gaze back to me. "Vader had been a student of Constantine for a while now. Unfortunately, Constantine himself couldn't make it." He then turned to address us all. "We will be heading for a quick debrief regarding the recent coincidental attacks that happened today. We should be back soon."
The team watched me with varying degrees of curiosity. Miss Martian offered a tentative smile. Robin seemed to study me a little more than anyone else, and I could only hope he didn't hack the Bat computer to stalk my every move. Aqualad, on the other hand, offered me a calm smile. As for Speedy, Green Arrow's red-themed sidekick, well…
"That's it?!" he exclaimed with an indignant frown, throwing his arms wide as he turned to his mentor, gaining everyone's attention. "This is a joke! You promised us a real look inside! You said we'd be a real part of the League! Not–" he gestured around the room, "–this… this sideshow."
Trying to remain diplomatic, Aquaman stepped forward. "This is just the first step. Focus instead on the gratitude of having access where so few are permitted."
Speedy scoffed, throwing out a hand toward the reinforced glass window to the side with tourists and reporters on the other side, taking pictures and milling about, trying to get glimpses of the heroes. "It doesn't matter what side of the glass we're on!" He barked. "We're just on display. We're still not in the League."
By this point, I was already bored with the drama and moved to lean against the wall off to the side, waiting for it all to finish. M'gann moved to join me with a silent smile, looking almost relieved to not be in the middle of it. I may have made significant progress in helping her become more comfortable with herself and being on Earth over the last few weeks, but that doesn't mean she had to put up with everything human-related.
"You just need to be patient. Trust the process." Green Arrow stepped in to try soothing the boy, but Speedy was having none of it.
"They've got a headquarters in orbit called The Watchtower!" he threw an accusing glare toward the senior members as he shouted, causing Batman's head to snap toward Green Arrow, narrowing eyes beneath the cowl in a chastising glare.
Green Arrow shifted awkwardly, raising both hands in a half-hearted defence. "I… thought we could make an exception?"
"You're not helping make your case, young one," Aquaman said firmly with a frown, rightly trying to convey how childish the young archer was behaving. "Stand down."
Frustrated, Speedy turned toward the other sidekicks, Robin, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and even me, searching for support. But none of them seemed nearly as riled. Robin simply observed in silence, crossing his arms with a small frown. Aqualad stood calm like a soldier, but I could see a light clench of his jaw. Miss Martian looked uncertain, and Kid Flash looked uncomfortable but didn't speak.
Under my helmet, I was frowning. I knew from the series that he was a clone of the real Roy Harper, designed to infiltrate the Justice League, but I couldn't sense that. At least, not without delving into his mind, which would most likely get me a talking to from the League once the Martians in the room sensed it. So with that in mind, I chose to wait until after Superboy so I had an excuse as to how I could tell them apart and why I even developed the 'technique'.
Seeing our muted reactions, Speedy's face contorted in further frustration as he ripped off his hat and angrily threw it to the ground. "I thought I was your partner," he shot toward Green Arrow, but before he could reply, Speedy added. "But I guess I thought wrong." As he stormed toward the door, he threw one last statement over his shoulder. "They were right. You sidekicks aren't ready."
And with that, the door hissed open, and Speedy, soon to be going by Red Arrow, walked out. Before Kid Flash could try to convince him to stay, alerts began blinking across the League computer terminal with several League members giving Batman brief summaries of attacks and trouble around the world.
"We've got multiple priority threats across several locations. The League will respond." Batman's voice cut through the room, turning toward the now saddened younger heroes as the other League members gathered to leave. "Stay here."
Robin stepped forward immediately with a frustrated frown. "Come on, we can help! Let us go with you, at least let us handle the fire at Cadmus."
Batman didn't so much as pause. "Fire services are already on-site, as you heard from the report. My suspicions about Cadmus can wait for another time."
My younger self didn't look too much into it when I was watching the series, but with Anakin's experience, I noticed he said that knowing full well the reporter could see us from the other side of the glass, wanting any spies to let Cadmus know they won't need to worry. So, when the kids show up to prove themselves, they won't be as prepared to hide their secrets.
Robin scowled but didn't argue further as the League members swiftly filed out toward the Zeta Tube chambers. Something I wasn't able to use to get here for some odd reason, most likely to make sure I used the front door for the cameras. With the younger kids left behind, they took the opportunity to complain behind their mentors' backs, much to no one's surprise.
"Always the same thing… 'stay here,' 'wait,' 'you're not ready'…" Kid Flash grumbled under his breath as the murmuring between the sidekicks grew, with complaints passing back and forth between them.
Miss Martian and I, on the other hand, remained silent, fully content with our situation.
"When did they tell you about this meeting?" I asked the Martian, having reduced the sound of my helmet to a whisper.
Miss Martian glanced at me, looking a bit sheepish. "Yesterday, after our session." She tilted her head slightly. "You?"
"Same." I nodded. At least it wasn't just me. I was about to start looking through the System to find the [Observe] for future use in distinguishing clones and mind-controlled individuals without using [Telepathy] when Aqualad spoke up.
"What exactly is Project Cadmus?"
Robin, already moving toward the League computer with a cocky smirk, connected a device and started typing. "I don't know. But I can find out."
Before he could get too far with his hacking, I readjusted my voice modulator and lazily jabbed a finger at the glass barrier separating us from regular citizens. "Make sure that glass isn't see-through. You've got an audience out there."
The Boy-Wonder grunted in acknowledgement, glancing toward the wide observation window, but I could sense embarrassment at not realising his mistake.
"Obviously." He muttered, tapping a quick sequence that turned the glass into a two-way mirror, cutting off the view from the outside while allowing us to see them just fine. The disappointment on the tourists' and reporters' faces was enough to let me know it was working just fine.
Robin frowned in concentration as he worked the layers of security on the computer, but after a few tries, the screen granted him access, much to Kid Flash's awe. I was able to keep up with what he was doing though, but it would have taken me much longer to get the same result. Enough time to be noticed and kicked from the system most likely, but it at least let me know the time spent learning non-Star Wars coding and hacking was worth it.
"Got something," Robin muttered barely loud enough for us to hear as his eyes scanned the files. "Project Cadmus. Location's here in D.C. But the files are heavily scrubbed. No details on what they actually do there. But if it's a place Batman is suspicious of, then it's definitely a place we should take a look at."
Aqualad stepped forward with a small frown, crossing his arms and massaging his chin in thought. "Then we solve the case before they do. Prove our worth."
A silent agreement seemed to pass between Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad with only a glance at each other. Then all three turned toward Miss Martian and I.
"You two in?" Robin asked.
I simply tilted my helmeted head slightly, folding my arms. "Only if you're going regardless of my input. Someone has to make sure you don't die doing something reckless."
Kid Flash scoffed, crossing his arms with an indignant expression while puffing out his chest a little more than necessary. "You don't have to come if you don't want to." Then, without missing a beat, he turned to Miss Martian, softening his expression to a wide, sweet grin. "But, a beautiful lady like you is more than welcome to join us."
Miss Martian blinked, offering him a polite, sibling-like smile in return, one that he didn't seem to read well enough to realise. "Um… I think we should all go. Together."
"Just like that, we're a team on a mission," Aqualad said with a genuine smile.
Meanwhile, I was thinking about how much full-time League members were paid, wondering if I should have asked for money instead of taking the training. Only to smother their idea before it took root, knowing the league had some of the best hand-to-hand fighters in the universe, supposedly.
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DC - Cadmus Labs
M'gann Morz - Miss Martian
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Smoke poured from a gaping hole in the upper floors of the Cadmus facility as flames licked the edges of shattered windows. Sirens wailed nearby as emergency vehicles formed a perimeter with their crews trying to maintain order.
Vader strolled calmly down the street, side by side with Miss Martian, who preferred to hover slightly off the ground beside him. Both with their cloaks swaying gently in the breeze as they used their telekinesis to guide down people waving at the firefighters through the windows for help.
Ahead, Kid Flash zipped up the side of the building in a streak of red and yellow, catching two panicked scientists mid-fall and zipping them safely to a ledge. Robin fired his grapple gun, vaulting up and through a broken window and disappearing inside. An action that seemed to make Vader shake his head ever so slightly, M'gann saw.
Meanwhile, Aqualad stepped forward, raising both tattooed glowing arms as tendrils of water flowed out from a nearby fire truck's tanks, directing the water up toward the flames to smother them out before using the water to lift himself to the ledge Kid Flash was hanging from to help the speedster up.
Miss Martian glanced over at her first human friend with slightly furrowed brows, differing to his expertise in being a hero due to him having been one in secret for a year, even though he doesn't consider himself one. "Shouldn't we hurry up and catch up with them?"
Vader didn't break stride as he spoke, using the deep, modulated voice he chose to use while in uniform, if only quieter, so only she could hear. "One of them has enough speed to scope the entire building and retreat before anyone can cause him harm, provided he is cautious," he said, helping another scientist down. "Another wields water magic, and possibly other types, so he can easily deal with the fire, possibly even detect magic and let the others know. And the last is a better hacker than I am from what I've seen, and stealthy to boot."
He turned his helmet slightly toward her. "You're Martian," he added, without elaborating on what that means, and she knew he was referring to her species' weakness to fire. "It makes sense for us telekinesis users to stay further back for now and help from a distance. Also, in case reinforcements show up and try to trap them from behind or something, we will have enough time to inform them."
Miss Martian floated silently beside him for a moment, then nodded. "I see your point," she admitted, before tilting her head as she remembered some things he himself had mentioned during their sessions. "But, shouldn't we at least know where they went? In case something goes wrong? Like earpieces or something? Maybe a psychic link with their permission?"
Anakin gave a slight shrug. "I can feel their general location. Honestly, a psychic link is more like something a person would accept when they get to know you a little more or in case of emergencies. And I was not given any earpieces."
She was saddened that he didn't trust her enough to initiate a constant link during missions, but she accepted his answer when he told her how paranoid some people are, comparing himself to the likes of Batman. There was something in the way he said it that indicated there was more to it, but she didn't press.
"Oh," She blinked, remembering the time he had told her something similar. "So, they're alright?"
"Yes, and I will be able to sense them throughout the building, unless they get to a dead zone which blocks my abilities somehow. And if it ever gets to the point where reinforcements are piling through the front door…" He tapped the side of his helmet lightly. "We'll let them know telepathically."
Miss Martian gave the much younger, yet more mature boy, a faint smile. "I guess that works."
Together, they maintained their casual pace, assisting the firefighter with their work even as the rest of their newly formed team delved deeper into the building. It was only after saving the people around the windows that the duo made their way inside, with Anakin leading her to an elevator he said he sensed the rest of their team had used.
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"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
- Gandalf the Grey.
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Hello There
Armour: Search Anakin Skywalker by Phil Cho.
Helmet: Search Darth Revan's mask.
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