Chapter 403 - My SI Stash #3 - Pyroclasm by Fulcon (YoungJustice) (1/2)
-Been re-reading this fic for some time now, glad to see it finally updated~
Synopsis: Fire. It cleans and purifies the soul, and Mom didn't raise a dirty boy. Self Insert.(On Hiatus)
Rated: T
Words: 126K
Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13009510/1/Pyroclasm (Fulcon)
PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)
-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)
Chapter 1
”We're here,” Batman announced as he pulled his famous Batmobile to a stop.
The destination was a small, suburban home just outside of Blüdhaven, 9023 Ricter St. It was a two-story house with a two-car garage that had a green van sitting on the driveway. The house was painted a light tan with hedges on the side of the walk up to the front door needing a slight trim.
”Oh. It's…quaint,” Green Arrow, the passenger, said, finishing the Styrofoam cup of coffee in his hands. ”So get in, make ourselves personable, make the offer to the parents then to the kid. Anything else I should know?”
”Just a reminder that this visit is not about the incident,” Batman replied neutrally. ”It was ruled justified in court and we need to make it clear that we respect that.”
”Right, we aren't here because he blew a member of Arkham's revolving door club to smithereens,” Green Arrow dryly quipped. ”We're here to offer him a spot in the junior club.”
”I believe he could be of use to the team,” Batman replied. ”He has the powers and the inclination to use them. With proper training, we could avoid repeats of the incident in the future.”
”No arguments there,” Green Arrow nodded. ”Anything else?”
”No,” Batman shook his head and the two men excited the car.
On the other side of the street, a little boy ran inside his house. ”Mom! Mom! Look, it's the Batmobile! And it's got Ba-”
That was all they heard before his rapidly quieting voice was suddenly cut off by the home's doorbell as Green Arrow pressed the button.
After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged mother with dark brown hair and crow's feet around her eyes; eyes that suddenly widened when she saw who had arrived at her door. ”Oh. Oh! Hello…”
”Mrs. Winter?” Green Arrow opened with an extended hand and a friendly smile.
”Yes, hi,” She replied, taking the hand and gingerly shaking it.
”I'm Green Arrow, this is Batman,” Green Arrow said with a gesture to him and the other Superhero, introducing themselves as a matter of politeness. ”We were wondering if we could talk to you and your husband?”
”Who is it, honey?” Behind Mrs. Winter came who was presumably Mr. Winter. He was a balding, middle aged man with prem_a_t_u_r_ely greying hair. Mr. Winter's eyes narrowed sharply. ”Oh. Are you two the real deal?”
”Yes we are,” Green Arrow replied confidently.
Mr. Winter sniffed. ”Prove it.”
Batman let lose a batarang past both of their heads and it promptly came back to his waiting hand without so much as touching a thing in the house. ”Does that satisfy you?”
”Yeah I guess so,” Mr. Winter nodded. ”Come on in. You're here to talk about Michael, right?”
”That's right,” Green Arrow replied. ”If you don't mind.”
They were ushered into the front room with a couch against the wall, a coffee table in front of it and two chairs to the sides. On the wall was a large family photo of the two parents and a young boy with carefully groomed set of dark brown hair and sharp looking hazel eyes. Batman noted that the smile was a very high quality fake, seeming to reach his eyes but didn't the way a genuine smile did.
”I don't see what there is to talk about,” Mr. Winter replied, taking a seat beside his wife and gesturing for the other two to do the same. ”It was ruled justified.”
”We had an offer that we wanted to make you,” Green Arrow replied. ”About your son.”
”By the way, can I get you two anything?” Mrs. Winter asked with a glance at the two. ”Water, Milk, Juice?”
”I just had some coffee,” Green Arrow replied. ”But thank you.”
”I would like some water,” Batman responded in light of that, sounding just as carefully neutral as always. ”Please.”
”Oh, sure,” Mrs. Winter said, nodding and standing up.
The conversation fell silent as she disappeared into the kitchen. The sound a cupboard opening, a glass being withdrawn and then filled with water. Then she stopped and called out. ”Would you like ice?”
Batman shook his head.
”He says no,” Green Arrow called back. Then he pointed to Batman with his thumb. ”He doesn't really get loud.”
”I can hear that,” Mr. Winter replied with weary eyes.
She returned with the glass and handed it to Batman, who thanked her as she sat down.
”So, an offer,” Mr. Winter continued.
”What kind of offer?” Mrs. Winter asked.
”The sidekicks, Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad have gotten together in kind of a…study club,” Green Arrow began. ”We thought that your son might like to spend time with kids like him.”
”Oh,” Mrs. Winter said. ”You mean, like a superhero study club.”
”It's a group formed for the purpose of letting our junior members train, socialize and learn together,” Batman explained formally. ”We believe that with some proper training, your son could avoid incidents, such as the one that has brought us here today, in the future.”
”Would he be obligated to join the Justice League?” Mrs. Winter asked with a frown.
”No, no,” Green Arrow shook his head. ”He can leave at any time if he wants. This is just to give him a handle on his powers if he needs it and give him more options so if that incident down the street happens again you're not tied up in messy court hearings.”
”Would he be doing anything dangerous?” Mr. Winter asked with a frown of his own.
”The group sometimes undertakes missions,” Batman answered. ”Light recon, low risk, covert missions specifically chosen to prevent the groups activities from becoming known to any Supervillains. The risks are carefully evaluated before the group is sent on them and he would be on a team with several highly experienced members. Your son would be more than safe.”
”I see,” Mrs. Winter replied, pursing her lips and resting her hands in her lap. ”Are you making us this offer because you see our son as a potential danger? Be honest with us.”
Batman and Green Arrow looked at each other, then shook their heads.
”No,” Green Arrow replied. ”What he did was justified by the courts and he is in complete control of his powers.”
”Wouldn't the fact that he's been in the news recently be a problem with the groups anonymity?” Mr. Winter asked, his eyes still narrowing. ”The fact that he's a metahuman is plastered all over the internet.”
”Not if he adopts a costumed identity and is never really seen changing,” Green Arrow replied with a shrug. ”Fire metas are fairly common as far as metas go, so it's not like he's the only possible candidate and the group's activities are covert anyhow. Does that answer your question?”
”It does,” Mrs. Winter nodded.
Mr. Winter didn't say anything.
”Honey, I think this might be a good thing for him,” Mrs. Winter said, starting to smile for the first time since the two arrived.
Mr. Winter again, didn't answer immediately. A few moments later, right as Green Arrow was about to say something and break the ice, he said, ”Could you gentlemen please excuse us for just a moment?”
”Sure, that's fine,” Green Arrow explained with a nod.
”Take all the time you need,” Batman offered.
The two parents left the room and began speaking just out of earshot. Green Arrow scratched the side of his head. Batman took a sip of his water. Arrow gestured to the corner that they disappeared around and Batman gave a shrug in response.
Eventually, the two came back. ”Alright. We accept. He should be in his room doing who knows what, just on one condition.”
”What's that condition?” Green Arrow asked, leaning forward and clasping his hands together.
”He's allowed to tell us if he has to do anything dangerous,” Mr. Winter explained.
”Certain parts may have to be kept confidential,” Batman replied. ”But I don't see anything wrong with him giving you a generalized account. Would that be sufficient?”
”Yeah, that'd be fine,” Mr. Winter nodded. ”We don't need to know everything just…a general picture would be nice.”
”Okay good,” Green Arrow nodded happily. ”So where is your son now?”
”I think he's upstairs,” Mrs. Winter replied. ”Do you want me to go get him?”
”No, no,” Green arrow shook his head. ”It can wait for a minute. Why don't you tell us about him first?”
”Well,” Mrs. Winter took in a breath. ”He's very m_a_t_u_r_e for his age.”
”Always did things when we asked him too,” Mr. Winter replied. ”Always. Sometimes he did things without us asking first. Great work ethic. Never made any friends though.”
”Lot's of trouble making friends,” Mrs. Winter agreed, nodding his head. ”Not because the other kids didn't try, but because, well…he looked at them as inferior. Like they were dumb. I mean, he never said anything to them but he just…”
”Just thought they were in the way,” Mr. Winter finished. ”I can't count how many times he asked to skip a grade.”
”He that good at school?” Green Arrow asked.
”Heavens, yes!” Mrs. Winter said with astonishment. ”He threw himself at anything, trying to learn everything. The first year they started teaching computer science he checked out every book he could find in the school library on programming. Said he was trying to make an AI.”
”Did he ever succeed?” Batman asked curiously.
”I don't think so,” Mr. Winter answered with a shrug. ”He likes to brag about his accomplishments and we never heard anything about it afterwards.”
Batman leaned back slightly with a small frown on his face.
”Do you know when he became a metahuman?” Green Arrow asked.
”No,” Mr. Winter shook his head. ”I didn't even know about it until after he blew up that maniac.”
That matched the case file that Batman had read. ”Did he ever tell you how it happened.”
”No,” Mr. Winter said again. ”When I asked him, he just said 'magic' and I left it at that. If he doesn't want to tell me, that's fine.”
”Are you sure it's not actually magic?” Green Arrow asked with a raised eyebrow.
”Look, I know that Zatara guy on the League claim's he's got magic,” Mr. Winter replied, leaning forward. ”But honestly, I think he's just a reality warping meta with a neurological condition that prevents him from doing anything without speaking backwards.”
”What neuro condition would that be?” Batman asked, keeping the amused smirk off his face, but just barely.
”I dunno,” Mr. Winter shrugged. ”Some kind of Tourette's syndrome, I guess.”
Green Arrow barely stopped himself from laughing at the thought of Zatara having Tourette's. Instead, he simply asked. ”Do you think he'd be okay with being with the sidekicks or no?”
”I don't know,” Mrs. Winter replied, shrugging her shoulders. ”He's kind of a mystery to me.”
”Alright, I think we're ready to talk to him,” Green Arrow said.