“Okay Dick, I’ve managed to send out a call to all of Cait’s potential new Leaguers. They should be at the Watchtower soon.”
Dick nodded. “Alright. Once Im done discussing the situation with them, I’ll check in with Caitlyn and see how the meeting with Alexis went. Hopefully we’’ll be able to keep things under control.”
Suddenly, an incoming message blared on the Bat-computer screen. “Me and my big mouth.” Mused Dick. “It says its from, Dr Magnus? What could he need? I’ll put him on as well.”
After a quick button Press, the anxious face of Doctor Milton Magnus appeared alongside Oracle’s on the screen. “Nightwing! Thank goodness, is Batman there? Something incredibly bizarre has happened!”
Dick blanched, it couldn’t possibly be related to what was going on with the league could it? “Well, that’s complicated. What’s the problem Doctor?”
Magnus composed himself slightly and began. “Earlier today, my Metal Men were in Coast city protecting an experimental generator device from Chemo, and it was all well in hand before suddenly some kind of strange meteorite struck the reactor, and, well… see for yourself!”
Dick’s heart sank as the camera swung around to show the Metal “Men”. Six shiny metal girls sat, talking, gossiping and squabbling.
The red one, a lith girl with sharp elegent features nudged the former leader’s shoulder. “Hey Goldie! Mind shedding a couple pounds so we can go get some real outfits?”
Goldie scoffed. “Heck no Mercy! Then my butt won’t be as nice and round!”
Iron meanwhile had formed one hand into a file to file the metal nails on her other hand. “Tina? Could you be a sweety and form a mirror? I need to know what hairstyle looks good on me.
The former Tin, a shy, timid looking girl with a relatively unimpressive figure, nodded and flattened her head out into a reflective surface. “Y-you’re looking really good Ira…”
Platinum just shrugged her shoulders. “Honestly I don’t feel all that different.”
Lead, or Leana as she was now calling herself, stretched her muscular yet curvy body. “Uh, well, like, maybe that’s cuz you’re already, uh… all girly?”
Dick sighed. “I was fearing this. The League ran into this phenomenon earlier this week. Batman’s only recently come to her senses, mostly, and is trying to help work out a solution. We’re not sure if there even is a real cure yet. I’m going to be discussing this at the Watchtower with a new team we’re setting up. But wait… A meteorite?” Dick suddenly realized the weight of that. “ORACLE! Have there been any projectiles hitting earth picked up on the bat computer?
Oracle typed away on her keyboard. “Yeah, there was a minor meteor shower earlier today. It was too small to do any damage so the computer didn’t bring it to our attention.”
Dick groaned. “Damnit. They must have passed through the anomaly before hitting earth. Oracle, try to track down the trajectory of those meteor fragments. I’m going to have to get to watchtower immediately and warn everyone.”
Dick addressed Magnus. “Doc? See if you can analyze that energy, we need as many eyes on this as possible.”
Dr Magnus nodded. “Will do Nightwing. This phenomenon is one of the strangest i’ve ever observed. It’s done more than alter body shape and mental state, look at this!”
The camera panned over once again. Moving past the Metal Maidens to a seventh figure, this one sitting by its lonesome, staring at its hands confusedly. She was bigger than even Lead, but her physique was softer, rounder, even a little plump. Her clear plastic body was filled with a bubbling mix of swirling pink liquid. Its face was a pair of feminine robotic lenses, and a jack-o-lantern like gash for a mouth.
“Is that… Chemo?” Barbara asked, amazed.
“-GG?” It mumbled, confusedly.
Magnus nodded. “Like I said, its not just Chemo’s body that’s changed. Its… her? Chemical innards have been completely transmuted! Observe. Chemo, sweety?”
“Ggglg?” Gurbled the former monster innocently.
“Chemo, can you be good girl and show Nightwing your new chemical make-up?”
Chemo didnt understand the big words much, but she walked up closer to the camera, sloshing with every step. “Ghlblb…” Magnus produced a petri dish, and Chemo opened a pore on her mechanical gauntlet, letting a small sample of her innards land inside.
“Thank you Chemo, you can go back to what you were doing.” The creature nodded, and went back to her seat.
Magnus quickly put the petri dish under a scanner and brought the data up on the call-screen.
“Instead of a frightful mix of acids, toxic waste and other harmful substances, look! Aromatic compounds, pheromones, she’s now a walking perfume factory! This energy not only mutates an individual’s body, but radically alters their entire being!”
++++
Chemo sat on her sitting place and touched her body. Soft now. Calm. The creature’s limited intelligence wasn’t altered much, but feral rage had been replaced with gentle curiosity.
“Glblblb…” Chemo looked over at her former enemies. Pretty. Nice shapes. She had a strange feeling of want, her limited understanding of the world unable to grasp exactly what. She did notice a nice tingly feeling in her body, and noticed she was dripping slightly from between her legs. The pink liquid quickly dried, leaving a pleasant aroma in the air. Maybe… maybe they would like her smell. Maybe they would be nice.
“Gggg…” mumbled Chemo… no, wrong name. Chemmy. She liked Chemmy now. Chemmy stood up, still a little awkward on her new soft legs, and walked over to the metal ladies, dripping all the way.
+++++
Dick ended communications Dr Magnus. This was bad. Even if a dangerous super-monster like Chemo had been pacified, the teen-energy or whatever it was being loose on the world could spell Chaos. He had to let Caitlyn know asap.
“Hi mister Bluey guy!” Piped up Missy J from behind.
“Gah!”
“I made some pie! Do you wanna have some? Its made with extra smiles!” She offered an already plated slice to Dick, beaming. He noticed that she had a lot of whipped cream smeared on her face.
Dick looked at the pie, unsure. Missy J had given no indications any Joker-ness was left in her, but he still felt shy about eating something the former clown prince of crime had concocted.
“I shouldn’t worry Master Grayson.” Piped up Alfred from behind. “Her culinary endeavors suprised me as well, but I investigated the kitchen, and the only thing I could detect was a startlingly advanced understanding of baking from the young girl. And if its any assurance, she had already sampled some of it herself, so likely no arsenic or other such poisons to be found.”
Pressured by the innocent expression of Missy, Dick tried a bite, and was shocked at how good it was. “She made this?”
Missy nodded excitedly. “Yuppers! Ooh! Miss pretty lady! Do you want some?”
“Missy, this is a phone call. I’m not really in the room with you.”
“Oh. That means I should go make more for later! Hee!” She immediately dashed off back to the kitchen.
“I shall endeavor to keep an eye on her while you’re gone sir. As strange as this whole scenario is, I’d rather like to see what else she’s capable of in the kitchen.”
Dick nodded. “Thanks Alfred. Oracle, keep an eye out for anything else strange. I’m heading up to the watchtower.”
++++++++
Black Manta was waiting in the back of the van along with Bane, Deathstroke and Captain Cold. As soon as Penguin gave the signal, supervillains across Gotham would move out at once, take the city apart, and reap the riches inside.
Tue Mar 22 01:50:38 2016
5 comments Last updated: Tue Mar 22 04:28:01 2016