Villains Club Training Camp (5)

The Hit

Garfield

"Finally we get to the new issues. The Original, and the request from the Death Valley SuperMax Centre." The villain known as the Calculator explained, this man was keeping the minutes.

"ooooh! ME ME ME!" The red-haired woman raised her hand like a school-girl, basically bouncing in her seat. "Pick me, pick me!"

"The meeting Recognised the host of Lucifar!" the minute taker said.

"I Recommend the Inscrutable Machine for the job." This got grumbles and groans from around the room and out of screens.

"So you want to essentially throw the opportunity away?" responded a familiar voice, looking up at the screen nearest me I saw the blond haired mother of Briar and Quinn, taking up a screen with a red haired woman.

"Oh come on, you know it'll be fun. Every time the Inscrutable Machine does something cool it has the heroes in a tissy. Plus I don't want them to go alone, just send a handful of their new members with myself and some hired henchmen."

"What's involved in this job?" E-Claire's mother put in, speaking for us. "I assume it's a Win-Win job since it's from a commercial business?"

The Penguin tapped the screen on his desk, and the screen behind him changed to show an overview of the Supermax Detention Centre. "Yes my dear. Their request is for us to attempt, to either break in or out of the supermax. If the team who tries fails, they will be released from custody and paid a fee by the State of California for their services."

I nodded, following the first half of it.

"The Seven and a Half men however have a List. Both of Villains we would like broken out of jail, and villains we want kept behind bars. For every member on that list who is where we want, you will be paid a separate fee, from our own department." The old man wheezed as he spoke, as though the act of doing so was a little painful. Probably from years of smoking.

"See, E-Claire. It's a perfect training exersize to test your newest members. If they fail, they get set free and have learned a lesson, and win or lose you all get paid!"

"You just want an opportunity to play with whatever new Toys Bad Penny comes up with!" Claire jabbed.

"Sooo True!"

It was the Penguin who made the decision in the end. "The Band of Seven and a Half Men would willingly offer this job to the Inscrutable Machine!" he declared.

While the assembled villains grumbled, nobody actively opposed it.

Having taken his minutes, the Calculator moved to the last issue. "Then the only job remaining is the affair involving the Original! We have official word from our counterpart in the Justice League of America. For the third time this year the Original has refused to update or obtain a Hero License. As all of you are aware, while having a Hero license is not mandatory to be a Hero, it is the luxury of the league to denounce those who do not have a license. At this time we have received word that the former Hero known as the Original is now a Vigilante."

The hoots and hollers from the assembled rogues gallery gave clear understanding of their opinion.

"What does that mean?" E-Claire spoke up, it was an old samurai who stood and gave the answer.

"I have a team assembled who can perform the hit." He looked at us, giving approving nods, "The league declaring The Original vigilante, means he is now a villain. They have declared that since he won't submit to their authority we have the right to go after him. Take him out even, without concerns for the truce. We can hit him where he lives, and make him pay for his callousness."

"Deathstroke has requested first attempt and is recognised. Do you have a team ready?" The bench asked.

The elevator dinged and three henchmen walked in, which along with Deathstroke made four. Animal reflex ran right down my back, raising my hackles as E-Claire drew in a sharp breath, pushed down with her powers actively and tried to literally disappear in her seat.

On my feet, ears twitching I sneered, bearing teeth and growling at what my happy, cheerful and above all unabashed friend would react to with this much fear.

"To counter a magic user we have assembled the following team."

The short man with the mustache was introduced as "Doctor Psycho"

An old, messy haired man with dreadlocks, grey skin and a suit was introduced as "Solomon Grundy"

Then a thin man dressed like a necromancer was identified as "Jagged Bones"

My eyes fixed on him. Each of these villains so far looked like bad news, but this man moved like a marionette, peering around the room from behind a piece of actual human skull that he wore like a mask. As the nothing behind me slowly started spreading to the whole chair, including Misty in an extreme aura of 'Nobody is here' I specifically kept myself between him and the seat, hackles raised and yowling.

"I don't like this team." I declared to the group. "If this is who I think, then the Inscrutable Machine object to this man, being sent into a house that includes a child!" Now I'd blown it, until now I hadn't said a single word, so the whole group changed its focus to me.

"I, the meeting recognized the talking panther, and registered its complaint!" said the calculator patiently.

Deathstroke responded coolly. "Jagged Bones, while unsavoury, has declared for a previous hearing that his behaviour towards the Young Miss E-Claire was the result of her superpower. And as no other evidence of similar behaviour could be found, was acquitted."

"Why does Kitty want to get involved? You want skinning?" the bone-man gestured a throat cutting my way which only made me angrier. I went to respond only to be interrupted-

"You would as soon be fighting a Rhino or a Whale!" E-Claire stood, teddy bear costume, trembling in a way that made me want to kill this man in an instant. Placing a hand on my hackles she stared down the man and a moment later Lucifar and Misty also stood in the ranks. "Changeling is being polite by only threatening you, and not this whole room with something much bigger."

For a scary, hard moment it seemed as though a fight might actually break out. The assembled villains who had agreed to the hit didn't look particularly willing to fight a kid, but the air was as crisp as the gates of heaven and if something didn't change, things would be really bad.

"Can I make a recommendation." Misty interrupted, adjusting her glasses. "In the interest of protecting a child, who is currently the Side-kick to the Original but may be made to see reason. Can I suggest your team wait for an all-clear from the Inscrutable Machine? They can send children in, as civilians, to retrieve Miss-A and ensure she is nowhere near the attempted hit."

The ice in the air warmed, tensions easing and I stopped growling, still keeping myself between Claire and this bone-man.

"That would be acceptable and a good compromise.." Deathstroke replied smoothly.