Villains Club Training Camp (5)

Bones

Garfield

"Deathstroke you Bastard, you're still alive!"

"Sportsmaster? Is that you? I thought you retired!" The fighting went sideways as the two men took an opportunity to converse.

"Kids am I right. My boss of a brat called for help so!, sorry gonna take back this dance partner."

Sportsmaster did try at that, following my nose I tried looking for Boney, the small narrow hall with the stairs in for the servants would be a good guess, but the Original has better feedback.

"This Spell! He needs to see his target! Check the cameras!"

"Gotcha!" I called back, security would be upstairs anyhow so I dashed past the battle zone following the trail and trying not to be seen.

Much of the building had been Trashed with the Originals version of Magic Missile so, shape by shape I worked my way around. On the way I saw Reviled and Miss A. They were up against literal walls as Grundy with his massive bulk tried to keep the kids out of the fight: "You shouldn't be here. We're winning, the Original is blinded to the world, and fighting an enemy they won't hurt!"

"You've underestimated his cruelty" surprisingly it was Miss A who made such remarks. "To the Original broken bones, bruises and shame just make kids stronger!"

"Yeah, he full on crippled our team mate Bolt during their encounter!"

Grundy wasn't fighting the kids so much as holding them back, but seemed interested. Hesitant even. "Really? What's the worst thing he ever did to you for training!"

Marcia actually puffed up her chest in pride, "Nothing I couldn't handle. I've been talking down molesters and muggers since I was eight, and once I prove myself by beating you chumps he'll let me progress to real fights! Like Vampires and Werewolves!"

Ray and I just full on stared at the side kick with this bold declaration and, for a short moment I fully wanted to walk away, let the villains do what they wanted to the Original.

"That to me is just more proof Mr Winters should take his dues." Grundy asserted, turned his back on the kids and joined the main battle. "Change of plans Doc, you watch the kids, I got a head to smash!"

"Stay on target." I told myself, following my nose. As the battle moved sky the building I found Jagged Bone in the cleared out security office, asking surprisingly with a cheap VR headset, wirelessly pulling footage from camera drones from the looks of the screens in the room.

The bone man danced gracefully in a mockery of the best ballet performers, knees up and toes pointed, the bones hanging from his clothing rattled and clacked and he moved, a childishly macabre song playing as he worked.

"Little kitty brave and strong, so you heed the bone man song,

No man or child can fight for chance, when he casts the Boney dance,

So come kitty dear to the piper of old. I'll call your bones to make you bold."

And in the middle of the boney dance where he was commanding Claire to attack he switched puppet, making me prance from the shadows towards him.

"Oh No you don't!" I called out, and changed shape. Jagged Bone danced out the way as I changed shape. This time I was riding a horse, changing direction as my body shifted and a pair of angry hooves lashed out at him.

"Oh, girl not lie. Any animal huh! Animals still have bones, my boy, and skin". On the cameras for the moment Boney had controlled me, Claire had been free! She had run, screaming for the team to intervene.

Ray with clarity of mind had bodily picked Claire up and was sprinting away when control was taken back, and now they stood opposing each other. Small mercy Claire had dropped the sword she was given.

"Stop Dividing your attention Jagged Bone! I'm your opponent! E-Claire told me you'd been stalking her and I'm here to avenge her honor!" Unfortunately the villain seemed more than capable of doing both, on-screen Claire was now pushing back Ray. From the looks of Claire's face her charm was all the way up, so that Ray backed away helplessly as Claire picked, punched, and threw attack after attack at the retreating boy.

Changing tactics from big to small I went back to Eagle, its bones were fragile but I was more agile, flapping around him at odd angles, attacking. He slashed out in his dance with bone knives.

Then I remembered. I remembered I was being silly, why attack normally.

Getting height above Jagged Bone I shifted, turned into a rhinoceros and Dropped onto the man with such a resounding thud that the floor beneath us gave way. I felt his little knives stab into my skin but I was too huge. There was no way they could hurt me.

The fall did daze me, and swaying a lot as I stumbled off the bad-guy and through a nearby wall - I found Ray comforting Claire.With the bone man knocked out she was apparently free.

No, I want people to be clear, I was still dazed from the fall. That is my excuse.

Walking drunkenly, having confirmed that Claire and Ray were safe, I looked over to see Deathstroke, holding Miss A up by the throat, dangling in the air. Behind him, almost in a direct line was The Original, the old man with a cane. He watched on as Deathstroke attempted a threat to his child, his side-kick with an expression. An expression of boredom? And a yawn!

"Mister Winters. Your estate has been a disgrace to the community long enough. Surrender for the sake of your daughter."

The silence stretched. The Original coughed, laughed, then proceeded to cast a spell. No concern.

"I'm not his daughter, not like that." Marcia croaked.

I swear, now and forever that I was still dazed.

But I saw a kid in trouble, so at that moment I charged. Horn down, straight at Deathstroke, running him through, then continuing on unheeded with unabashed, unstoppable force.

"WHAT IS with all you FKED UP ADULTS!"

My horn and sheer bulk also rammed through The Original, Miss A slumping to the floor behind me as I raged through the sicko idiotic and totally deserving adult.

After that, having just rammed my head through another wall it took a moment and some cajoling for Ray and Claire to convince a shape change from me.

Only after I was back in my own skin, did I throw up at the horror of what I'd done.

The police arrived after a little, Jagged Bone had vanished. We hadn't even seen the psycho doctor and Deathstroke was alive, healing miraculously from the injury.

The emergency responders had super-powered healers on their crew, who immediately began work stabilizing The Original.

Nobody saw or stopped Sportsmaster or Artemis from ferrying us away, taking us to a small hole in the wall club where an under-the-table doctor looked us over, cleaned our wounds (as none of us had armor on today, and only Ray was in costume).

About an hour later Ray got a message on his phone. "Mr Winters is stable, no thanks to you idiots. Deathstroke is locked up. Still no news on Jagged Bones. You should assume he's still out for Claire."

A moment later it was followed by "Thanks" and an angry emoji.

"Well. That went poorly!" Ray groaned.

We all groaned in sympathy.